Bresse chicken
| Bresse-Gauloise | |
|---|---|
 Bresse chickens |
|
| origin | Bény , Bresse , France |
| year | 1864 |
| colour | Plumage white, black, blue or gray with a single red crest and blue legs |
| Weight | Rooster 2.5-3.0 kg, hen 2.0-2.5 kg |
| Laying output per year | approx. 180–200 eggs per year |
| Eggshell color | White |
| Egg weight | 60 g |
| List of breeds of chicken | |
Bresse chicken or Bresse-Gauloise is a breed of chicken that comes from the Bresse region northeast of Lyon , between the Jura and the Saône . Since already in 1601 under Heinrich IV it was stipulated by “Appelation d'Origine” that “the Bresse chicken” could not be kept under this name in any other region, the chickens of this breed were given the addition of Gauloise outside their home area .
Today 1.2 million Bresse chickens are produced annually, with a total French production of around 650 million poultry. Volaille de Bresse , Poulet de Bresse , Poularde de Bresse and Chapon de Bresse are protected designations of origin ( AOC , PDO ) for meat and slaughter products of this breed from the Bresse region.
In Germany, white farm chickens of this breed are also marketed as Les Bleues because of their protected designation of origin and their striking blue legs . In their white plumage - typical of farm poultry - Bresse chickens with their red comb and blue legs show the national colors of France. The national model of the Gallic Rooster , however, is the slightly lighter and gold-necked Gauloise dorée .
features
Bresse-Gauloise are single-combed, blue-legged country fowls with white ear discs, which are known in the color variants black, white, blue and gray, whereby the white color is of economic importance. The Bresse are considered to be resilient, adaptable, hardworking layers of at least 60 g white eggs. The animals are very lively and have a pronounced exploratory behavior, but are not very active in flight.
The well-protruding comb is turned on the hen. They have dark but not black eyes. The roosters weigh between 2.5 and 3.0 kg, the hens between 2.0 and 2.5 kg. Their torso is long and well rounded, their broad back sloping slightly. The tail is well developed and set at an obtuse angle to the back. The chest is very broad and full. The wings are tight. Medium-thick legs and medium-length, feather-free, blue barrels complete the picture. The coloring of the ear discs varies within the color and gender (!) From pure white to bluish to ear discs with red deposits.
Origin and development
From time immemorial, the Bressan peasant women looked after the chickens, while the cattle were the responsibility of the men. As early as the 12th century, on the occasion of a funeral, the steward of the Duke of Burgundy gave "80 quarters of wheat, ..., 6 barrels of white wine, 3 barrels of juice, 12 pints of mustard, ... 4 oxen, ..., 600 chickens, 4 dozen geese » provided, proving that chickens have been popular for a long time. Traditionally, three types were represented in Bresse, the blacks from Louhans , the grays from Bourg and the whites from Bény . Under the influence of traders and targeted breeding, the Bény whites developed into the real Bresse chicken. In 1904 the Bresse Club was founded with the aim of establishing a breed standard and promoting breeding.
Commercial poultry with a protected designation of origin
The Bressans began to promote their breed as early as the 19th century. In 1862 Léopold Le Hon held a poultry competition. 116 exhibitors presented 591 pieces of poultry. In 1864, Count Le Hon induced the Bressan poultry farmers to take part in the slaughter animal competition in Poissy , where they won all prizes, against competition from breeders from Normandy , Flèche and Mans . The press expressed itself enthusiastically "the other (poultry species) pale next to those from the Ain department , so artfully adorned by their whiteness, their delicacy and appetite that they present themselves to our eyes" (La Nation) . In view of this success, the Bresse took part in the national slaughter animal competition in Paris on December 19, 1864. With 507 items, and thus over 2,000 poultry, they exceeded all other regions. In the final, a lot of capons from the Flèche met a lot of chicken from the Bresse. After two hours of thorough examination, the first prize was awarded to the Bresse chickens by Joseph Gergondet from Saint-Étienne du Bois . However, the judgment was challenged and the judges invited to a tasting of the poultry on display. After a sumptuous meal, the jury once again announced the victory of the Bresse hens - which had conquered Paris. With that the fame of the Bresse chickens began - and with it the deception. In order to combat the abuse, the breeders founded a professional association for each of the marketplaces, which meticulously monitored quality and standards. The local associations merged on July 13, 1933 to form a regional poultry association (Fédération des Syndicats Avicoles) . Around 1930 the idea arose of attaching an aluminum clip to the chicken, which should prove the authenticity of the Bresse chicken. However, some time should pass before the final introduction, not least before the barriers of the courts.
