Broiler Breeds for high elevation?

[xmonster0]

i read that jumbo cornish cross are not recommended over 5000 feet elevation

we are slightly over 6000 feet here in eastern Colorado

i am really considering expanding into meat birds , we all ready have layers and turkeys and we love them

can anyone suggest a good meat bird breed?

here is what we are looking to do .

i want to get 50=100 chicks and keep probably 25 hens and 2 roosters for breeding

and then sell and eat the rest when they are of proper weight.

can anyone make any suggestions please

thanks!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I live at 8,000 feet in the mountains West of Colorado Springs. Last summer I raised 35 Freedom Rangers and was very pleased with the results. I ordered 35, had 36 delivered and only lost one chick during about its third week. Don't know why. While I did loose 4 to a predator one cruddy night when they were about 9 weeks old, all the rest made it safely to butchering age, which happened at 10, 11 and 12 weeks of age. I did keep one rooster and two hens for breeding purposes but ended up butchering the rooster when he was maybe 6 months old because he was just too rough with my hens and laying had dropped dramatically once he hit puberty. The two hens weren't great layers so they also were introduced to the crock pot between 8 and maybe 10 months of age.

I purchased 10 Cornish Cross chicks this spring. I lost one each at 2, 3 and 4 weeks of age. I don't know whether the altitude had anything to do with it. This was a 30% attrition rate but the rest made very nice broilers.

I'm almost to 12 weeks with a bunch of Red Rangers this summer. So far they haven't grown as big as the Freedom Rangers were at this age.

So, based on my experience, I'd say try some Freedom Rangers. Now they are a cross breed, so your second and third generations are not going to have all the same attributes as the first generation you purchase but I've seen some postings from folks who have bred their FR meat birds and been happy with the results.

I'd recommend keeping more roosters than you really want and then selecting who gets to live and father babies and who becomes Coc au Vin depending on their temperment. I picked my rooster based on good looks, and you know that is almost never a very reliable way in choosing a guy.

 

[xmonster0]

awesome thank you, freedom rangers , im gonna look into the breed more, dont know much about em

we are out in calhan, by the way

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

awesome thank you, freedom rangers , im gonna look into the breed more, dont know much about em

we are out in calhan, by the way

Calhan! OK. I see that you raise turkeys. What kind do you raise?

 

[xmonster0]

Bourbon reds, Narragansetts and royal palms

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I know this is the wrong thread for this, but would you think these are Royal Palms? I was told they were BBW at the feed store, but 17 weeks in, I think they were mistaken:

 

[xmonster0]

100% royal palm , no doubt about it

the tom in the middle will be a sight to see when he struts!!

ill take a pic of my palms strutting tomorrow and post it for you

they are identical..

Broad breasted white turkeys are all white

the best tell is the black line on the tail feathers fan

also bbw's are production birds, what you have are heritage purebreds, much better tasting turkeys