Freedom Rangers

[WalkingWolf1]

I have a red ranger rooster that runs and wants to fly. Sometimes getting some air. He is ten pounds, I weighted him.They free range during the day. They are working up my garden now. The only bad thing about this is they are digging up my green onions.

I butchered a 17mo old FR rooster last week. He was 14 lbs live weight. He was very agile and quick as well. Never really tried to get airborne unless you had him cornered. He had a nice, full carcass and I'm looking forward to making a pot full of Gumbo with him

Our FR were raised free-range and limited feed. They had free-choice feed for the first month then we cut back on both protein and volume. It was at this point we decided to grow them out instead of butchering. The FR will succumb to the same issues as the CX if fed free choice, high-pro feed. At a much reduced rate per population but you will have problems all the same. If left to free range we found the birds to be aggressive foragers and would travel the fields in search of food. The only birds on the place that foraged better than the FR were Buckeyes.

Very curious what your opinion is comparing the 3 breeds. SHould make for nice meat birds all three.

Compared to the CX the FR wins hands down for flavor (It actually HAS flavor). The problem lies in what your customer base has been conditioned to/will accept. While they will all speak the virtues of farm raised meat, etc. we have found there to be a significant percentage that will not give up the full breast of the CX. The FR develop nice breast meat but it is longer and doesn't bulge out like the CX (some do but not the average). So it does seem that we will continue to raise FR, we will also continue to raise the CX as well.

 

[Arielle]

HOw did the buckey compare to the FR on meat characteristics and at what age??

 

[WalkingWolf1]

HOw did the buckey compare to the FR on meat characteristics and at what age??

I'm sorry I missed this Arielle. Sadly, the buckeye hens succumbed to predation. The buckeyes were very independent and would not roost in the barn choosing instead to roost in the trees. The owls knocked them off one by one.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm very glad to have found this thread. I'm only on page 2, but will continue reading. I have been giving some thought to raising FRs next year, and want to be able to keep a rooster and some hens to breed my own replacements from year to year. Back to reading...

Got through the thread. The more I read, the more I think I'd like to try them.

 

[WalkingWolf1]

I'm very glad to have found this thread. I'm only on page 2, but will continue reading. I have been giving some thought to raising FRs next year, and want to be able to keep a rooster and some hens to breed my own replacements from year to year. Back to reading...

Got through the thread. The more I read, the more I think I'd like to try them.

You shouldn't be disappointed bobbi-j. We still have a few of the original hens -- they should be about 20mo now. Last month one went broody and hatched 1 chick. She wasn't being overly motherly so we picked up the chick and put it in with a couple we had hatched in the incubator. If I had to sum up the overall experience and give a bit of advice it would be to limit their protein intake from the start (this being for birds you intend to raise for breeders). They won't grow as quick but the genetics are all still there and their offspring will still perform well when put on full feed, I'd also advise you to keep 6-8 hens (or more, room permitting) so you can get enough eggs to incubate. They can be kinda spotty on laying. Best of luck.

 

[bobbi-j]

You shouldn't be disappointed bobbi-j. We still have a few of the original hens -- they should be about 20mo now. Last month one went broody and hatched 1 chick. She wasn't being overly motherly so we picked up the chick and put it in with a couple we had hatched in the incubator. If I had to sum up the overall experience and give a bit of advice it would be to limit their protein intake from the start (this being for birds you intend to raise for breeders). They won't grow as quick but the genetics are all still there and their offspring will still perform well when put on full feed, I'd also advise you to keep 6-8 hens (or more, room permitting) so you can get enough eggs to incubate. They can be kinda spotty on laying. Best of luck.

Thank you for the input. I don't mind them growing slower, I think that helps prevent some of the problems that develop with too fast of growth. I'm really looking forward to trying these chickens. My neighbor gets them from "an old Amish guy in PA".

 

[juststruttin]

Here are a couple photos of some 10 month old Freedom Ranger pullets. I had a rooster but he got too big and his legs bowed so he had to be culled.

Since I did not have a FR rooster I put my 4 ladies in with my Sulmtalers with the goal of raising FR X Sulmtaler meat birds.

 

[WalkingWolf1]

Had never heard of that breed (Sulmtalers) but after a google search it seems this could have nice results. Your hens look nice with good balance. When they get too big their hips start looking too wide and they will start limping. As I've mentioned earlier, I think reducing their protein early is crucial to raise these birds to adulthood. More so for the roosters than hens. We were successful in raising 4 roosters to adulthood. They all seemed healthy with good vigor but one did eventually develop leg problems at around 16 months. We now have roosters from our first hatchling crop and have the second crop of hatchlings at point of lay. There is a little more variety in their body structures now two generations from the original birds. Keep up posted on how this cross turns out.

 

[juststruttin]

Had never heard of that breed (Sulmtalers) but after a google search it seems this could have nice results. Your hens look nice with good balance. When they get too big their hips start looking too wide and they will start limping. As I've mentioned earlier, I think reducing their protein early is crucial to raise these birds to adulthood. More so for the roosters than hens. We were successful in raising 4 roosters to adulthood. They all seemed healthy with good vigor but one did eventually develop leg problems at around 16 months. We now have roosters from our first hatchling crop and have the second crop of hatchlings at point of lay. There is a little more variety in their body structures now two generations from the original birds. Keep up posted on how this cross turns out.

I will keep you posted. I just put them in with the Sulmtalers so it will be 3 weeks before I can collect fertile eggs. I will post photos and development records here when the time comes.

 

[bobbi-j]

Had never heard of that breed (Sulmtalers) but after a google search it seems this could have nice results. Your hens look nice with good balance. When they get too big their hips start looking too wide and they will start limping. As I've mentioned earlier, I think reducing their protein early is crucial to raise these birds to adulthood. More so for the roosters than hens. We were successful in raising 4 roosters to adulthood. They all seemed healthy with good vigor but one did eventually develop leg problems at around 16 months. We now have roosters from our first hatchling crop and have the second crop of hatchlings at point of lay. There is a little more variety in their body structures now two generations from the original birds. Keep up posted on how this cross turns out.

What are the differences that you're seeing?