The Blue Foot or Poulet Bleu is a Canadian chicken hybrid bred to resemble the French Poulet de Bresse.[1]

Blue Foot
Other namesPoulet Bleu
Country of originCanada
Standardnone
Usemeat
Traits
Comb typered
Classification
APAnot recognised
Notes
blue legs and feet

History

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The Blue Foot was bred by Peter Thiessen of British Columbia[1] and was intended to provide an alternative to the French Poulet de Bresse, a chicken product from birds of the Bresse Gauloise breed raised and fed in a specific and traditional way within a strictly-defined area in France.[2] It was developed over a period of 15 years starting in the 1980s.[1] The Canadian stock was destroyed in 2004 during the avian flu scare. Some stock in California survived.[2]

Characteristics

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The birds are white, with a red comb and steel-blue feet.[2]

Blue Foot chickens are typically slaughtered much later than industrially-produced stock, being left to grow for longer. They require 14 to 16 weeks to reach market size.[3] After slaughter, the chickens may be air-chilled.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c 'Magic' blue-footed chicken makes the grade. California Poultry Federation. Archived 25 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Rob Patronite, Robin Raisfeld (24 October 2005). Kind of Blue. New York Magazine. Accessed August 2014.
  3. ^ Kind of Blue: Modesto’s champion chicken by Hank Shaw. Edible Sacramento. Archived 25 February 2013.