Freedom Rangers

[sires6]

I got a flock of Freedom Rangers, 26 from J & M Hatchery. Great birds so far. They are a week old and doing very well. I lost one to a gate falling on it, and one to unknown causes. Growing and running around like fuzzy ping pong balls!

 

[schmije]

Awesome! Do you have pictures? I want to try Freedom Rangers next spring, so I'm curious how yours do.

 

[sires6]

I will take pictures later and post them. Chillin' with my peeps (kids and hubby!)

 

[Beekissed]

I've been wondering if the FR have the same high metabolism as the CX and do their bowel movements reflect this? I think the hardest thing to take with these CX is the smell and nature of their BMs....

 

[sparky134]

Mine will be 5 weeks Wed. so far so good have not lost one. They have been outside for a week and are almost fully feathered..I notice one is walking kind of bow legging but I don't think its a big concern. They are just the friendliest chicks I have had its going to be tough come butcher day...

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

We also got 26 FR chicks from J&M. They are almost three weeks old and we can't believe how fast they are growing! They are starting to hop up to the top of the feeder. At this point it looks like we have one tri-color, several yellows and the rest redbro. Cute, cute, cute! They are in a large brooder in the barn but we plan to put them out on grass in a week or so. If someone can tell me how to post pics, I will! Do you have to put the pics on a website first?

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

OK the FAQ told me how to post pics. Here are my FRs:

Just a few days old, this one shows the others how to dive in for dinner.


Here they are at two weeks: ring around the feeder (time to add a second feeder).


This guy is a bold one, hopping up on the bucket feeder at two weeks.

 

[sires6]

We have roosts in the coop and my FR's are wired off in one section and they are already roosting. I will get pics out tomorrow.

 

[hensonly]

My flock of 30 Rangers are five and a half weeks. I ordered 30 (got 31) and all are fine, healthy, active... I do have a couple with one bent or twisted toe, but it doesn't hinder their activity one bit! My baby roos started with the jumping, kicking, and raised hackles at about three weeks, they started trying to crow a few days later - they are WAY faster to develop than my laying flock! I agree, they are curious and friendly, and seem to have loads of personality.

I don't notice their poop is worse in amount or smell than the laying hens. Maybe a bit more poop per bird, but hard to tell since there are twice as many Rangers as I had layer chicks, and it's been two years since the layers were little. They went out to a coop with attached run at four weeks, and are active foragers. They do sit on the ground much more than my layers did, but in between times they are extremely active. Lots of fun to watch!

I would like to post photos, but need to read up on how to do it...some of these chicks are developing very pretty feathers/patterns...if I had to dead them myself, I don't know if I could...except the only thing harder than finding room for 30 carcasses is finding room for 30 adult birds!! They are lots of fun to raise...next year when I upgrade my layers, I may order a couple of Rangers to grow out and see how they are as adults, in terms of eggs and behavior. Or maybe not, but it would be interesting...they really are neat birds!

they do eat a ton compared to my layers, but I gather not nearly as much as Cornish X. They also drink quite a bit. I would strongly suggest a tractor for them (we hope to build one), as they do seem to enjoy foraging.

Hey, Mrs Mucket, I don't have any black ones like the one in your photo...mine are buff, red, and another color that I don't know the chicken words to describe, but all are light colored...

 

[TimG]

Some of my Rangers at about 9 weeks.