Breeding Freedom Rangers?

[Fluffy1804]

I know this conversation comes up every now and then, but thought I'd ask about it again. We raised 26 Freedom Rangers this summer, and they turned out great. We've kept back 6 hens and a rooster because the hens were starting to lay, and my laying pullets still had a month or two to go before they began. My layers are starting to produce now, so we planned on processing the Rangers this weekend (Except for two of the hens because they've become part of the family. They're by far the sweetest girls in my flock.)

I have the room to keep them separated from my layers, and I've considered trying to breed the rooster to some of the better hens we still have. I know they won't breed true since they're hybrids, but has anyone tried this? What kind of results did you have? I just like the idea of having a steady supply of meat birds without having to order them every time - or do large batches all at once. Even if they don't grow quite as fast or as big as the "pure" Freedom Rangers you can get at a hatchery, I think it'd be an interesting experiment. Any thoughts or advice would be great.

Thanks!

 

[sourland]

I don't know from experience, but I personally would give it a try.

 

[piminuse]

I think a lot of people are under this idea that you can only have hybrids or birds marketed as meat birds as, well, meat birds.

If you're interested in breeding them for a sustainable source of protein then go for it! Breed the biggest, best birds and cull the rest as you normally would. This thread may interest you.

 

[Mrs. K]

You will get a varied results, some will be fine meat birds, and some not so much...but you can still eat them. Over time, I would expect that the feed to meat ratio to decrease. Meaning you feed more to eat less meat. But you would still be getting a bird to process, and it would take at least a couple of generations before I would expect it to be a considerable difference.

 

[Folly's place]

Hope to see updates if you go ahead with this project!
Mary

 

[Fluffy1804]

Great - thanks for all the replies!! I think I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens. Due to COVID we have moved my son's preschool "pod" to our house - so now I've got 4 toddlers to help me incubate and fill out punnet squares all day!

 

[Compost King]

Who cares if they do not breed true, you are going to eat them not show them. I have never done ranger to ranger but i have crossed Heritage Roosters with Red Ranger Females, results... decent meat in a short amount of time. what ever you get out of Freedom Ranger x Freedom Rangers will be better than breeding 2 random chickens. Go for it.

 

[nicalandia]

Who cares if they do not breed true, you are going to eat them not show them. I have never done ranger to ranger but i have crossed Heritage Roosters with Red Ranger Females, results... decent meat in a short amount of time. what ever you get out of Freedom Ranger x Freedom Rangers will be better than breeding 2 random chickens. Go for it.

Male Colored Broilers are truly terminal, they have recessive sex linked dwarf genetics (from dwarf dame)

When crossing Colored Broilers is best to use just the females

 

[nicalandia]

One of My Colored pullet 14 weeks of age, fed restricted.

On the left My Cornishx pullet of same age

 

[Geena]

Male Colored Broilers are truly terminal, they have recessive sex linked dwarf genetics (from dwarf dame)

When crossing Colored Broilers is best to use just the females

I found this to be true. I used a Red Ranger cockerel over my meat mutt girls for one batch last spring and got several dwarf pullets out of that along with this guy.


Edited to add a pic of one of the dwarf girls. You can see how "dumpy" she is compared to her full sized sisters.