The Meat Chicken Dilemma! IS there a clear WINNER? Cornish Cross or American Bresse.

[@CalmCowBell]

Kevin and Sarah doing what they do best! We started raising American Bresse chickens a few months before you started. We LOVE the breed and will never raise Cornish Cross again. The Bresse meat is so amazingly flavorful - no comparison to any other chicken. We hatch in the incubator in spring, and then have successful broody hatches in summer. It all goes peacefully under the mother's care. However, I confirm, two roosters from different hatches do not get along! Another plus is Bresse are very cold-hearty.

[@shodson314]

The dark meat on our bresse is crazy dark. Are yours? We gave up Cornish cross a few years ago. They are meaty but kinda gross to look at while raising

[@CalmCowBell]

@@shodson314 Yes, those blue legs have very dark meat! We do not feed them milk and bread, but we do give them yogurt we make from raw milk, What do you feed your Bresse chickens?

[@wytchwoodhomesteadandkenne5036]

Me too! I hatched real hard this entire last year, now I'm sitting better genetically, so I reduced them to one main rooster, one backup and six hens. I'll refresh when I need to when I have time to work on table traits.

[@shodson314]

@@wytchwoodhomesteadandkenne5036 we are on our first batch. Do you keep the extra rooster separate from the hens and other rooster?

[@wytchwoodhomesteadandkenne5036]

@@shodson314 not yet, as the others are young; not yet mature. I will eventually though

[@Connie-wl7tr]

I just want to tell you that one of the main things I love about you guys is that do tell people the experiences you’ve had that can help them make a choice of their own and to help keep them from making the mistakes you’ve made. I think you guys are amazing and you are the best at what you do! We do enjoy watching others but you are the most informative!!!

[@rebeccaplumlee9601]

I was a CHEAP farmer - i lived by a hatchery for egg production. They threw out cockerels, they became fertilizer, so i asked if i could buy them. Back then they were less than a nickel each. I raised them 8-12 weeks - yes they were small, but tender

[@PatricesProjects]

I don't raise chickens, but I do appreciate hearing about the differences of chicken breeds.

[@tamiwooliver4672]

Thank you guys for your continuous good content.I do not raise chickens but I live near you and get to use your tips for my small garden. The true purpose of this comment is to tell Sarah how beautiful she looks today. She's just radiant.

[@commununityconsultant6029]

Your channel is growing on me. You two are a really sweet couple! Two really genuine people sharing their lives. Thx for the tips and all of the keto recipes!!!!

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thank you so much!!

[@cherylharless281]

I really like this type of video where you talk about the pros and cons of various things. If I were homsteading I would find it very helpful and when I'm walking again I will use some of that info. But until then, I will live vicariously through you two. Thanks!

[@justacountrygirl8750]

I got introduced to the American Bresse through your videos. I only tried the Cornish crosses once, and in this Texas heat, it was enough! I couldn’t get chicks until June that year and I was literally begging for the 8 weeks. I actually processed them at 7 weeks and my average weight on them was 5.75 to 6.5 lbs. I made the switch to the Bresse and are much happier with the result. The only thing I’d add is if you want fryers to process them between 12-14 weeks.

[@mainechild]

I saw the french version of Bresse on a Mike Rowe episode. In France, they raise them on milk, bread, and veggie scraps mostly. Very expensive and sought after meat.

[@remydanielgeorges]

Nous les élevons avec du lait et du lait 2 mois avant l'abattage. Ils vivent avant 5 mois complètement libres sur de très grands parcours herbeux.

[@SM-yq1dr]

Yea I had a flock. They're little no matter how much feed I gave them and what they ate. I waited almost 2yrs to kill mine and dressed each bird weighed about 2.5lbs. I fed mine out at the end with corn, expensive goat milk etc...and it just wasnt worth it. Out of 13 birds 4 ended up sickly.

[@bettypearson5570]

You are great educators. You don't ever say do this because we say you should. You say this is what we tried, here were the positives and negatives, here's what we decided to do and which factors were most important to us but you need to base your decision on most important factors to you. I am always eager to watch one of your pros and cons videos. Thank you.

[@jacobtanaka6398]

One of our bresse hens went broody and we stuck 14 eggs under her yesterday. Excited to see how she does.

