Got 'em! 150 Colored Range Broilers (aka Freedom Rangers)

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
I'm using the same pens that I use for my Cornish X. (10x12, newly assembled, missing tarp)

As far as freezer space, you can figure about 1 chicken per gallon of capacity, assuming your chickens average around 5 lbs. 1 cubic foot = 7.5 gallons, so a 9 cubic foot chest freezer should hold around 67 chickens. We have a 9 cu.ft. freezer and that's almost the exact number we stuffed into it last time we had our cornish x's processed.

 

[raspberry01]

Hope this is the correct thread to post this-I have 25 Rangers from J&M Hatchery-almost 4 weeks old. Just moved to outside pen (completely fenced sides and tops) and covered shelter. Their food and water is in their shelter, which is open East side and West side (Another tarp in back of West side) However, they WILL NOT sleep in the shelter. They pile up in the open fenced area, in front of the door where any passerby predator can get a whiff. I've tried putting them all back in, at dusk, just to find them all outside in the corner again 1 hr later. Need to get this figured out as am ordering 25 more next week.

 

[greyfields]

This is my basic setup. The only time they are ever locked in the tractor is the first couple days out of the brooder, when I have a heat lamp in there. Then the last time is right before we load them into the truck.

Otherwise, they are free to roam. I'd say free range; but the term means a lot and a little all at once. Moving a tractor daily is too much for me; so we just revised the tractors we have to provide shade and protection from wind/rain.

 

[raspberry01]

So you dont worry if they sleep in the tractor or in a corner of the fenced in yard?

 

[greyfields]

They tend to sleep in the corner of the tractor, or huddled up outside the tractor on the leeward side.

The poultry netting perimeter is electric and I keep it very hot. So I'm not worried about predation; or the more common issues of the geese, ducks, goats, sheep & cows wanting in at the broiler feed. Needless to say, they are poultry netting trained.

 

[Baybrio]

I didn't worry about mine until I lost one to an owl and then the next night had two that clearly had a fight with the owl. I had to lock them in at night because they preferred to be out.

If you don't have an owl then the electrified poultry netting does a great job keeping ground based predators away.

 

[robbdebbie]

Okay, so that fence is hot, and nothing trys to jump over it? That is really interesting. I am going to have to go look at that.


Thanks for the freezer info too!


Debbie

 

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
I used a board to "shove" them under the tarp for the first couple days. But the night that it rained seemed to help the most. I've heard of folks using a garden hose to sprinkle water on them until they got the idea. At this point, mine all sleep deep inside the tarp.

 

[raspberry01]

HA, I tried the hose sprinkler last nite-but at 4AM this morning, they were back in the SE corner of their fence. I am going to put extra fencing in that corner to ease my mind today. I also put screening under them to allow easy removal of the night time poop pile. I am thinking they are pointing to Mecca javascript:insert_text('

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We've already lost 2 replacement hens this summer to a hawk-but the meaties have complete fence on top. I worry about weasels that will "lure" them to the side and can possibly stick their head in. Just needed to realize they arent like laying hens and happy to go in an enclosure at nite.

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
I got just over 208 lbs of dressed meat. I may actually make a $1 or $2 per chicken this year. That will be a first ever, and we've done a lot of broilers.

Now, if I could find a way to raise a million at once, I could pay off the house and retire.....