Freedom Ranger equivalents

[greyfields]

Awesome new information on the colored broilers here:

http://www.jmhatchery.com/Red-Bro-Broilers-p5.html

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
It's really interesting that you have this historical prespective. So I guess the current industrial breeds are pretty much a result of commercial market forces right?

I hope all of the small production meat birds pioneers here on BYC can keep up the good work, and I also hope the hatcheries are listening to you as they work on their breeding programs. I wish I had access to birds like yours for my table! (we're too urban to manage meat birds for ourselves from both the pratical and regulatory level.)

I love lurking on this thread.

~Phyllis

 

[greyfields]

Meat birds from 50 years ago are pretty awful looking to the eye.

The body conformation has gotten so much better now with much more meat on the breast. I love the alternative broilers. I got to eat a Label Rouge chicken in England and I knew that's the direction I wanted to go with my meat birds.

 

[dbcooper02]

Here's a question I haven't seen addressed. On the Freedom ranger site under breeds they show "Reaches X lbs live weight by X days on standard energy feed. " My question is what constitutes a "standard energy feed"? Does anyone know what % protein are they talking about?

 

[greyfields]

According to Barbara, they should have a 20% starter then a 18% grower.

I am very left wondering about the birds and the 81 day rule. I've had crops very much ready in 60 days or so. They must throttle their food or protein early on, otherwise they'd be immense by then... well, at least larger than the ideal grocery store chicken. Consumers prefer the 3-4 lb range.

 

[CampTopisaw]

And that is exactly the question I have had about these birds. If you want to raise them slowly for 81 days or so, what should they be fed? I would love to know. I would really like to feed these birds a lower protein ration for a longer period of time, but getting a clear answer about this has been a bit difficult thus far. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[greyfields]

It's obviously a lower protein feed. How much lower, I dunno.

 

[blue90292]

and lots and lots of free ranging!!