Freedom Rangers

[SunnySkies]

I butchered around 11-12 weeks and had average carcass weights of 3.5 lbs for pullets and 4 lbs for cockerels. For 26 birds I used 350 lbs of feed during that 12 week period (but I don't think I fed them enough in the early weeks, meaning I had to give them more to get them to catch up in the later weeks).  Here's a complete breakdown of my experience:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...oilers-feed-amount-feed-conversion-and-growth.  

Excellent, thank you.

 

[mocluckin]

I butchered around 11-12 weeks and had average carcass weights of 3.5 lbs for pullets and 4 lbs for cockerels. For 26 birds I used 350 lbs of feed during that 12 week period (but I don't think I fed them enough in the early weeks, meaning I had to give them more to get them to catch up in the later weeks). Here's a complete breakdown of my experience:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...oilers-feed-amount-feed-conversion-and-growth.

Megan, what feed did you use? The info I've been reading has "starter" feed for 1/3, then "grower" feed for the last 2/3's... I also read an estimate for 5# feed/ 1# of bird weight, but maybe that was for Cornish X??? I'm at week 3 and have started reducing feed from free choice to putting out food in the AM and letting them eat that all day and not refilling until the next morning. Our chicks are in a 10'x20' pen outside so they can forage as well. I haven't been very calculated about how much feed I put out per chick, maybe I should be??? They are definitely growing...

 

[ray2310]

We ordered 50 birds from Freedom Ranger Hatchery also and could not have been more pleased. As mentioned Arthur was always day to answer any question you may have. I would highly recommend them if you are looking to raise some meat birds.

We raised 50 and butchered at 11.5 weeks. Average processed weight was 5lbs per bird.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Ditto!

Our 25 FR last spring were phenomenal birds! I'd much rather have those than CX, but have determined that 12 or 13 birds is a lot easier for us to deal with at a time. Since I haven't found someone to split orders with, and they cannot reduce quantity, I'm stuck with CX for now....

Need a bigger coop. Then I could have 25 FR again!

I've had the same problem. I wish I could find someone to split an order with here in Colorado. In the meanwhile, I'm trying abatch of 15 "Red Rangers". So far, they seem very similar to the Freedom Rangers, but I'll see upon butchering.

 

[SunnySkies]

I've had the same problem. I wish I could find someone to split an order with here in Colorado.  In the meanwhile, I'm trying abatch of 15 "Red Rangers".  So far, they seem very similar to the Freedom Rangers, but I'll see upon butchering.

i found a guy in not too far away from me in PA who hatches FR/RR for local farmers (he said they order chicks by the 1000), often has extras and will ship chicks. But if I drive to him, I don't have to buy 25 chicks. Maybe someone in your area is doing the same?

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

There is a feed store fairly close who suggested I get with their buyer in January and tell them what I want and they may order some. Usually they only have a variety of layers. I did drive to Canon City last spring to pick up some broiler chicks, but when I did the math, at the federal reimbursement rate for mileage, the cost of driving there and back was more than double what postage would have been, so I need to take that into consideration too.

Perhaps next year I can talk my hubby into having me do a full order of 25 rather than three smaller batches like I'm doing this summer. We were way stressed last summer when we had to evacuate with 43 chickens, 2 dogs, a cat and three kids from the Waldo Canyon forrest fire. I promised i wouldn't own that many chickens at any one time again. Seeing that this year has been just as bad, statewide as last year, my husband may have a point. However, three small batches of 10, 15 and 15 are a lot more work than one batch of 45.

 

[SunnySkies]

Yikes, that IS a lot of work to evacuate! The SW is so dry. My parents live in central NM, and they say it's scary how dry everything is out there.

But I totally see your point. I find it easier to have a bunch of chicks at once instead of a couple here and a couple there.

 

[meganblythe]

Megan, what feed did you use? The info I've been reading has "starter" feed for 1/3, then "grower" feed for the last 2/3's... I also read an estimate for 5# feed/ 1# of bird weight, but maybe that was for Cornish X??? I'm at week 3 and have started reducing feed from free choice to putting out food in the AM and letting them eat that all day and not refilling until the next morning. Our chicks are in a 10'x20' pen outside so they can forage as well. I haven't been very calculated about how much feed I put out per chick, maybe I should be??? They are definitely growing...

I used a locally milled chicken feed with Fertrell Nutribalance mixed in at the mill. I started off with one 50 lb bag of starter feed (higher protein) and that lasted about three weeks or so. Then I switched over to a broiler feed (slightly lower protein) for the next 8 weeks. Also, I've read about a lot of people that feed their birds free choice so they don't have to worry about how much to give, and so they'll maximize growth. But I limited their feed (fed morning and evening) and weighed it out so I knew how much they were eating. I based the amounts on some things I saw on the internet, but there were such wildly varying recommendations I just had to guess in the end and pay attention to the birds' growth and behavior. Part of my motivation for limiting feed is that I wanted the birds to forage as much as possible on grass, bugs and vegetable scraps. My birds were voracious eaters, but I think that's just in their nature because they were clearly getting the nutrients they needed because they grew well and had what I felt was a typical amount of fat when I butchered them (compared to other local, pastured birds I've purchased). They never got mean to each other either, which they probably would've done if they were really hungry. I figured that if I gave them more food than they could convert into muscle (meat) they would just get fat and poop a lot more!

 

[offgridhermit]

This is probably a dumb question, but: Do Freedom Rangers have to be raised "free range"? My property is nothing but sand so there's no green growth for chickens to eat. I will have a coop and run for them before Spring.
Thanks in advance.

 

[SunnySkies]

No, they don't. They love to forage and would likely find bugs and stuff to eat, but you could raise them in a more confined situation. One of the local farmers here got turned on to FRs by me, and they raise them in tractors because of predator pressure. The numbers are higher than I would have, but the birds seem to do just fine.

If I had to raise my meat birds in confinement, I'd perhaps rethink CXs, as they can turn over faster and I would be done with the poop in 6-8 weeks versus 10-12. That, for me, was the biggest downside. Even free ranging, their night coop was pretty bad every morning, and I had to move it at least once a day to stay ahead of the poop.

My FR were very good, quiet, gentle birds. I still have two around...kept two girls, and one is now laying (!).