Freedom Ranger Black Broiler

[bobbi-j]

I am really surprised. The reds did so well.

My reds are doing great! No problems there. Just the black ones.

When they get black ones? When I ordered, they just had red ones.

Just this year. When I first started looking at their website, the black ones were not advertised. Then around early to mid-April I saw them on there so decided to try it. I don't think I will get them again.

 

[Life is Good!]

I ordered 25 Red Rangers this past winter from Welp hatchery. Due to a production issue, Welp could only sell me 9 red rangers and filled the rest of the order of 25 with black rangers (upon my consent - they called and offered me these chicks as a substitute - or I could have waited another week). I grew out these birds over the coldest, snowiest winter on record! Poor birds didn't even live long enough to NOT see snow! Lesson learned....

The black rangers in all appearances were identical to my Black Java layer flock - grew at same slower rate; same feather coloration; same markings (yellow bottoms on feet; comb size and shape, eye color - everything!). The red rangers grew much more like the FR's I've purchased in the past from freedom ranger hatchery. Faster growing birds. I ended up keeping the reds as a starter flock for raising my own meat birds - and I am quite convinced that two hens are buff orphington's and the others are more like Rhode Island Reds! Nice looking, larger bodied birds. The cockerals are thus far well behaved and are docile to handle. The hens are quite nosy and rather noisy - so not sure I'll be keeping this 'experiment' going for much longer.

Now, because of weather conditions, and other factors totally beyond my control or the birds - the black rangers finished at 14wks and averaging about 4#'s. Dissappointing. The red rangers are still growing - they're now laying! - and I think 28wks old? - and likely all about 6# birds.

Hope this information helps you! I like the rangers better than the CX's for many, many reasons - but I'll stick to eating my Black Java cockerals if I want black rangers! I'll order reds from freedom hatchery.

 

[bobbi-j]

Good news! No dead chickens today! Hopefully we've turned that corner and they will all make it to butchering day.

 

[bobbi-j]

I guess I jumped the gun... another dead black one today.

 

[keesmom]

Hmmm, I am starting to rethink that order for the blacks in the fall. Maybe I should stick to the reds.

 

[bobbi-j]

They all survived our stormy night last night and day today. I'm not going to be hopeful, though. Everytime I think we're past it, another one croaks. I don't know what to tell you. At this rate, I don't plan on ordering them ever again (the black ones - the reds are doing great!.) I had originally thought about keeping a black rooster and a few of the red hens and breeding them next spring, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. I don't want to take a chance on wimpy birds. I think I'll just keep and breed the reds. The blacks would have to dress out exceptionally if I were to try them again.

 

[keesmom]

Thanks for your input. I was all set to order blacks in the fall but I think I will just stick to the reds. I had good luck with them last year.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'll let you know how they dress out. I keep wondering if it's something else, but if it were, wouldn't I have lost some of each?

 

[Kev]

Got both freedoms and blacks from same place on the 2nd of this month, all arrived alive although several were pretty dehydrated- expected this due to East to West Coast shipping.

What I did was have no food in brooder for the first hour, only water and dipped every chick's beak in water and made sure it really knew where water was- when it drank at least once on its own before letting it go. All were extremely thirsty and drank almost constantly/repeatedly for first 20 mins. When the most dehydrated ones were perky, added feed(chick starter mash) all chowed down right away. I really think this helped with their 100% survival rate.

It was obvious the freedoms were larger and going to have a faster growth rate than the blacks- as expected, from weight/age from the website. At a week old the freedoms almost look like CX- broad deep and almost round bodies while the blacks look like very big but normal shaped LF chicks. Freedoms are much more 'hungry' they bite and swallow beakfuls of the mash instead of search and pick like everything else bantam, standard, LF. Blacks did the same but clearly not as "hungry". So if there was competition or not adequate space, the blacks would tend to lose out.

All the freedoms and most of the blacks are already bigger than all standard size and most LF chicks a week older than them.

 

[bobbi-j]

Got both freedoms and blacks from same place on the 2nd of this month, all arrived alive although several were pretty dehydrated- expected this due to East to West Coast shipping.

What I did was have no food in brooder for the first hour, only water and dipped every chick's beak in water and made sure it really knew where water was- when it drank at least once on its own before letting it go. All were extremely thirsty and drank almost constantly/repeatedly for first 20 mins. When the most dehydrated ones were perky, added feed(chick starter mash) all chowed down right away. I really think this helped with their 100% survival rate.

It was obvious the freedoms were larger and going to have a faster growth rate than the blacks- as expected, from weight/age from the website. At a week old the freedoms almost look like CX- broad deep and almost round bodies while the blacks look like very big but normal shaped LF chicks. Freedoms are much more 'hungry' they bite and swallow beakfuls of the mash instead of search and pick like everything else bantam, standard, LF. Blacks did the same but clearly not as "hungry". So if there was competition or not adequate space, the blacks would tend to lose out.

All the freedoms and most of the blacks are already bigger than all standard size and most LF chicks a week older than them.

Mine were in transit from Wed. to Fri. morning. I was at work, but DH unpacked them and dipped their beaks, etc. They had plenty of space, two waterers and two feeders. There is no competition for anything. There haven't been any losses now in two days. I picked up one each of the red and blacks, and yes - the reds are obviously heavier and like you said, shaped more like a broiler than the blacks. At 9 days old, they definitely have some weight to them. It will be interesting to see how they all turn out.



My set-up. it shows less than half of their space. They are in an 8x8 coop, and the barrier was taken down within a few days. I'd say it was at least 5' in diameter.