Cornish X red ranger cross project

[Compost King]

I saw this on the list and was hoping someone was doing this now so I could follow the progress all the way to the table or camp freezer. I have 1 Red Ranger Pullet, still in the brooder and if I had more red rangers I would take her out but her other brooder mates are too young/small/lightly feathered to come out. Maybe I will keep the male CX I have alive long enough to breed with the Red Ranger I have. I would prefer the reverse of what @nicalandia suggests because Male CX are tougher to deal with when it comes to breeding. But he is absolutely 100% correct about it being more cost effective to have a male CX over Ranger Females. I would also like to use a Red Ranger Male over my Light Brahma and Delaware females because those would be sex links and I can put the females into a giant egg flock and turn the males into dinner. Get them on different feeds early, 25% for the males and 18% for the females.

 

[esme13]

I was so curious too! I have 3 red rangers. Two pullets and a roo. The hens lay HUGE eggs and one constantly lays double Yolkers. My roo is not with them in that coop. I have to many coops.. but he is such a sweet boy! And huge! I keep wondering how this cross would do with a leghorn (egg production) and for meat cross (brahma ). But for me, I might have to keep waiting. My family wants him for dinner

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@Compost King @esme13 I wish you both well in that.

This was my first year with a flock, and due to COVID, I had no choice in my breeds - it was whatever I could get out of TSC before they sold out. Had planned to put one of my two CX males over my HH Rainbows and any Braham hens I had, and Rainbow or Brahma Roos over the CX girls, in hopes of getting a little of their original genetics out of the deal, and culling the rest. Turns out, none of the Rainbows and Brahmas are male.

I still have one CX roo, and two hens (all aged 29 weeks) having processed my first CX roo several weeks back. All were free range during the day, single feeding for the combined flock at night when I put them up.

Neither of the males seems to show any interest in the girls - any of my girls - I finally gave up and adopted a free for the taking mixed breed rooster into my flock - he's currently in quarantine with his even more mixed breed son.

If you do pursue it, please post - I'm interested in the road almost taken - but for some uncooperative males, and a shortage of males from alternate breeds.

 

[Compost King]

I was so curious too! I have 3 red rangers. Two pullets and a roo. The hens lay HUGE eggs and one constantly lays double Yolkers. My roo is not with them in that coop. I have to many coops.. but he is such a sweet boy! And huge! I keep wondering how this cross would do with a leghorn (egg production) and for meat cross (brahma ). But for me, I might have to keep waiting. My family wants him for dinner

How long have you had them, My Red ranger hens started out as my absolute best layers but in less than a year they were streaky layers. it seemed that for ever month they laid they took a week off at the end of the first year and slowly regressing to longer periods of not laying at all. Then the periods where they did lay started getting shorter. I did have huge eggs (too big to fit in my egg turner when hatching and supposedly duck eggs fit) I had a lot of double yolkers that first year which lead to giant eggs.

 

[Compost King]

@Compost King @esme13 I wish you both well in that.

This was my first year with a flock, and due to COVID, I had no choice in my breeds - it was whatever I could get out of TSC before they sold out. Had planned to put one of my two CX males over my HH Rainbows and any Braham hens I had, and Rainbow or Brahma Roos over the CX girls, in hopes of getting a little of their original genetics out of the deal, and culling the rest. Turns out, none of the Rainbows and Brahmas are male.

I still have one CX roo, and two hens (all aged 29 weeks) having processed my first CX roo several weeks back. All were free range during the day, single feeding for the combined flock at night when I put them up.

Neither of the males seems to show any interest in the girls - any of my girls - I finally gave up and adopted a free for the taking mixed breed rooster into my flock - he's currently in quarantine with his even more mixed breed son.

If you do pursue it, please post - I'm interested in the road almost taken - but for some uncooperative males, and a shortage of males from alternate breeds.

My male CX is reaching an age where he should start showing interest in hens but so far he just acts like one of them. He doesn't even crow. For a rapid developing bird he sure seems slow to rooster up. My barred rock which was just a few weeks older had been crowing for 2 months until I ate him yesterday.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

^^^ same. The only time mine has crowed was to warn the flock of a flying predator - after one of the brahma told him about it. Seems a little late to be making noise after the whole flock has crowded under the vestibule in front of the barn doors.

Maybe if I had kept the more dominant male, Cornish Rex, but he went and over ate back on week 22-23 and became a waddling tub - so off with his head, and Cornish Secundus was named the new king.

The King is dead, long live the King, right?

 

[Compost King]

I am only on week 19 right now with my CX. I usually keep 3 because 2/3rds alway die on me around week 13. This year all 3 survived, all 3 have a larger bone structure than previous birds but they do not weight more. They look like they should weigh 25 pounds. I only weighed the male because he is the largest but he was only 10 pounds. Maybe my Male CX will get his Rooster on and start breeding when the females start laying.

 

[esme13]

I am reading about the crowing this batch will be 6 months in a week. And boy , does this rainbow ranger (made an error in my post earlier/ not a red ranger). He crows first thing in the morning 6am. Many many times and than about every hr or so, to make his presence. He’s big, but I have had to watch his weight. He will and as well as the hens, sit at the bowl and just eat. The hens started laying earlier than my actual layers. I want to say a whole month early! But they aren’t exactly worth keeping, they eat WAY to much.

Another breed mix that has crossed my mine is a leghorn to the meat bird breed. I keep wondering if hens would lay pretty well and if the mix would cause a faster growing bird and a bit more better on structure of size at full maturity.

As for the double yolkers. I’ve had the worst luck! I very silly keep placing them in my reusable egg carton. And every time I check, I’ve crushed them. She lays them every week. And last week my olive egger decided to give me a double yolker.

 

[CNJ]

Hello, I was wondering if your project was sustainable?