Backyard Poultry Forum

http://greenfirefarms.com/store/categor ... an-bresse/
even though this is an American site it is interesting. Yes the bresse are free ranged. Of course we don't have them in Australia, but this might be a useful method for some. I have always maintained that they need ample free range to increase muscle mass. This method means they add fat as marbling to the muscle, which I imagine would make the meat much more tender.

I think cockerels are best when they've ranged most of their lives, which provides density and flavour to the muscle, but then they're calmed down and kept a little more quiet for their last couple of weeks, and provided with feed that can put on some meat weight, not too much fat. That would probably put some more meat in the breast region in particular, which can be very lean in fully free-ranged birds.

It also makes them used to being close to humans, and less likely to turn into frenzied flying beasts just before processing time (as last night's bird did - and it was full dark and everything when we caught him!!). Apparently the adrenalin can make them tougher, so keeping them a little in the dark and relatively confined and visited by people every day would prevent that.

Note: relatively confined, in my books, means "a tractor of about 1m x 2m for one bird, kept among the flock so the bird has company; it just can't range".