Freedom Rangers in Georgia - Spring 2012

[Mrs. Mucket]

Which generation--if you mean F1/F2, I'm not quite sure! Are the hatchery chicks considered F1 since they are hybrids? Then we are getting ready for F3.

Here's the scoop...
In 2010 we bought chicks from the Freedom Ranger Hatchery. At processing time we saved several to try breeding.
In 2011 we hatched offspring from those birds. We saved a cockerel and two pullets for breeding in 2012. We did not keep their parents (winter space limitation).
Now in 2012 we have just started collecting eggs for a hatch from the 2011 chicks as parents.

The 2011 chicks were like the 2010 chicks in activity, growth, foraging, good carcass weights. The big difference was that there were many more color combinations from cream to brown/gray and lots of barring (father was barred). There were a few pairs that looked alike.

For new breeders we kept a red cockerel and two tan pullets. We didn't put any scientific thought into the selection; they were just favorites of our grandkids. But they look very similar to the hatchery chicks.We also kept a FR x RIR pullet that is colored more like a RIR but has the stocky legs and broad chest of the FR. But we won't be hatching her eggs.

Here are some photos of some 2011 chicks we hatched from the 2010 parents (is this confusing or what???) They seem to be built like the hatchery chicks, but as you can see the coloring is all over the place.

There's only the one with that coloring, the rest are red and yellow. One or two of them *might* have some speckles, but nobody else has that much barring.

Sounds like you kept some to breed? What generation are you on, and are you getting good quality in the offspring?

-Wendy

 

[loanwizard]

I find that very interesting. I too, bought my first batch from Kendall. I asked him if I could keep some for breeding. His answer was, it is possible, but since they are hybrids, that about 1 in 4 would conform to what I am looking for.

 

[wsmoak]

No picture this week, sorry! I was rushing to get everything finished before leaving to visit my parents.

We finally got the new chicken tractor finished, so they now have more room *and* it has wheels so it can be moved without heroic measures.

I will post pics of both the tractor and the birds when I get back home.

-Wendy

 

[WalkingWolf1]

, but since they are hybrids, that about 1 in 4 would conform to what I am looking for.

This is an oft repeated mantra for nearly anyone discussing using "hybrid" birds for production. When in actual fact MOST of the offspring will be what you are looking for (as documented here). I have spoken to several individuals that have used the FR as producers and they have been very pleased with the results. The CX birds do present a greater challenge but it can be done and the outcome is a nice meaty bird. I have read sooo many replies on threads that belittle, bemoan and declare stupid anyone that would use a hybrid bird in a breeding program. These are not muley birds we are producing. As has been proven, time and again, this is a viable option. After all, new breeds are started all the time with crosses (hybrids). Many thanks for posting your work.

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

I agree WalkingWolf1--offspring of hybrids can still be desirable birds unless it's show quality you're looking for. These FRs are plenty meaty, the hens lay eggs, and the roos do what roos are supposed to do.

Loanwizard, I guess it would depend on what one is looking for. Very few of our offspring have been colored like the parents (like I said ours have feathered out in many colors and patterns), so they have not totally looked like their parents. But almost all of them have still been good meat birds that resemble the parents in body size and shape.They also forage eagerly and otherwise act like the parents did.

So I'd encourage anyone to give it a try! There are some drawbacks in our experience--they do eat more than typical DP breeds, I've had some hens that can't or won't get up to the nest box, and some of the 1-1/2 year old hens got pretty fat. Our roos have both been around 15#, very heavy and hard on the hens' backs and necks. I'm considering separating my roo from the hens and just letting him visit them before I start collecting hatching eggs. But I suspect there would be a few broken hearts.

This is an oft repeated mantra for nearly anyone discussing using "hybrid" birds for production. When in actual fact MOST of the offspring will be what you are looking for (as documented here). I have spoken to several individuals that have used the FR as producers and they have been very pleased with the results. The CX birds do present a greater challenge but it can be done and the outcome is a nice meaty bird. I have read sooo many replies on threads that belittle, bemoan and declare stupid anyone that would use a hybrid bird in a breeding program. These are not muley birds we are producing. As has been proven, time and again, this is a viable option. After all, new breeds are started all the time with crosses (hybrids). Many thanks for posting your work.

I find that very interesting. I too, bought my first batch from Kendall. I asked him if I could keep some for breeding. His answer was, it is possible, but since they are hybrids, that about 1 in 4 would conform to what I am looking for.

 

[wsmoak]

Quote:

Good enough for me. Who cares what color they are, we throw the feathers away! -Wendy

 

[WalkingWolf1]

Quote:

Who cares what color they are, we throw the feathers away! -Wendy

I love this line

 

[father-clucker]

Wendy.. If you get a chance, I'd love to know how loud these types of birds are? We've only had Auracana's and Buff Orps and the auracanas are a bit noisier than I'd like but I'm curious about these birds if we wanted to get some for a residential area -- just curious..

 

[wsmoak]

On second thought... given how much these things eat, I'm pretty sure it would be cheaper to just order more chicks rather than keep a pair or trio around and hatch some eggs.

Here they are at seven weeks. Random hen:


This is the biggest (and slowest) one, he was in one of the earlier pics:



Someone asked for a picture of the tractor...



It's built from 2x4's ripped in half. DO NOT attempt to construct one of these out of full 2x4's, believe me, it will take two or three people to move it!

It's about 9x5 feet inside. I think I should have two of them for 26 birds, but I am SO far behind on projects that this batch is just going to have to live with it. (See that building in the background? It's full of stuff that should have already been planted in the garden.) I move it multiple times a day so they get fresh grass.

-Wendy

 

[loanwizard]

That's a nice looking tractor. I have one that is 7 1/2 x 15 with 114 birds in it. I need to build 3 or 4 smaller ones like yours to make it easier to move around lol!