Anyone else have a new batch of Freedom Rangers?

[wholehearted]

We have had our Freedom Rangers (26) for about a week and a half now. Really enjoying them so far! I can't believe how fast they are growing! We are working on a bigger brooder because the weather here in NE Ohio is just not cooperating and I don't know when we will be comfortable putting them out in the tractor. This is not only our first time with meat birds, but our first time with chicks at all. We are also getting 18 layers on Monday and dh is still working on their coop as well. Would love to hear from others that are in the midst of raising their Rangers. Maybe we could compare results/weights as time goes on.

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

Congrats on your meaties and on your chickens! What kind of layers did you get?

My FR's are 6.5 weeks old now. We ordered 50 and received 51. We lost one to a raccoon which were able to trap the next night when he came back for seconds.

The chicks are due for another weighing tomorrow, but last week they weighed an average of 2.73 pounds apiece. Can't wait to see how they've grown in the past 7 days.

Check out this thread for details of other people's experience with FR's and their growth, feed conversion, etc. I've been posting my weekly weigh ins to that thread.

I'm really quite pleased with my FR's. They are more active than I had imagined (they're not running marathons mind you. just not as sluggish as I'd pictured them being), plus they seem fairly bright and friendly. Of course, that's gonna make processing day all the more difficult...

On the side that will make it easier. They poop a lot, and they stink, and I'm tired of filling up their feeders twice a day and schlepping 5 gallons of water around.

Here are some pics of my chicks from last week:

Out of 50 chicks this is the only spotted one I got. The "dumb" meaties figured out the auto waterer before my layers did.

I've got the chicks in a 10 X 20 pen. I haven't let them out to free range yet. I'm concerned about predators, so I don't want to risk losing any. Given their activity level, I think they'd free range just fine if I'd let them.

 

[jason_mazzy]

What is a freedom ranger? and can it be free ranged and used for meat?

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

Quote:
Pineywoods, the spotty one is my favorite FR coloring. It looks a lot like a crele pattern. Out of 26 Rangers, we got one too. Here he is this winter, at 15#.

 

[wholehearted]

Thanks for the info and pics! It is neat (and a little scary) to see how much they are going to grow in a few short weeks. Perhaps I will post my results to the other thread as well. So far, all of ours seem to be doing well. We had one close call where we almost lost one to an accident in the first couple days, but he/she bounced back and is now doing great!

We got a variety of different layers since I couldn't make up my mind.

We ordered a total of 18 in a combo of: Golden and Silver-laced Wynadotte, Welsummer, Speckled Sussex, Black Australorp, Ancona, Easter Egger, and Light Brown Leghorn. We pick them up this afternoon.

Mrs. Mucket, he is beautiful! I am anxious to see what mine are going to look like as they feather out.

What is a freedom ranger? and can it be free ranged and used for meat?

Yes, a Freedom Ranger is a meat bird that is more suited to free range and pastured environments. You can do a search on the forum here or go to their webpage for more info. http://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/​

 

[krcote]

Mine are shipping May 18th! I can't wait

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I have a question not answered at the Freedom Ranger Hatchery. Since the FR's don't have the leg problems of the Cornish x's do you need to provide perches, or can they be grown in a low pen with cover over one end for weather protection while sleeping? If I raise meat birds, I plan to raise them in a moveable pen so they are on fresh forage ground every day, thus off the ground with all the poop.

 

[krcote]

Quote:
You do not need to provide perches. They will sleep on the ground if that's all they ever know

They will also experiment with perching, but they aren't dead set on it because they are butchered before becoming mature.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Great pics! Can't wait to see more!