Freedom Ranger questions

[Poupoulles]

If my question shave been answered before (I am sure they have!) please post the link because my searches are not coming up with what I need.

I am currently raising a batch of Cornish x. I have raised a few of these batches and every time I say "this is the last time!!" This time I mean it. They're gross and just not very fun. Just my opinion, I know.
So I am ordering some Freedom Rangers from JM and wanted to know about chicken tractor size. I build wheeled tractors where they will sleep at night and then they are free range during the day in an enclosed pasture.

What kind of square footage per bird in the tractor?
Longer or shorter in the brooder than Cornish x?
How much pasture per 25 birds? for grow out?
How much roost space per bird? (since CxR don't roost but just lay in their own filth I am going to retrofit roosts into my tractors)

Thanks very much for your help!

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

That is how we raise our Freedom Rangers--free ranging during the day with a shelter for night.

We have grown out 25 with a 4'x8' shelter. The way they piled at night there might have been room for more since they aren't in there during the day. They do like their afternoon siestas on hot days but some just find a shady spot outside.

We have never raised CX so can't speak to the brooder time. I think 4 weeks is typical for FR. I have 3-week-old Rangers in the brooder that I would put outside if it were warmer. They're almost fully feathered. It's still chilly for May so I'll wait another week.

Spacewise, we are experimenting this year, but we're going on a conglomerated estimate that an acre of good pasture can support 200+ chicks to grow out. This year we are fencing in one acre and will move the shelters around as needed to distribute the foraging.

I haven't put roosts in for growing meaties, but I would guess around 8" per growing chick if you want them all to roost. They might prefer huddling on the floor though. I have adult Rangers and most use the roost but two of the hens have always slept on the floor.

Have fun!

 

[Poupoulles]

Do your shelters have wire floors? Mine have 1/2 hardware wire floors. Thanks for the help, thats exactly what I needed to know.

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

Ours don't but when it came time for processing last year we wished they did have a floor. We could have just lifted the tractor full of birds into the truck in the morning. But it might be too heavy without a forklift anyway!

For other purposes though, it probably doesn't matter if there is a floor or not. We do have floors on some smaller tractors and it's easier to move them with birds in--not as much chance of pinched toes. Those are our smaller all-purpose crates: we've used them as brooders, isolation for sick or broody chickens, fasting, and transport to processing area.