The story continued with the move of Alphonse Perraud, who moved from the municipality of Péronnas near Bourg-en-Bresse to the hamlet called France in the municipality of Meillonnas in order to continue raising his chickens. The 15-kilometer distance wasn't worth a fuss. The lower part of Meillonas is also in the Bresse region - but not the hamlet of France, which geologically belongs to the Jura. When Perraud continued to raise his chickens and sell them as Bresse chickens, the poultry association brought him to court to try to find a definition of Bresse chickens. An expert commission finally determined the exact area in which Bresse chickens may be bred in order to be considered as such and subject to name protection (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, AOC) . On December 22nd, 1936 the poultry farmers triumphed, above all the "poultry pope" Cyrille Poncet, who had achieved that the superiority of the Bresse chickens was legally proven.
In 1953 an association was founded that brings together all branches of poultry farming in the Bresse (CIVB: Comité interprofessionnel de la Volaille de Bresse , not to be confused with the CIVB: Comité interprofessionnel des vins de Bordeaux ) and two years later the center in Béchanne ins Called to life, which supplies the breeders with healthy eggs in order to maintain the breed standard. These efforts finally led to the fact that on August 1, 1957 the National Assembly approved the law N ° 57-866, which for the first time granted the name protection AOC to a living being.
Denomination of Origin
The following equivalent terms are used for the AOC designation of origin : Volaille de Bresse (poultry), Poularde de Bresse (broiler chickens) and Chapon de Bresse ( capon ). The chickens belong to the Bresse-Gauloise breed with white plumage. The AOC protection was granted as early as 1957 after the production area was precisely defined in a 1936 ruling by the civil court of Bourg-en-Bresse, along with some rules so that the addition de Bresse could be used. In the decree of December 18, 2009, the last provisional provision was made.
A Bresse chicken is always a free-range chicken , it is fed exclusively with regionally grown maize or buckwheat on at least 10 m² per animal and slaughtered directly at the breeder. The enormous space requirement, the expensive food and the minimum slaughter age of 4 months are reflected in the price. Shortly before slaughter, chicken is fattened in the dark for 10 to 15 days and milk is fed. A real Bresse chicken bears a blue-white-red seal of approval when it is sold and, contrary to the regulations for German poultry, may also be sold with its head and feet in Germany. At the annual Concours des Volailles "Les Glorieuses" in December in Louhans , Pont-de-Vaux , Montrevel-en-Bresse and Bourg-en-Bresse, the best capons and poulards from Bresse are chosen.
The production area covers 353,600 hectares and 185 breeders (92 of them in the Ain , 7 in the Jura and 86 in Saône-et-Loire ). In 2009 979,253 chicks were raised (38% in Ain, 3% in Jura and 59% in Saône-et-Loire), from which 15,876 chapons , 51,959 broilers and 692,183 chickens were produced. The production area comprises 275 municipalities, which are located in a rectangle that is about 100 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide and is precisely defined by the judgment of December 22, 1936. The municipalities are in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions
production
From the egg to the ready-to-roast chicken, different bodies are involved. The regulations and modern production methods make it difficult for all production steps to take place at the poultry farmer. While in the 19th century a breeder produced 200 to 300 chickens a year, in 1947 even 1000 a year was still the upper limit. Today, some ten times as much - and therefore more cost-effectively - are produced.
The hatchery
The largest hatchery is the Center de Séléction de Bechanne , which shares with two smaller hatcheries in the Bresse in the production of over a million chicks. The technical development, diseases, New Year u. The like. have made the smaller hatcheries disappear. The breeding chickens and roosters are also located at the hatchery, so there are short distances and control over the purity of the breed. The chicks hatch in the hatchery. From there, around 250 breeders are served one-day chicks; they are responsible for the future development of the chickens.
The breeder
After the chicks arrive at the breeder, they are kept in the barn with heat lamps for a maximum of five weeks and are given mixed feed. The breeder is concerned with monitoring temperature, food consumption, fresh water, litter, light and protection against predators and pests. After this protected phase of life, the animals are kept in freedom. Before this change, the compound feed is reduced and supplemented accordingly with cereals (mainly corn) and milk, a supplement that the chickens will receive for the rest of their lives. During the following at least nine weeks, the Bresse chicken lives in a species-appropriate manner . He has at least 10 m² of fertile meadow available. In addition to the additional feed made from ground corn and dry milk, the chicken feeds primarily on molluscs (snails and worms), larvae, insects, etc., but also on grasses and herbs. The natural diet, together with the natural movement in connection with the foraging, as well as the fresh air and the sun, allow the chicken to grow, "fillet" and produce a tasty meat. During this time, the breeder pays particular attention to predatory enemies (fox, birds of prey, rats, poaching dogs) and his daily routine is based on the needs of his animals: in the morning and at dusk they look for nocturnal insects, worms and snails. Breeders lock the barn to protect the animals. Finally, the last stage at the breeder follows. After the chickens are housed in, they are caught and moved to a dark, quiet room. The next day the rings with the name of the breeder and his address are put on, together with the note Bresse . The toenails are then cut to prevent the chickens from scratching each other and they are placed in wooden row stalls. Here the hens are given a doughy feed for eight to ten days, ie maize is mixed with hot water and supplemented with powdered milk or cow's milk. This phase is used to ensure that the chicken accumulates healthy fat, on the one hand because of adequate nutrition and on the other hand because of the lack of exercise. For roosters, this final phase lasts approximately 14 days.
