Crossing my Red Ranger Hens.

[BlueBaby]

Sorry it took me a while to peek in here to see what you've been up to @Compost King as I have had 8 of my eggs from my NN/Bresse mixes hatch, and waiting for more to hatch.

 

[Compost King]

Wednesday weigh in on a random 14 week old Dorking X Ranger. 5.5 pounds.

I looked through to see other weigh ins and it doesn't even make sense than it would be this heavy at week 14 so I am only weighing them when I dress them out from now on (for this crossing). Sunday is the 18 week point for a batch of them although I have a hatch due that day and I likely won't deal with a hatch and dress out a chicken in the same day. I may dress out many of the last batch before 18 weeks because they seem to put on size a bit earlier than I projected and earlier than the previous Red Ranger crossing.

Due to the rapid pace this crossing put on weight and how much more vigor they have compared to a full bred Dorking when I am done tinkering and exploring various crossings I might keep making Dorking X Red Rangers on a regular basis.

The next Focus is the Naked Neck X Red Rangers. The First one is going into a breeding program and is about 7 to 9 weeks old... the next batch is only 2 and a half weeks old because the Red Rangers took a month off from laying.

if I have time tomorrow I may take some pictures.

 

[Kris5902]

I love this project, and the progress you’re making with it. I’ve got a batch of 40 Ranger chicks about 1 1/2 to 2weeks old. I’m planning on holding back 10 females for breeding with another meat breed, and am looking at the different growth rates and feathering speed/patterns trying to narrow down my keepers. Do you have any advice on sexing them and what you look for in your holdbacks now? I know they are a little young yet, but I can already pick out some obvious culls.

Thanks!

 

[Compost King]

I love this project, and the progress you’re making with it. I’ve got a batch of 40 Ranger chicks about 1 1/2 to 2weeks old. I’m planning on holding back 10 females for breeding with another meat breed, and am looking at the different growth rates and feathering speed/patterns trying to narrow down my keepers. Do you have any advice on sexing them and what you look for in your holdbacks now? I know they are a little young yet, but I can already pick out some obvious culls.

Thanks!

I recall that the males were much larger than the females early on, not sure how early because I did not take notes on it. They mature fast, the males were consumed around week 12 and the females who took longer to get up to size were laying eggs at 4 and a half months. The Female egg sizes can vary a bit but all are extra large to Jumbo. The one hen I select breeding eggs from has an egg so big that I can't line them up next to each other in a egg turners, I have to alternate them with smaller eggs because the eggs are so fat.

The males should develop their Comb and Waddles very soon and the females seemed to be about 2 weeks behind them.

We would be fortunate if you share your breeding experience with us, if you don't want to take the time to start up a thread then post the results on this thread. Anyone breeding meat birds can post here if they do not want to start a thread.

The Red Rangers are easy to breed, I do not restrict feed like I do with the Cornish X I plan on breeding this summer. Red Rangers can be a bit aggressive in a mixed flock but other than that they act like a regular chicken just quite a bit larger. I tried keeping Them in my Dorking flock but they caused problems for the Dorking hens and would chase them off of nests when they tried going broody.

 

[Kris5902]

I recall that the males were much larger than the females early on, not sure how early because I did not take notes on it. They mature fast, the males were consumed around week 12 and the females who took longer to get up to size were laying eggs at 4 and a half months. The Female egg sizes can vary a bit but all are extra large to Jumbo. The one hen I select breeding eggs from has an egg so big that I can't line them up next to each other in a egg turners, I have to alternate them with smaller eggs because the eggs are so fat.

The males should develop their Comb and Waddles very soon and the females seemed to be about 2 weeks behind them.

We would be fortunate if you share your breeding experience with us, if you don't want to take the time to start up a thread then post the results on this thread. Anyone breeding meat birds can post here if they do not want to start a thread.

The Red Rangers are easy to breed, I do not restrict feed like I do with the Cornish X I plan on breeding this summer. Red Rangers can be a bit aggressive in a mixed flock but other than that they act like a regular chicken just quite a bit larger. I tried keeping Them in my Dorking flock but they caused problems for the Dorking hens and would chase them off of nests when they tried going broody.

