I had 2 of these and in 5 years both were not working anymore. Its great for a project that has short on/off Intervals. Do not expect this to last very long.
They are exactly as people say they are. Unique tiny chickens who belong in a cage. I have one Cockerel with no female to be caged with so I am attempting to get him into a free range flock and so far he just sticks close to the coop and more time at the feeder than others his age. He had a few stand offs with other Cockerels and held his own.
Pros: Didn't sit at the feeder, Will fly up on a roosting bar, Will flock with the egg laying birds.
Cons: Most aggressive chickens in the flock, loves to bully bantams and can seriously hurt them, although they do not chase smaller birds very far.
I had 4 Red Rangers/Freedom Rangers that I bought at TSC just to check them out. They were too active with too much personality to kill. I gave away 2 males to a neighbor who will dress his own roosters from time to time. He told me the meat was great compared to the Heritage roosters he usually eats. The Females I kept to see how they lay. They just started laying and the eggs are a bit small compared to how much they eat. I rationed their diet and put them in the composting pile pen where there is plenty to scratch through. I also rationed their feed to keep them fit and trim for breeding. Next I added an Ayam Cemani rooster cull and will be hatching out some of their eggs that will hatch next month. The goal there is to get a larger black meat bird. I plan to cross them with a Dorking Rooster when my Cockerel matures. Maybe I will end up making my own meat birds. Their eggs are a big small considering how big they were when they were day old chicks. Maybe he eggs get bigger as they fully Mature. These girls started laying very early, none of their brooders mates are laying as of yet. I bought them in late February and they started laying in Late June. I believe they started laying about a week sooner than the leghorns I had bought in the past.
Pros: They eat very little feed and will forage for days before hitting the feeder
Cons: Not prolific layers but mine laid better than I expected and the eggs are decent sized for the size of the bird.
Very attractive birds, very friendly too, pet quality friendly. They lay close to every other day, sometimes 2 days in a row. Rarely were mine at the feeders. The one I currently have will scratch out her pen before she goes to the feeder, and since I constantly add leaves, grass clippings, hay, straw everyday, I never see her at the feeder even when confined. She is sharing a pen with one D'uccle currently and the sea bright complete out lays the D'uccle. They tend to be do better free ranging and never leave the yard even though they are more than capable of flying out, or even walking under the Holly hedges. They will lay eggs in hiding spots when free ranging.
Pros: Supposedly dark eggs, but mine weren't much darker than an orpington. The Roosters were gentle when I picked them up
Cons: Egg production not the best considering how much they eat. Egg shells not as dark as advertised.
This breed just wasn't for me, nothing special to look at, Eggs were not exceptionally great, they do not lay in abundance however they seem to eat a lot. They forage pretty well, but they don't seem to cover every inch of ground like other chickens do. I had the American or British version, not the feather legged French version which I get the feeling are much better, they cost most too.
Pros: Egg laying machines, scratch up my compost piles completely, leave me alone when I leave them alone. Forage well and do well when confined. Eat very little feed even when confined. You can over crowd them and they still do well.
Cons: Not Friendly, superb escape artists, can fly over 7'6" fences but 8 feet will contain them. Not good as a pet. Noisy when laying eggs.
They are not for everyone, but all their negatives seem to do well with me. They were the first chickens I ever had and I have yet to find a breed I like better. Large eggs from birds that eat so little. I had issues containing them at first but bird netting solved that. I did notice that they can get very friendly when you are lifting up things with bugs and worms under them. I move nursery pots every day and when I do the Leghorns suddenly because my best friends. When I am doing other chores they stay out of my way which I really like.
