Freedom Ranger weights

[TimG]

Quote:
I had one that was 8 pounds (dressed) at 12 weeks. 6 pounds from the cockerels should be easy; the pullets might be a bit less, but between 5 and 6 pounds would seem normal in my limited experience.

 

[raimnel]

Nice! TimG

What are the freedom rangers? what breed? roo was? hen was? and if FRs are breed together will they produce the same greatness? in short are they sustainable? I want a breed that I can buy once and hatch year after year!

 

[hensonly]

Quote:
Nope, sorry, they're a hybrid, and so don't breed true. Sigh.

 

[hensonly]

I processed my rangers at 12 weeks. For weeks eight, nine, and ten we had a horrible heat wave, temps near 100, humidity high. Not normal for upstate NY! My poor rangers ate very little, spent all day with wings out from bodies, beaks open, panting. Only ate morning and evening for those three weeks. Still, when I processed them, we had a few at 5 to 5 1/2 lbs, several between six and seven pounds, and a fair number from seven to seven and three quarters pounds. I shudder to think how big they'd have been if they'd been eating for those three weeks!

though they had an outdoor run, they did not free range. I fed them starter, then a mix of starter/grower and grower/finisher to achieve a lower protein as suggested by JM Hatchery. I had one that had to be separated to grow out because of leg problems. Another had some trouble but outgrew it. I started with 31, lost none. I was very happy with these birds. They're beautiful, active, great personalities, and they were big and meaty. I was sorry to see them go.

 

[brandywine]

We raised 100 Freedom Rangers last year and 75 this year. Butchered at 11 weeks both times. Totally free-range on pasture with plenty of tree and shrub cover.

The persistent evil heat wave cut the weight down by over a pound average this time -- instead of 6-7 pounds with some well over seven, most were more like 4-5 1/2#. They just weren't eating much -- hanging out in the weeds and shrubberies, panting, like every other animal on the place.

I would have let them go another week or two this year, but had a two-week trip coming, and didn't want to leave the care of so many meat birds to my Dad.

Consensus is that last year's birds tasted a bit better, too.

I might try ordering them for earlier in the spring next year. Trouble with that is I may have to brood longer if the spring weather is cold.

 

[TimG]

This year, I processed mine in late June which worked well because it meant they were processed before the real heat.

I'm thinking that late summer or fall would also work well, at least here in Maine. Processing in late October or early November would avoid the hottest parts of summer and also avoid concerns about week old chicks surviving hard frosts in April (we had one in May this year).