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

[Soccer Mom]

Thanks for keeping the updates. I'm another one lurking and following along. Hubby and I plan on doing meaties next year.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
you know they have to be..right?

No, I don't know, if I understand you correctly (which I'm not sure I do). Are you saying they have to be because non-hybrids can't work? Or that these are obviously hybrids?

 

[nicalandia]

Quote:
you know they have to be..right?

No, I don't know, if I understand you correctly (which I'm not sure I do). Are you saying they have to be because non-hybrids can't work? Or that these are obviously hybrids?

I am sure they work, they just bring overall production cost up, thats why they don´t use the Sire Line of broilers for the market...the hen eat too much, and lay late and fewer eggs than the smaller DAME sire line....I have raise both, the Sire line Hens and the Dame line Hens, the Dame line is much more productive...

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
No, I don't know, if I understand you correctly (which I'm not sure I do). Are you saying they have to be because non-hybrids can't work? Or that these are obviously hybrids?

I am sure they work, they just bring overall production cost up, thats why they don´t use the Sire Line of broilers for the market...the hen eat too much, and lay late and fewer eggs than the smaller DAME sire line....I have raise both, the Sire line Hens and the Dame line Hens, the Dame line is much more productive...

Ah. Well, in either case, I'm not planning on using hybrids for my meat birds.

But I'm still finding this thread interesting and useful.

 

[hildymarie]

Ok you got me hooked.....
Whats happening wth the rangers????

 

[faykokoWV]

Ok, so I'm still no clear, could you keep a few hens and a roo from the bunch you're raising and start your own smaller meat production?

 

[UncleHoot]

44 days old today, and they just finished my last barrel of feed, which should be 1,100 pounds of feed consumed to date. I'll have to mix more tonight.

Here are the pictures I promised! They were right around 5 weeks when these were taken.

Foraging

Ain't she tweet?

One of the tricolor variety

Yellow-barred. I had one like this last year that got pretty big. Pretty feller too.

A glimpse at the pen (with the side door open).

"What you lookin' at, Buddy?"

Inside the pen

Reminds me a lot of my Ameraucanas... Note the greenish legs (which are turning more yellow every day, btw).

 

[UncleHoot]

Oh, and a couple videos, too.

Chickens being chickens:

Fighting chickens. They seem to do this a lot more than the Cornish X, and they are more aggressive once engaged.

 

[tnchicken]

Beautiful supper....I mean birds. Curious if they naturally head back in the tractor at night.

 

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
Most of them do. When I let them out (which isn't all that often), there are normally a few that are trouble, and I have to chase around and around the pen with a broom, but most of them can be herded pretty easily.

As they get bigger, I'm starting to have trouble telling them apart from my hens, which can cause another problem when trying to get them back inside.