Thanks so much for all the great insight! I will likely end up crossing them with some dark Cornish, Bresse, Marans, Barnvelders, and maybe another meat Hybrid (Mistral Gris) that is supposed to Mature larger and faster, but not to the extent of the CX. I’m basically starting with what I’ve got (or plan on getting) and going from there. I’m planning to keep the hens separate from my other groups of layers and rotate my guys in. They are only a couple weeks old now, and I still have to order in some of the other breeds over the summer.

 

[Compost King]

Thanks so much for all the great insight! I will likely end up crossing them with some dark Cornish, Bresse, Marans, Barnvelders, and maybe another meat Hybrid (Mistral Gris) that is supposed to Mature larger and faster, but not to the extent of the CX. I’m basically starting with what I’ve got (or plan on getting) and going from there. I’m planning to keep the hens separate from my other groups of layers and rotate my guys in. They are only a couple weeks old now, and I still have to order in some of the other breeds over the summer.

I really wanted to acquire quality Dark Cornish for crossing with meat birds however the hatching eggs I received from a breeder failed to hatch (Eggs and the Post Office do not mix) I believe that would be a great cross. The Dorking, which is similar to the Cornish in breast meat has turned out great when crossed with the Red Rangers. I passed up on a chance to get a Bresse couple recently because I did not have a Pen to keep them in. Roosters on my Urban Homestead must be penned due to a Quadriplegic child next door. She can't defend herself if a rooster gets loose.

 

[Compost King]

One other detail I forgot about Red Rangers, the can fly out of a pen if you have short walls/fence. I wouldn't call them flighty but for their size they can do a decent job of gaining altitude. Mine even flew up to a roosting bar that was about 135 centimeters high (4.5 feet) .. You are from Canada so I went with Metrics first.

 

[BlueBaby]

I really wanted to acquire quality Dark Cornish for crossing with meat birds however the hatching eggs I received from a breeder failed to hatch (Eggs and the Post Office do not mix) I believe that would be a great cross. The Dorking, which is similar to the Cornish in breast meat has turned out great when crossed with the Red Rangers. I passed up on a chance to get a Bresse couple recently because I did not have a Pen to keep them in. Roosters on my Urban Homestead must be penned due to a Quadriplegic child next door. She can't defend herself if a rooster gets loose.

I got rid of the White Breese that I had. I had only kept the pullet's. When they matured some looked skinnier than other's, plus they were the bossier one's of my bunch. When I hatched egg's from them crossed back to my NN/Breese mixed rooster, the chick's hatched out all sort's of pattern's in the feathering, so that told me that the White Bresse are carrier's of other coloring's under the white. They also panted a lot in our desert heat over here, and stayed pretty much under the mister's. Just letting you know what my experience was with them.

 

[Compost King]

I got rid of the White Breese that I had. I had only kept the pullet's. When they matured some looked skinnier than other's, plus they were the bossier one's of my bunch. When I hatched egg's from them crossed back to my NN/Breese mixed rooster, the chick's hatched out all sort's of pattern's in the feathering, so that told me that the White Bresse are carrier's of other coloring's under the white. They also panted a lot in our desert heat over here, and stayed pretty much under the mister's. Just letting you know what my experience was with them.

Maybe it is a good thing I passed on them, They were pricey. Had they been more affordable I might have cleared a pen for them. I have too much on my plate right now.

 

[Kris5902]

One other detail I forgot about Red Rangers, the can fly out of a pen if you have short walls/fence. I wouldn't call them flighty but for their size they can do a decent job of gaining altitude. Mine even flew up to a roosting bar that was about 135 centimeters high (4.5 feet) .. You are from Canada so I went with Metrics first.

I do feet and lbs, but also kms and degrees Celsius. It’s an age thing as they taught both when I was in school depending on the class! Thanks for the warning. Yesterday one of my leghorn/Legbar crosses flew out the top gable end of our barn, about 20-25 feet up and out somehow, then proceeded to chase my cattle, until they started chasing back!

I got rid of the White Breese that I had. I had only kept the pullet's. When they matured some looked skinnier than other's, plus they were the bossier one's of my bunch. When I hatched egg's from them crossed back to my NN/Breese mixed rooster, the chick's hatched out all sort's of pattern's in the feathering, so that told me that the White Bresse are carrier's of other coloring's under the white. They also panted a lot in our desert heat over here, and stayed pretty much under the mister's. Just letting you know what my experience was with them.

Good to know! I’m in Canada and we don’t get too hot in the summer here on the west coast, but too much underlying patterning could be an issue in my breeding... granted if the meat quality and size is there they might still be worth trying out.