The slaughterhouse
It is unlikely that a Bresse chicken will be sold in individual pieces (legs, wings, fillet). Only a whole head and feet of chicken can be a Bresse chicken, along with the foot ring and slaughterhouse etiquette. Slaughtering therefore involves a large amount of manual labor. The first thing to do is to stun the chicken, be it with a blow or an electric shock. The animal is then bled through a cut palate so that there are no externally visible injuries. Complete bleeding is important to keep the white color. Only the stomach and intestines are removed from the chicken through the cloaca, the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs remain in the carcass , which must remain intact. Finally, the large feathers are removed by machine and the down is carefully plucked by hand. The feathers remain on the head and neck so that the consumer can control the red crest and white plumage. The blue legs and feet also remain on the animal and are folded and tied together with the wings.
If individual parts do not meet the requirements, the chicken is downgraded, the foot ring is removed and offered to the breeder for repurchase. Only flawless animals end up in the trade with butchers, restaurateurs or on the market, which is evidenced by a label from the CIVB on the animal's back.
Labelling
The ready-to-cook Bresse chicken is characterized by the breeder's foot ring, the slaughterhouse's seal at the bottom of the neck, the identification seal for capons and broilers and the label of the CIVB (Comité Interprofessionelle de la Volaille de Bresse). The end product is usually sold with a feathered head and neck, as well as legs and feet, the innards are still there, with the exception of the stomach, intestines and gall bladder. The CIVB successfully defended itself against the standardization efforts of the EU - which wanted to prohibit sales with legs, neck and head - the specialty of the Bresse chicken is now also recognized in Brussels. In the meantime, Bresse chickens are also sold ready-to-use, only the legs up to the ankles are still there to present the seal ring to the customer (see photo on the right).
Breeding in Germany
In Germany there is no noteworthy commercial breeding of the Bresse chicken. In addition to private hobby breeding and keeping in small farms, they are used as dual-purpose chickens in organic poultry farming. By marketing the meat and eggs of the animals, an alternative to conventional poultry farming is to be created, which specializes in either high-performance egg or meat. Some of them are marketed as Les Bleues because of the blue stands (legs, legs) and the breed's French origins .
As part of the initiative to preserve old poultry breeds , a white Bresse gauloise breeding ring was founded in 2012 in order to optimally combine the animals present in Germany genetically and to optimize breeding.
literature
- Sandra Frossard-Urbano, La Volaille de Bresse - l'évolution d'un savoir-faire, Écomusée de la Bresse Bourgignonne, 71270 Pierre de Bresse, 1992
- Gérald Gambier, La Volaille de Bresse et sa Cuisine, Éditions La Taillanderie, 01400 Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, 2008, ISBN 978-2-87629-353-3
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Rüdiger Wandelt, Josef Wolters: Handbuch der Hühnerrassen . the chicken breeds in the world. Verlag Wolters, Bottrop 1996, ISBN 3-9801504-5-3 , Bresse-Gauloise, p. 279 f .
- ↑ Bresse chicken as PDO in the DOOR
- ↑ Dual-purpose chicken | Hetzenecker chick. Accessed January 30, 2019 (German).
- ↑ a b c d Rüdiger Wandelt, Josef Wolters: Handbuch der Hühnerrassen . the chicken breeds in the world. Verlag Wolters, Bottrop 1996, ISBN 3-9801504-5-3 , Bresse-Gauloise, p. 279-281 .
- ↑ a b http://innoforum-brandenburg.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Eicare-Projekt-2016-Vortrag-Anne-Reinsberg.pdf
- ↑ Léopold Le Hon on assemblee-nationale.fr
- ↑ Volaille de Bresse. to INAO L'Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité. Retrieved July 4, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Volaille de Bresse production area. to INAO L'Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité. Retrieved July 4, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Chiemgauhof Locking
- ↑ a b Bernhard Hörning, Fabian Häde: Dual-purpose chickens in organic farming? Problems, pilot projects, perspectives . Publishing house Dr. Köster, Berlin, 2015, ISBN 978-3-89574-885-1 ( orgprints.org [accessed January 30, 2019]).
- ↑ ei care. Accessed January 30, 2019 .
- ↑ Growing ring White Blaze gauloise