[@soniaspangenberg8557]

One of our Bresse hens went broody in November and hatched out 11 chicks. She was a determined and great mom! She was our defiant hen and would not stay in the fence. We clipped her wings, and somehow, she still got out. She made her nest outside of the fence in a slightly sheltered area, but she was steadfast on her clutch even in the snowfall! We began to admire her determination. Her chick all reached adult size. However last week a fox got her inside the little house we gave her. 🥲

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks for sharing with us Kevin and Sarah, good video on those two breeds of chickens. Gives a person an idea what they might be getting into. Stay safe and keep up the great work and videos. Fred.

[@tammymarple5347]

Good morning 🙏😊 Thank you Kevin and Sarah. It is always a blessing to get your input and valuable information on things around the homestead. I always learn something each time. Have a blessed week 🙏

[@tropicsteaders]

Thanks for this deep dive. I was so curious about your conclusions. Onwards with my day.😊 Have a great day, everyone!

[@danamarie4847]

Good morning Kevin and Sarah!! Thank you for another well balanced video, I gained a lot of pros and cons about the two different chickens. Would you be able to share more on ducks and geese, the kind you both recommend and some recipes. Also, if you can share recipes for deer meat. Thank you for your time❤️

[@histeve1110]

I hope you guys got to experience the total eclipse today. I ended up at a park in Jonesboro, had about two minutes of totality. It’s funny, when it went total, the local roosters started crowing 😆

[@gaylacrisler9818]

My niece, Kelsey, did a study on how much certain breeds cost to feed as well as their size when butchered. I think she’ll like to see this video so I’m sending it to her.

[@tammycrawford1221]

Maybe she could also share😊

[@hazelbrungard1623]

We haven't seen the rabbits and the herd of cattle lately. Recently. A video showed porches and grills on them. Kevin is so handy.

[@cheesygal]

I tried to order a flock of American Bresse and they got subbed out. I ended up with a pair, I love them. I’m planning to breed them for the incubator when things calm down a bit here. Thank you for introducing them to us all!

[@swianecki]

Thanks for the pros and cons. I don’t raise chickens but still found it very interesting. I’m sure it will be very helpful to a lot of homesteaders.

[@s.c.prepperann6921]

The wind has been so brutal here in my part of SC that I can't get my plants hardened off!

[@domading2759]

I raise 250 Cornish cross per batch.. I love them! I too worry about being able to continue getting them so I keep a flock if Delaware broilers to switch to if necessary.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

That is awesome!

[@TacklingTheGiants]

How do you like the Delaware? How do they taste and how big do they get? Are they tough?

[@domading2759]

@@TacklingTheGiants they are wonderful eating birds! They have a nice breast. They grow slower.. They say 12 weeks to grow but I grow them 15-18 weeks because I like a meatier bird. I grow them to about 6 lbs processed. They are not tough or overly ligamented like other breeds

[@markgardner9107]

Thank you guys, appreciate your help and wisdom! Unfortunately we can't raise chickens where we live. Blessings

[@samanthabloggins1775]

Sarah, I love your t-shirt!

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thank you! ❤️

[@LisaB_at_Pine_Ridge]

My first set of American Bresse chicks are on their way to me now!

[@AirzGamingTTV]

Really love your videos. Im a rural soul stuck with an urban career for the forseeable future but get so much reprieve from your channel. Thank you for sharing!

[@julienasett499]

Thanks so much for this video! I've wanted to raise chickens in our backyard for a few years. Now I know which chicken I will choose. God bless you both.

[@susanstokesbrungard291]

Good Morning Kevin and Sarah. My Chickens are doing great, thanks to you all. Hope you have a good weekend. Lv and Prayers to all.

[@zdoublins]

Thanks for your comparison! I raised frying pan broilers last year. I let them go almost 20 weeks & they were all pretty small. I have my first order of Cornish cross on the way. I truly value & appreciate what you all do! Prayers from NC❤

[@finallyfriday.]

I think these two like each other- they often look at each other while talking.

[@mariadurrence6508]

I’ve been raising America Bresse as long as you guys, the last year I had some CCC in the freezer so I decided to butcher my ABC at 10 weeks old, I had a process chicken weight average of 3.2 LB. I was so happy with the results and the meat was so juicy and tender that my kids loved it. Usually at 16 to 20 weeks old I get an average of 5 LB.

