Advice for red rangers and pioneers please

jbofky

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jul 22, 2014
22
0
25
My wife and I have had several hens for over a year now and wanted to try some meat birds this spring. It's a long story but our order from mcmurray hatchery got doubled. So we ended up with around 16 dual purpose breeds and 30 red rangers and pioneers. I have a multi-part question.
1. Are they more aggressive than Cornish birds? They seem to peck at and will kill any that shows a sign of weakness or looking a little different. Any who are a little short in the feather department could be fine now and on the verge of death at the next feeding.
2. Are Cornish birds this feisty? I started them all out in a somewhat Salatin-style 8x8 pen that was moved everyday. At 3-4 weeks the came out of that dude like a covey of quail when I opened the top to feed and water. Joel never has that trouble on all of the youtube videos that I've watched. At 5-6 weeks I built an 8x10 hoop house and separated the two groups by the way.
3. Do I need to give them a roosting pole?
4. Should I keep feed in front of them all the time? I've been trying to give them just barely what they will eat in hopes that they forage more. I have an abundance of red and white clover, Timothy, orchard grass, fescues and several other species.

Thank you all in advance for the great information.
 
I've never had Pioneers, but I have had Red Rangers and Cornish X. I'm answering based on my experience with these birds.

1. The Cornish X seem to peck at other birds a little bit, but I have never seen them bloody or kill another bird. They do have no problem trampling over injured or weak flock mates, but I think this is true of all chicks. My Red Rangers have also never harmed another bird.
2. Cornish X are not feisty at all. I have always kept mine in the coop with my layers and let them out in the morning to free range. The Red Rangers are always the first meaties to fly out, followed by the Cornish X's who waddle out like sumo wrestlers. The Rangers are more energetic then the Cornish for sure.
3. I gave them a nice low, wide bar for roosting on. They don't need it, but I think they like it. Give them one if you can.
4. For just the Rangers, I leave food out all the time. They don't seem to gorge themselves like the Cornish X do. Unlike the Cornish X birds, the Rangers will choose forage over the feed troth.
 

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