................

[greyfields]

Quote:
Sorry I missed this.

Many of us have come to the conclusion that Cornish Crosses suck and we don't enjoy raising them. Up until now, I had been raising Freedom Rangers for our meat birds and for sale at the farm market. But, they sadly went out of business.

So, after doing a bunch of research, the source for the breeding stock of the Freedom Rangers was discovered, was tracked back to Hubbard, then some people found out where the same birds were being sold. The Red Bro's are the same as the Red Rangers FR was selling. JM will also be adding the black and grey lines at some point.

 

[mlheran]

Thanks for the info, greyfields!

Yes, I would have preferred to raise something less... engineered than Cornish Xs for my first try at home-grown chicken, but alas, only one feed store around here had broilers so I was stuck. I'm thrilled to see that JM offers orders as low as 15! That's still way too many for us at once, but maybe if I build another tractor it'll work out. Thanks again!

 

[kees]

What are the black and grey lines? How are they different from what is currently being offered?

 

[greyfields]

They're different color.

 

[tuskajones]

Thought I'd chime in on a source for the Red Bros. I am doing cornish x for the first time and will probably go with Red Bros next in the fall perhaps. Anyway, the hatchery where I ordered my cornish from sells a few colored meat birds. They advertise Red Bro, Yellow Jacket, Red Cornish, Kosher King, Black Meat Bird, Gray Meat bird, and several cornish crosses.

They don't have a website but the hatchery is Myers Poultry Farm in South Fork, PA and their number is 814-539-7026. The minimum order for chicks is 15.

Don't know if anyone else out there has any experience with this hatchery.

Kelly

 

[kees]

Is the skin a different color or just the feathers?

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
Awesome!! Thanks for the resource. If you get any additional information on the specifics of the birds, let me know. AFAIK the grey broilers are only available through Hubbard (and possibly the blacks, too). I've never herad of the other kind, except the Red Cornish. A hatchery advertised those in Oregon, but said they were 14 week birds. So, I want to say they are not hybrids but a strain of Cornish which is red. But, I could be wrong.

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
I can't imagine you'll find anyone selling anything but yellow skinned birds here in the US, just as it's very hard not to find a white skinned chicken in the UK.

 

[jaku]

How do they do with the heat compared to the Cornish X? I was going to put off my next batch of Cornish X until fall- would these do better in the summer?

 

[greyfields]

I have no idea because we don't have heat where I live. Has anyone in TExas raised freedom rangers, specifically the red ones?