[@MarieAchee]

This was really helpful, thank you! Have you done a cost comparison on the two before? Between the high cost of chicks and the doubled growing-out time, I was priced out of raising American Bresse as a "terminal" chicken (just raising a batch for meat) but I know eventually if they hatch clutches they'd even out with Cornish Cross. You're so right that it depends on one's priorities. Year-round care, infrastructure, and cost of chicks/feed for Bresse is intense, but having a re-generating flock is a huge plus too :).

[@amyv8416]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing information that's actually helpful.

[@martymalinowski6352]

I spent a few months researching the American Bresse and several other dual-purpose chickens. Somewhere along the line, I decided to switch to a plant-based diet and eliminate meat altogether. Had I pursued raising chickens, I would have gone to a dual-purpose heritage breed. Another good video!

[@marking-time-gardens]

Thank you for the great comparison information! Blessings on your homestead and your 2024 growing season!🌻🐛Carolyn in Ohio 🌿

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Good morning. I was just wondering about this. Perfect timing. Thanks for the tips as always. You two are looking fabulous❤

[@Preciousmiller1]

Enjoy your weekend 😊

[@ldg2655]

I enjoyed this video and I appreciate your honesty about the Bresse. I just hatched my first batch of Bresse chicks and was dismayed to learn that they were tough and required a different cooking technique.. I will be sure to write down the hatch day and mark their 16th week process day.

[@chrispaulus4491]

@ldg2655 I’m going to do the same. Before I started with AB chickens, I was sure to buy their meat at the local farmers market. I don’t remember eating better chicken. I do smoke most of my meat. 🥩

[@MimsysGarden]

My Bresse that go broody are great moms! I have 2 that work together every time lol … even the roo will babysit so the dual moms can go eat 😂…. They also are protective over their hatchlings the first few days/week- then they let them learn for themselves. Hubby prefers the cc vs the Bresse so I still do both.

[@randifretwell5229]

Springter.. lol winter has returned here in north east Nevada , we have gotten more snow in two days than all winter.. ugh. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Oh wow!

[@prangecrew8]

Weather has been hateful here in Southern Indiana too!

[@carolmalko615]

Great video today. We are just talking about getting our first batch of meat birds and are on the fence about what breed. Your wisdom is priceless!

[@heartsandmindsathome]

I just love Sarah’s sweet smile and dimples! 😄 Thank you for another informative video! The Bresse is a new one to me.

[@dorothyallen3614]

Thank you both for your pros and cons on meat chickens, love your teaching.

[@auntiepam5649]

Great video Thank You for the comparison.

[@kprairiesun]

Very windy here in NW Missouri and Kansas, too

[@ericmyers7556]

Thank you for this video. We have raised American Bresse and freedom Rangers for four years and have struggled with the ups and downs of a full dual purpose flock and what we have now, two separate flocks.

[@Wakeywhodat]

Due to wildlife pressure I keep my flock in a tractor and they do fine. I free feed them, and once a day they get a 2 pound container of cooked pinto beans and rice, which they absolutely love. In fact, they laid right through winter once I gave them the beans. Walmart has 8 lb bags for $6.88. Roosters can be a problem, but a super soaker toy is easy to carry for discipline. I don’t mind kicking a chicken, but I wouldn’t wanna hurt my only rooster!

[@MichaelRei99]

Do the eggs give you gas?

[@jamjar5716]

​@@MichaelRei99😂

[@Wakeywhodat]

@@MichaelRei99 Just the chickens!

[@z144000]

Thank you Kevin & Sarah. Very good. God Bless you all in Love. Prayers. Maranatha ! ( shared to f/b )

[@trishbishop3923]

Off topic, but I’m SSOOO glad you showed the tree nets to cover the plants in the tubs! I ordered some, planted a tub of Kale, and this net has protected them so much! Today it is keeping the kale from being blown out of the tub, over the treetops and ending up who knows where!!!

[@templenaff5598]

I’m raising Am Bresse. I love these birds. The roosters are awesome. I’ve also been raising red broilers from McMurrays. Those are huge at 12 weeks. I am switching to Cornish Cross XL this month just to see the difference. There is a difference in the meat but I love that I can hatch my own and not need to order them from a hatchery.

