History of the Breed

The Sasso chicken is not technically considered a breed of poultry, but rather a dual purpose chicken, meaning they are utilized in the meat and egg production, that are manufactured by a French company named Sasso. 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 “Selection Avicole de la Sarthe et du Sud-Oest” 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 XL 551, known as the “meat type” of broilers. Sasso chickens are one of the most popular chicken brands in the Philippines and in Africa.

 

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. 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 characteristics of the breed.

 

Meat and Egg Production

Sasso broiler are famous for the high quality meat production seen within the type and due to having more muscle mass than standard broilers. Since it is a meat breed, there is not a concern with reduced egg laying.  Sasso egg production generally pays for the costs of their maintenance, as they can lay between 120-250 eggs per year and have a high hatch rate. This type of broiler can begin actively laying eggs at 6-8 months of age, and often can lay after 11-12 months.

 

Resilience

 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. They do not require much health care maintenance, which allows them to be raised in backyard and large scale free range settings, which allows them to be a suitable breed for new farmers.. Sasso broilers are easy to breed and require ample space to roam. Their docile nature also makes them stick out when raising them around other chicken breeds, despite having ancestors from fighting breeds.