Question on Ranger Growth Progression

[MamaHen11]

Hi wonderful BYC community,

I bought a batch of 13 gray and rainbow ranger meat birds back on 15 August.

This is my first time raising chickens and I have a mixed flock of egg layers and the meat birds. I've been feeding them an 18% protein feed and they are now at four weeks old. I don't want to you do you any harm to the layers, so they are the priority when considering feed choices.

Given that starting point, my heaviest meet bird is at 1.5 pounds currently. The lightest is at .7 pounds. Does this sound about right? What I should expect from an 18% protein feed?

Could I up the protein without negatively impacting the egg layers? Does it really matter at this point since they are four weeks old already?

Does anybody have a chart for a week over week growth?

 

[MamaHen11]

Anyone?

 

[allosaurusrock]

I kept my red broilers on 18% until the last two weeks. They were still very big meat birds so I'd just keep them on 18% for now.

 

[MamaHen11]

I kept my red broilers on 18% until the last two weeks. They were still very big meat birds so I'd just keep them on 18% for now.

Thank you for the reply! When you say very big meat birds, what was their average weight and when did you butcher?

 

[allosaurusrock]

I didn't get average weight, but they were VERY big. I butchered around 16 weeks.

 

[Nekatlla]

We did a batch of Red and Rainbow rangers as our first try, average weights were 4.25 lbs only 5 birds were under 4 lbs and the largest was 6 lbs 2 oz these are dressed weights. One thing we had happen was only half the birds were ready at 14 weeks the other half went an additional 4 weeks. The batch was 54 birds to start. Ended with 49 birds. we are now doing 2 batches of CC's totally different1

 

[MamaHen11]

We did a batch of Red and Rainbow rangers as our first try, average weights were 4.25 lbs only 5 birds were under 4 lbs and the largest was 6 lbs 2 oz these are dressed weights. One thing we had happen was only half the birds were ready at 14 weeks the other half went an additional 4 weeks. The batch was 54 birds to start. Ended with 49 birds. we are now doing 2 batches of CC's totally different1

Thanks! That is helpful.

Do you know what percentages of protein you had them on throughout?

My largest our 2.25 pounds right now and 5 1/2 weeks. I'm not certain and he will be ready at the 11 to 13 week mark that the hatchery advertised. But then again I don't know how much they're supposed to grow per week, which is why I started this thread

 

[Nekatlla]

Thanks! That is helpful.

Do you know what percentages of protein you had them on throughout?

My largest our 2.25 pounds right now and 5 1/2 weeks. I'm not certain and he will be ready at the 11 to 13 week mark that the hatchery advertised. But then again I don't know how much they're supposed to grow per week, which is why I started this thread

I believe it was 21% but I might stick with the 18%, I'm still learning and having a real bad time with our second batch of CC's with the same protein % we just started cutting it back to 18 hoping it will change the losses and the splayed legs.