Anyone free range broiler chickens ?

[ivy_huan]

Question about broilers
I'm thinking about raising a few next year but wondering if free ranging will work instead of coop them up n feed them the broiler feed.
I don't mind if it takes longer to raise them but I would like healthier meat chickens

Thank you

 

[Ozarkoak]

Why not just get a dual purpose bird designed for what you are trying to do? White Rock or Bresse?

 

[DebbieMarler]

Question about broilers
I'm thinking about raising a few next year but wondering if free ranging will work instead of coop them up n feed them the broiler feed.
I don't mind if it takes longer to raise them but I would like healthier meat chickens

Thank you

Chicken tractors?

 

[Molpet]

I gave a broody a few pullet cx along with 2 layer chicks. I fed 2x a day and they looked for food the rest of the day.
I butchered all but one at 12 weeks. They dressed over 8lbs

 

[3KillerBs]

The various colored broilers are bred to do well in a pastured situation.

 

[ivy_huan]

Why not just get a dual purpose bird designed for what you are trying to do? White Rock or Bresse?

I do plan to later on. Which I can also hatch my own eggs. But I would like to get a few broiler to start with next year

 

[ivy_huan]

The various colored broilers are bred to do well in a pastured situation.

I don't know if my local feed store will bring those in
Do you know what they are called ?

 

[3KillerBs]

They come under different names,

Freedom Ranger
Red Ranger
Kosher King
Big Red Broiler
Black Broiler
etc.

Look at the hatchery websites and you'll see them.

My local feed stores don't usually sell meat birds so I wouldn't know if they're generally available or not.

 

[Acre4Me]

Question about broilers
I'm thinking about raising a few next year but wondering if free ranging will work instead of coop them up n feed them the broiler feed.
I don't mind if it takes longer to raise them but I would like healthier meat chickens

Thank you

Healthier?

The Cornish X will come to you as a healthy chick. You will feed it and it will grow very fast bc that is what it is created to do. So, you butcher at 6-8 weeks. It will still be healthy. But, they are not so good at getting away from danger bc they grow so fast. They tend to get hot easily bc their bodies are muscle making machines.

So, if you want to free range and wait longer, for a perceived “healthier” bird, then all above suggestions are good ones.

 

[Geena]

Is your plan to free range them instead of feeding them broiler feed or in addition to? A meat bird's nutritional needs cannot be met on forage alone, and particularly so for any of the commercial broilers.
We pasture all our meat birds and although they do forage quite a bit, like Molpet, I always feed them twice a day. Much depends on your free range area as well, if it's mostly just lawn, there won't be much of value there for them to eat.