Rasen heter enligt standarden La Bresse. Den är en så länge bara godkänd i vitt men jag har svarta som jag ska visa och hoppas få godkända till nästa år.
Vad jag förstår så är den vita La Bresse Gauloise
inte samma ras som den svarta Gauloise Noir....
La Bresse Gauloise. (update May 2011.)
This Large Fowl really has it all as a dual purpose breed. It can provide a very good flock for the purpose of free range egg production, or a meat flock.It is typical of the continental light boned breeds, hardy, a little 'flighty' good forager, and a willingness to free range.
The Bresse traces it's origins to the Bresse region of France. The breed definition is legaly protected, hence the dual names.
Birds produced outside the Bresse region may only be called Gauloise. The Gauloise is a very fast maturing bird. It can come into lay at 16 weeks or so, if given optimum growing conditions, and a spring hatch.The chicks are very fast. At 4 weeks they are nearly fully feathered, and at 4-5 weeks are generally of heat, even in the early spring and autumn.In summer, they can be outside at 4 weeks or so.
Bresse Noire or Gallic Black:
The
Gauloise Noire is an ancient rare breed in France, with small populations scattered about.
The plumage is black with a bottle green sheen that is highlighted in the sun.The eggs are white/light cream in colour, and much smaller than the white Gauloise.
The breed has never been subject to commercial selection until recent times.In the last couple of years the Bresse Selection Centres have been expanding their breed numbers, and I believe this ancient breed is one of them.
Due to the lack of commercial interest in France, the breed has been selected for it's utility purposes as a farm-yard fowl for generations.There are though some breeders selecting for show purposes. The breed seems to have remained unspoilt, and supposedly retains its capacity to produce both meat and good egg numbers.
