Ambresse Acres

Ambresse Acres is a small homestead on a few acres dedicated exclusively to American Bresse chickens, especially their utilitarian aspects. We are focused on sustainably raising most of what we eat in a clean and holistic manner.

(Click on photos to open in a full-size window.)

To that end our chickens provide all the eggs and meat we need, plus overages for others. We also plant and tend a large vegetable garden, and forage for edible mushrooms and medicinal plants in season.

Ambresse Acres Info

Ambresse Acres Poultry Farm is located in Port Angeles, which is on the north Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Or as we say, "the top left USA."

Contact Us Page: Here.
Facebook: AmBresseAcres
Website: www.ambresse.com
History of Ambresse Acres: Below.
About Karen, owner of Ambresse Acres: Below.
Product Offerings: Chicks, started birds. Fertile hatching eggs very occasionally available. We are still navigating the legalities of selling farm-to-door. See Photos and More section below for details.
Local pick-up only, we aren't shipping at this time. 
(1/9/2022; updated 10/17/2024)

History of Ambresse Acres

I first heard of American Bresse in early 2020 when someone remarked, "I raise American Bresse chickens." After some serious research, I almost immediately acquired a shipment of forty chicks, and then allowed the barnyard chickens to age out (into the stew-pot). I now raise white American Bresse chickens exclusively. 

Ambresse Acres, the Poultry Homestead, Takes Shape

The initial forty birds making up our foundation stock was culled down to the best 8 birds by the end of the year. We added another 8 birds via hatching eggs from Sunny Acres Farm in Ohio in 2020, and then whittled these down to the best two roosters. 

The selective breeding and culling process continued for the next two and a half years. By mid-2023 the flock had improved significantly, especially in body type, balance, and bone structure. 

In mid-2023, a mission of mercy brought me as far as Missouri. If I could travel another eight hours to Cincinnati, Ohio, Mandelyn Royal was willing to spare me a good handful of started birds. I happily made the trip and collected the birds gratefully.

We reviewed her birds and chatted in the barn while a summer thunderstorm pounded the roof and drenched the landscape. It was still pouring as we loaded the young birds into their travel bins and into the minivan.

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Ambresse Acres in 2024

In February of 2024, we began hatching from both bloodlines at Ambresse Acres. Mandelyn has been selectively breeding for seven years. She is about four years ahead of me with breeding selection, and it shows. Chicks hatched from her genetics grow fast, are meaty almost from hatch, and grow into birds that measure up well against the Standard.

My Ambresse Acres flock are miles ahead of where they were when I first received them four years ago, yet there is room to keep on the current course. Type is significantly improved, and we have eliminated recessive white genetics from the Ambresse Acres pen as documented by genetic testing. But the most gratifying quality in the Ambresse Acres birds is TASTE. The AA birds have the fat deposition and the 'it' factor that begs for seconds. 

Beyond 2024: Two Pens - Two Genetic Pools

For the foreseeable future, we will maintain two separate pens - a pen with birds carrying the MR bloodline, and one with the Ambresse Acres recessive-white-free bloodline.  

In 2023 we implemented the use of wing bands to assist in the process of selective breeding, which has been very helpful. Huge breeding progress has been made and is ongoing in conformation to the standard of perfection. It is actually surprising how quickly one can see the results of one's selection choices year over year.

Testing for double dominant white is in process for all the roosters; we'll continue testing for the hens into 2025. 

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Perfection is a never-ending but exhilarating pursuit...!

Ambresse Acres: Chicks and More

Take a peek into Ambresse Acres - check out what's going on! See our chick pics and other photos, plus we'll show you some of what all we do with our birds and eggs, just for fun. 

We DO offer chicks and started birds for sale, and very occasionally, fertile hatching eggs. Details are below. If you need to, feel free to contact us and ask questions.

Day-Old Chicks, Young Chicks, and Started Birds

ALL of our birds at Ambresse Acres are 100% American Bresse, and have ALL the qualities that are characteristic of the American Bresse breed, including the unique flavor and fat marbling.

Available: Day-old chicks - inquire early as we may have a wait list. USD$15.00/each, straight run, as we do not sex our chicks. Pick-up in Port Angeles, WA, or other agreed-upon pick-up point.

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Started Birds

EVERY breeder of quality birds, without exception, finds that their stock divides itself into two sorts: The birds that have the potential to improve the overall quality of the breeding flock, and the birds that, if used for breeding, will add extra steps and a bunch of extra time to the selective breeding process.

The question then becomes: What to do with the birds that are deemed to not be able to improve the flock?? The good news is that whether a hen is a lovely lass or a homely hen, they both lay lots of eggs. In an egg-laying flock, perfection is not a requirement - the requirement is only lots of eggs, which most every hen is able to provide.

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Do You Want Breeders or Egg Layers?

We know that some of our customers just want the egg layers, because they have told us so.