[@HappyHax0r]

Same here... it snowed the past two days after we had weeks without any snow on the ground at all. Third winter sucks :(.

[@bwt99]

i seldom comment but enjoy and appreciate your channel very much. You both are very pleasant to watch. I lice that you don't do drama. You are great teachers, concise, articulate, down to earth, and very helpful. Thank you for being here. hugs

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thank you!

[@beckyisabell4324]

Your the best at sharing

[@cindyprickett7185]

Thank you two for sharing your life and experiences with us! You are such and inspiration!! God bless you, your family, and your homestead! 🥰

[@patsymeyers7455]

Your videos are great and I love your videos I've been looking at your videos for years 😊

[@belieftransformation]

Fantastic information; thanks for sharing your views about the 2 breeds of chickens. God’s blessings to all 🤗🇨🇦

[@Krayon08]

Winter is back here in Southern California too. 30s & 40s overnight. Snow way down the slopes of Big Bear.

[@HWPasturesLLC]

Great content! We raise high quality American Bresse in the eastern panhandle of WV. NPIP: WV 367. They’re amazing! When we started we learned the hard way, if your wanting them for meat production it is critical that you get them from a good breeder (not necessarily a big breeder). Not all American Bresse have the same production value. When you get the right birds, they’re the best dual-purpose homestead bird available.

[@jafleetwood9714]

I love that you not only show the workings of a farm but you share your experience & knowledge in an easy educational way. You are very much an educational channel and I love that. Very detailed when you process your foods, detailed with your gardening, etc etc love your channel.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thank you!

[@maryellensunflowergirl8132]

This is great information. Will use it in the future.thank you

[@darciwenger5073]

Sarah, try using a super soaker water gun. Less water use and fun for you! Very satisfying 😁

[@xpurg8d]

I'm far too old to ever get to homestead, but even in my suburban yard I enjoy growing some vegetables and doing a lot of the preparing and preserving foods for my family. So I always enjoy watching your videos to learn something once in awhile, and just to sort of get a little vicarious enjoyment of what it would be like if I could do what you do. Also, I found out when I was very young that I am not cut out to raise my own meat. I eat meat and, yes, I know where it comes from and that someone has to do the work to get it to my table, but I am grateful that I have the opportunity to purchase it and not raise it myself. And, yet, it's very interesting to hear you offer your experience for the people who will (or even might) manage to become as self-sufficient as you have done, even if I won't need that information for myself. It's good, I think, for all of us to understand how our food gets to our plates and be grateful that someone does that work in a responsible and sustainable way.

[@valeriecolvin6977]

We too raise the Breese and are thankful to have a great meat bird that is sustainable. We raised thousands of the Cornish Cross on our farm but ran into supply problems during the pandemic and the year after. We began looking for a breed we could hatch ourselves and couldn't be happier. The continuous supply we can produce, the relaxed schedule, and more dark meat make it a no brainer for us now.

[@brt5273]

We've had Australorps since I was a kid but you folks got me interested in the Bresse. I tried Cornish Cross and they are great meat producers but i prefer being able to breed and replenish my flock without purchasing new chicks every year. Additionally, Cornish X chicks have become so expensive it's almost impossible to come out ahead over store bought, even when raising your own feed. When you take into account all the labor in raising and slaughtering, they just aren't worth it for me.

[@kaybusby7507]

Great advice on what you have experienced, thank you for sharing. It was nice to see your cast iron rack.

[@fredthegreg]

Winter came for a visit yesterday here is eastern washington too! Had a couple inches when I woke up

[@country_zone6b]

I love the way you start apologizing!!!! You 2 never say ,oh BUY THIS NOW!!! and get a 10% kick back. You just let the information flow!!! bear hugs!!!!!

[@myberryownhomestead764]

That rooster figured out who really rules the roost!!!

[@Offgridlivingfillmore]

I raised a batch of breese chickens, I hated the way they process, couldn’t get the feathers off, we have a nice plucker but these chickens made it very difficult

[@lindabrown2170]

Thankyou for all the great information.

[@nel6211]

It's going to be interesting on your homestead during the eclipse on Monday. Hope you take some video of the animals reactions.

