and finally... I'm back, though late.
To continue my analogy. We'll start w/ the cargo van. It holds a lot, has no capacity for extra performance, ubiquitous, white, slap a label on it, you're done. Gets the job done.
Cx (aka "Frankenchickens") or Cornish Cross are the infamous "supermarket" bird. They have been genetically selected over generations to, essentially, not stop eating, to favor a "double breast" (because Americans like white meat), and to pack muscle mass ("meat") on faster than the skeleton structure can (in some cases), support it. Their interest in foraging is near non-existent, they are the most stupid birds I've ever raised, and they are described by some as "bland and flavorless", also "tender". That's a factor of how they are raised (lots of corn, eating not stop, barely moving) and age - they grow fast and are butchered younger than anything else.
For feed efficiency, can't be beat. Can be overwhelming for new owners, because they need to be butchered early and at once - you don't benefit much from older Cx in rapid weight gain (though they will continue to put on weight) - that can be a lot of birds to butcher, clean, chill and start to rest on a single day. If you don't butcher early, because Cx have been bred to favor weight gain over everything (including long term health) you can start losing birds, often to injury or behaviors arising out of their weight. Slipped joints, not moving and lounging in droppings, infections from bumblefoot/body penetrations.
They can be raised in tractors, will take on a bit more flavor that way, slight decrease in weight gain (extra activity) offset by the contents of whatever they are tractored over. New owners not moving tractors frequently enough can be a problem. Also, you need to know what in the ground you are tractoring over. A free range bird will not eat to excess anything likely to do them short term harm. A hungry Cx (and they are ALWAYS hungry) will eat anything in front of it - so if you park them on ground full of things bad for chickens in quantity, good chance your Cx will eat it.
W/i those limits, a Cx gets big fast, and produces exactly what you would expect if you were to buy at the grocery instead. and they will be more expensive than the cheapest bulk bags of grocery store birds, regardless - you can't compete on economies of scale.
[Colored] Broilers (also "Slow" Broilers) and [Descriptor] Rangers are like trucks. Lots of performance, but can't hold as much. A little easier to customize.
In essence, whether its called a Red Broiler, a Slow Broiler, a Freedom Ranger, Red, Ranger, Rudd Ranger, etc the idea is the same. A meat bird which doesn't put on meat at the freakishly fast rate of a Cx, with fewer health concerns, and some capacity to forage on its own for improved flavor, less supermarket-like texture. Meaning older butchering age, and a little more flexibility in when to butcher - typically anywhere from 8 - 14 weeks.
In theory, anything labeled [something] Broiler should favor the early side of that timeframe, be a little heavier, and a little less likely/able to forage/free range than a bird sold as [something] Ranger - favoring the farther end of that time scale, and more able to forage on its own, meaning more flavor, more texture, often slightly smaller (but still good) size. In practice, I'm not convinced that's the case, but I don't raise them myself, and there are so many variables involved that anecdotes are just that - anecdotes. No common basis for comparison.
IF you are tractoring, a colored broiler or something Ranger is probably better pick than Cx, and a little more forgiving if all the neighbors can't get together on culling weekend, lack for space in the fridge, etc. and of those choices, because tractors tend to be small (else you can't easily move them), I'd lean towards a slow broiler type over the Ranger as a first time meat bird.
as a final comment, due to the time commitment and space requirements, many people raise meat birds several times a year, rather than all at once. Suggest you cut your number almost in half - 40 birds. Raise those as a batch between your neighbors. See how it goes. Expect a couple losses. Based on that, you know what needs to change, how many birds to order for next time, and if you want to change things up or fix them up to correct any issues from the first batch. You might also consider 20 "slow broilers", 20 "something rangers" from the same company as a single order, see which bird works best for you. In later years, you can compare similar birds form other companies, dial in the best bird for your needs and circumstances.
My thoughts only, feel free to disregard. My birds are small sedans, not trucks or vans, certainly not sports cars. Great at nothing, good for little, get me from here to there...