Egg Layers
We have an egg-layer flock at Ambresse Acres, where we keep our 100% American Bresse started birds, or even young adult birds, that may carry minor cosmetic flaws (for example white legs instead of blue) that will delay the process of selective breeding.

If all you need are hens that will lay lots of eggs for several years, we will likely be able to help you. We discount started egg-laying birds by 40%. Let us know if you need a rooster as well (also discounted).

Started Birds Meeting the American Bresse Standard
The size of our breeding flock is limited by pasture and coop size. We seem to reach capacity with nearly every hatch, leaving us with birds from 4 weeks up to 20 weeks of age that are too nice to process. We prefer to make these available. Price depends on age. Pullet at point of lay: $40.00.

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Fertile American Bresse Eggs for Hatching

U-Pick-Up. We are located in Port Angeles, in the north of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State (USA). 

• Cost is $75/dozen. 
• We include extra eggs with your 1-dozen purchase to help insure against failure to hatch. (Our hatch rates vary between 97% - 100%, however the transit between my farm and your incubator does carry risk.)
• We meet you off site to give you your hatching eggs in order to maintain a high level of bio-security on our homestead. The meeting location will be determined at the time of purchase, for mutual convenience.
• To place an order and arrange for pick up, or to inquire about availability of fertile hatching eggs or chicks, please contact us via our Contact form.

NOTE: Ambresse Acres is not currently selling fertile American Bresse hatching eggs. Please contact us for more info regarding availability and/or a spot on our waiting list.

Eating eggs are almost never available. We and our extended family eat nearly all of them. Any extras are dehydrated or donated. You can certainly inquire....

Too Far Away for Pick-Up?

We are acquainted with a LOT of excellent Am Bresse chicken breeders, and are very happy to refer you to the American Bresse Breeder listings or the ABC for Sale pages. Many of these breeders are selling and shipping hatching eggs, day-old chicks, and young birds.

(I am not able to personally vouch for every one of these breeders, of course. Please do not fail to do your own research and then contact the individual[s] of your choice should you need to obtain some American Bresse hatching eggs.) 

Ambresse Acres Delivery Route . . .

Plans for a bi-monthly or quarterly delivery route are being discussed. Possible drop locations include locations along the I-5 corridor in Washington State, such as Olympia or Lynnwood, locations along I-90 such as Ellensburg or Moses Lake, and possibly other areas within Washington depending on interest. If interested, please drop us a note and we'll add you to the location grid and notification list!

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Ambresse Acres: Photos and More

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Delicious American Bresse Chicken

This is how we use our chickens! 

Frozen or processed poultry products are occasionally available depending on supply: Whole chicken, chicken feet, small whole-prey carcasses for pet dogs and cats, Bresse Bone Broth, and more. (Supplies are limited. We are still navigating the legalities of selling farm-to-door. Please contact us for additional info.)

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Amazing Meals

Schmaltz - Rendered Poultry Fat

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Canned Chicken and Bresse Broth

Soups the Way You Like 'Em

Eggs for Eating

Ambresse Acres almost never has eating eggs available. All eggs of hatching quality go into the incubators, and the extended family eats the small pullet eggs. I hope you can find eating eggs in your area.

If you are raising chickens and have lots of eggs, these photos might give you ideas on preserving them for use later in the year.

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About Karen Patry, Owner of Ambresse Acres

Karen is the main chicken keeper at Ambresse Acres, and also the owner, author, and webmaster of the Ambresse.com website.

Pictured at right is Karen Patry in a photo taken a "few" years ago. I've since grown out the gray...

For years my main focus was rabbits. I spent much of my time writing the website, www.Raising-Rabbits.com. I raised and showed Rex rabbits, developed a clean caging system, took thousands of rabbit photos, and wrote scores of website pages about every aspect of raising rabbits.

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Storey Publications published my informative book, Rabbit Raising Problem Solver, which was well-received and is in its second printing.

(Storey is also the publisher of Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits, by Bob Bennett, and Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, by Gail Damerow.)

The Rabbit Raising Problem Solver is available in the Raising-Rabbits Store, and wherever good books are sold, including Amazon.com (4.6*).

During all those years, chickens had access to the rabbitry, ranging under the dozens of rabbit cages and generally making themselves useful. They foraged under the cages for tidbits like flies, maggots, bugs, and even mice. They churned up the rabbit droppings until they were perfect for the garden. The eggs were a delicious bonus.

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When I discovered American Bresse chickens in early 2020, I plunged head first into breeding this amazing breed of chickens.

And then the same passion that drove me to write about rabbits knocked me over the head....

The rest is history! This website, Ambresse.com, got its start in mid-2021. It is growing in its ability to provide information about American Bresse chickens to any American Bresse breeder or individual interested in the American Bresse breed or even in chickens generally.

And now you know both how I came to raise American Bresse chickens, AND how Ambresse.com came to be. The details about the Ambresse website are here.

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I hope that Ambresse Acres and the Ambresse.com website will be of genuine help to you. Enjoy your chickens!

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