Sasso Chickens
History of the Breed
The Sasso chicken is not technically considered a breed of poultry, but rather a dual-purpose brand of chicken, meaning they are utilized for meat and egg production and is manufactured by a French company named SASSO, now owned by Hendrix Genetics. Despite the name “Sasso” referring to the name of the company, many people also refer to it as a breed of chicken and a brand of the poultry industry. This type of chicken has many lines of breeds, including the original development of Sasso chickens known as the T Lines breed that Serge Perrault of France created in the 1950s as a way of preserving the traditional chicken breeds. The name “Sasso” is an acronym for “Sélection Avicole de la Sarthe et du Sud-Ouest” or “Avian Selection of Sarthe and Southwest.”
The French originally coined the term Sasso chicken in 1978. This type of chicken is a crossbred of other traditional breeds such as the Rhode Island Red roosters and a strain of indigenous chickens from France, making it a hybrid broiler. Other variations of the Sasso include the SASSO XL551, known as the “meat type” of broilers. Sasso chickens are one of the most popular chicken brands in the Philippines and in Africa and are continuously growing.
Physical Characteristics
This breed differs in appearance based on the many types of Sasso
chickens out there. However, the common plumage colors include red brick, black, and fawn, with feathers that grow dense as the chickens age. As well as naked-neck yellow skin and naked-neck black feathers. While the plumage may be multi colored in many Sassos, they are distinguished by having a wide chest with relatively smaller wings and a small head. Sasso chickens also tend to have yellow paws and a lighter colored beak compared to other standard broiler breeds. In the Sasso type, subspecies are distinguished based on differing characteristics and colors that are all constantly working to improve the characteristics of the breed.
Photo Notes and Credits: 'Red Brick' Sasso Chickens, Jake Kristophel.
Meat and Egg Production
Sasso broilers are famous for the high-quality meat production seen within the
type and due to having more muscle mass than standard broilers. A 2024
study in Zimbabwe found the Ruby C (C431) and Rainbow T (TR51) strains of
the breed to have lower cooking loss, enhanced nutritional benefits, and a
reduced fat percentage. Making them very useful in specifically rural markets.
Sasso layers are all descended from a single female line, SASSO SA51A. Sasso egg production generally pays for the costs of their maintenance, as they cumulatively can lay around 300 eggs at 75 weeks and have a high hatch rate. Sasso chickens can begin actively laying eggs at 6-8 months of age, and often can lay after 11-12 months.
Resilience and Versatility
Sasso chickens are also valued for their resilience and ability to thrive in
diverse climatic conditions. They have strong resistance to diseases,
parasites, and adverse weather conditions, which makes them easy to raise
even in rural areas. They do not require much health care maintenance, which
allows them to be raised in backyard or large-scale free-range settings, which
makes them a suitable breed for new farmers. Sasso broilers are easy to
breed and require ample space to roam. Their docile nature also makes them
stand out when raising them around other chicken breeds, despite having
ancestors from fighting breeds.