Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[aliciaplus3]

My purpose is just to raise a batch of meat birds and eat most of them. We are over a mile high and I have read that some Cornish-X will have trouble with the altitude. Aggressive foraging sounds like a good trait for a fast growing meat bird, to me! It seems like meat birds always have to be raised separately for one reason or another. Refresh my old memory, where are yours from?

We are at about 6000 feet here so I understand some of your struggles. My middle DD is raising the fast growing meat birds for fair, this is our first time with these and so far I like the red broilers we got from privet better. I hope to get one of the fast growing ones to laying age but I am not holding my breath... I am still hatching my Delaware cross to see if I can get them to be consistent, I had one cockrel hit 5 pounds at 12 weeks..... we will see

 

[Compost King]

I thought I would post my thoughts on this slow white broiler i have. its been 16 weeks and her size is not exactly impressive. The half Red Rangers (half naked neck) she is housed with are a 10 days younger and larger. She is basically a white rock that develops slightly faster than a normal dual purpose. I didn't have any males survive and they were probably going to be a bit larger. My Rhode Island White Rooster which is about 10 days older than the Slow White Broiler seems to be developing much faster. Since the RI White is single Comb he and the Slow White Broiler are pretty close to looking the same and I might just mix the 2 and make my own Yellow feet, yellow skin, all white single comb dual purpose breed.

 

[Compost King]

I forgot to take a picture of him dressed out, he has been cut up into parts already. I also forgot to weigh him but last Saturday he was 5.3 pounds I believe. I had planned to process him on Sunday but it was way too hot and humid. Today was the first day with a high below 90 and we had storm clouds go over cooling things down and I snagged him and took care of business.

This guy was next but is likely going to be spared, he just lets me pick him up and he doesn't put up a fight. he is strong and healthy too, and he only mates with the ladies who go into the submissive position as other roosters chase down and or fight the ladies who do not cooperate. I just like the guy and might name him and make him the free range rooster. But at the first act of aggression he gets penned up or processed. I do not let aggressive roosters go free because it's not fair to neighbors in my urban environment.

I love his coloring compared to the other Bow Tie Naked Necks I have. A much brighter and vibrant red. Although he did not grow out as fast as others his age.

 

[Compost King]

Here is the Slow White Broiler who is close to the same age as the Naked Neck X Red Rangers next to her. I reported earlier that the Slow White Broiler was awfully small for a 16 week old broiler but I took the time to weigh her (16 and a half weeks old now) and she weighed in at 5.1 pounds. She looks so small but was so heavy when I picked her up. Males were likely a bit larger but they didn't survive (my fault, don't blame the hybrid for that). I didn't record weights but my Red Rangers did grow faster and were larger at this point in their development and their combs and waddles were turning red. With that all out, I have to retract my disappointment in her growth, while not as great as the Red Ranger I have to say I am Satisfied. When she starts laying I will breed her to the same rooster I breed my Red Rangers to and compare the offspring size.

 

[Compost King]

Last Neighbor to get the free dark meat from my last kill just texted me wanting to know if I had any chicken meat to sell. Thats means he he is really liking the Naked Neck X Red Ranger crosses he has been getting. Thats quite the confirmation that the meat is good quality. I give away free meat and he wants so much more he is willing to pay. I am not going to sell the next set of thighs and drumsticks it will still be free to him because I am not increasing production which is what he is offering money for even if he did not directly say it. Since I am not in my market competitive mode, just the learning and exploring mode it probably costs an awful lot of money to produce a pound of Chicken meat the way I am doing it. Besides if I raised chicken for money it would be CX.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Last Neighbor to get the free dark meat from my last kill just texted me wanting to know if I had any chicken meat to sell. Thats means he he is really liking the Naked Neck X Red Ranger crosses he has been getting. Thats quite the confirmation that the meat is good quality. I give away free meat and he wants so much more he is willing to pay. I am not going to sell the next set of thighs and drumsticks it will still be free to him because I am not increasing production which is what he is offering money for even if he did not directly say it. Since I am not in my market competitive mode, just the learning and exploring mode it probably costs an awful lot of money to produce a pound of Chicken meat the way I am doing it. Besides if I raised chicken for money it would be CX.

You must be doing an excellent job. Money talks!! Willing to pay money proves top quality product.

 

[Molpet]

Last Neighbor to get the free dark meat from my last kill just texted me wanting to know if I had any chicken meat to sell. Thats means he he is really liking the Naked Neck X Red Ranger crosses he has been getting. Thats quite the confirmation that the meat is good quality. I give away free meat and he wants so much more he is willing to pay. I am not going to sell the next set of thighs and drumsticks it will still be free to him because I am not increasing production which is what he is offering money for even if he did not directly say it. Since I am not in my market competitive mode, just the learning and exploring mode it probably costs an awful lot of money to produce a pound of Chicken meat the way I am doing it. Besides if I raised chicken for money it would be CX.

in the summer it costs me 6$ a lb, harvested at 16wks , around 6lbs dressed... heritage/cx mixes

 

[Compost King]

in the summer it costs me 6$ a lb, harvested at 16wks , around 6lbs dressed... heritage/cx mixes

then with me and my sloppy practices it will cost $12 a pound
Thanks for telling me the norm price for that specific Mix.

 

[Molpet]

then with me and my sloppy practices it will cost $12 a pound
Thanks for telling me the norm price for that specific Mix.

I forgot to add that was organic feed $30/ 50 lbs

 

[Compost King]

I forgot to add that was organic feed $30/ 50 lbs

On a serious note, that's actually a really good result for a a feed that is double what I pay for feed.

https://www.southernstates.com/cata...category=horse-livestock+poultry+poultry-feed Not exactly certified Organic but its a decent feed brand. If I could get them to consistently eat worms I can produce enough worms to feed a small flock but only some chickens will eat them but the ones that do will eat an awful lot of them.