[@stevehoover16]

Great information great video thank you

[@almostoily7541]

Your experience with Bresse roosters are different than mine. I had two Bresse roosters together with four other roos (3 other breeds) in our flock and they get along. The two Bresse were from different places. I hatched one from shipped eggs and the other I got as a chick the same year. All the roos are the same age, some purchased and some hatched. Of course, my larger Bresse was the boss, but they don't fight.

[@lmkeilwitz]

After watching your video this morning, and seeing other videos you guys have done on the American Bresse chickens, I looked on Craigslist and purchased 16 chicks today! I'm super excited. Thank you for inspiring me to take that leap into meat birds 🥰

[@richfred9320]

I looked at the 2 hatcheries that I normally order from and they don't have them. If you wouldn't mind telling us were you get your American Bresse chicks from?

[@borountree4539]

Winter returned to southern California also, 45° low 54° high. For sunny southern California in April that is quite chilly! Brrrrrr 🥶

[@tovahcarver6049]

Thank you for sharing your insights and experience with these chickens. So helpful! God bless!

[@jeanniegreer7]

Thank you for the information. We greatly appreciate it.

[@justme-lp6ee]

Friendliest ❤ by far that we have raised was cornish cross. Surprisingly friendly

[@KittyMama61]

We would always go and get our chicks from Cackle Hatchery, they are wonderful.

[@elliesouza717]

We have chicks coming from there for the first time this week

[@josettereto8623]

Thank you great information

[@lanab8058]

Thank you so much for this video. Very informative! I've always gotten Cornish Cross but this time I'm going to try American Bresse. Have a great weekend. ❤

[@mindycollier9087]

Great info on Cornish Cross and American Bresse chickens!! I would love to hear the pros and cons with raising Silkies and Polish chickens!! I saw on an eclipse map that Ava, MO is very close to the totality path!! If you two decide to stay home for the eclipse it will be very interesting to see if there are any changes with your animals and plants!!

[@mekay235]

Thank you for sharing

[@evelynrogers7145]

As always great information. Have a good day and God Bless

[@gaylesmith1738]

This is all new to me. I don't even have chickens yet!! 😂 Thanks for all the info!! Great video!!!💕

[@MarieAchee]

Love the on-screen graphics/titles, and little "pop" sound effects on this video! :)

[@anneo3754]

Thanks for the comparison. I'm pretty much chicken illiterate 😂 I do enjoy eating them and having eggs. The main reason I haven't tried to raise them is the winter is so brutal here most years. People I know that do raise them here have well insulated coops for them with a heat source. Now I'm thinking maybe I can raise just some meat chickens to see how well it works out. I can push the no roosters in town rule as long as they're quiet 😊

[@whitehorse1961]

No roosters rule would be enough for me to move to the countryside:) Love my rooster at sunrise. Best alarm clock ever.

[@sararussell6182]

Cornish cross are butchered before they start crowing so nobody will know some of them are roosters, if worried about it you can order just females.

[@gracew668]

You are so helpful. Thanks for sharing all your experience

[@justincrain9991]

Thanks you both are such a blessing.

[@nel6211]

I thought Sarah was going to say that rooster that was chasing her around tasted so good!🙂

[@adamr4115]

Thank you,Good information 👍

[@jerseygirlvet]

Chicken newbie here thanks for the information. I just purchased my baby chicks.

[@rebeccaplumlee9601]

I followed ur series comparing Cornish Cross & Freedom Rangers. Was amazing & loved the "chicken math"

[@James-ib2kp]

Thank you for your honest comparison. 👍🏿

[@joyces.9021]

Thank you for sharing about your chicken ups and downs! Can you give us an update on your rabbits?

[@NicoleHoltActress]

Yikes! Winter again? We had 80 yesterday in North Texas :) Thanks for the details about the chickens. Helps make decisions.

[@ShannonStanley31]

We raised the Cornish cross chickens for meat birds. We spoil or chickens.... lol long story short... when we took them to the butcher they followed easily to their demise 😮. They never seen anything like it before... 🤭 We Loved them and cared for them, felt we gave them our Thankfulness. But I didn't like how fast the breed grew like they did. So I just might try the Bresse this year. Thanks loves! 😊👍