i got my FR's today!

[greyfields]

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I have begged for any information about the breeding from Barbara, but she won't budge. It's possible she doesn't even know. All the breeding stock is created in England and sent to Canada as hatching eggs for their breeding flock. All she would say is that they are "created using heritage breeds".

Now, I can make some guesses! The terminal sire is certainly a White Cornish. You can tell by the neck feathers. It's mostl likely they are double crosses. The terminals ire will be a cross between two different strains of White Cornish (one for size, one for egg laying). The dame then is also a hybrid, depending on which ranger we're talking about. Many of them have barring, so I would guess there is Barred Rock in part of the make-up. There is probably Sussex as well. It could welll be the dame is a double cross, too. It's just very hard to tell, except for the sire.


By the way, the golden renagers are gorgeous. I plan to do the next batch as Grey Rangers, simply because we are Greyfields. But, the Golden Rangers are very attractive little birds.

 

[greentree]

Michele,
I'm cooking one right now!! Just boiling it to make stock, because I think that is the easiest way to tell the true flavor.

Hopefully, I can process the FR in 8 weeks instead of 6, to get a bit more flavor.My cornishx dressed out at 3#2oz, 3#6oz, and 3#10oz at 6 weeks.

Nancy

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Hmm that's very interesting. Well, when you have a monopoly on them, why would you budge?

 

[greyfields]

Well, using the word 'Monopoly' is a rather loaded word. All the Cornish Cross breeders in the US (of which there are like 3, who sell to every retail hatchery) keep their strains and formulas tightly guarded secrets. They would be out of business very quickly if a farmer figured out how to breed his or herself. They also don't want the competition to get hold of their genetics or data. Roughly 18 billion meat chickens are raised each year worldwide. Even though a farmer may make pennies per bird, industrial conditions still represent a huge investment in money, time, materials, etc. I read once that chickens (from growing to processing) account for 2.5% of the USA's GDP.

It's big ass business. And it's deplorable how pathetic our industrially farmed chickens are raised. At least in my opinion.

Now, imagine a small start-up company breaking the mold and offering chickens specifically bred for organic production and free ranging? Their worst fear would be the big three getting hold of what they're doign and using market leverage to run them off the map. I'd be coy, too.

Remmeber, the story behind Freedom Rangers. In England to be an organic chicken, the bird must be 81 days old to be labeled organic. 81 days old. Imagine what a Cornish Cross form the US would look like at 81 days old? It would probably be dead. Broilers in the US are 42 days old typically when slaughtered. Imagine the huge snowball effect it would have on big business if we adopted an 81 day old organic standard? I think it's something admirable to do, but you would have to be crazy not to admit the financial impact to the US industry would be immense.

So someone had to fill the gap to provide birds which would grow slower, but still be quality meat birds. The advantages, of course, with a slower growth rate you can afford to breed in better foraging abilities, better disease resistance, etc. I'm firmly with them on the reasons behind creating these strains of meat birds for us.

 

[tx_dane_mom]

That's so great that you feel that way. I love the way people on here are so passionate about this! So many people don't even think about what they put in their mouths... You have definately sold me now on what I will be buying for my meat birds now

 

[HillCountryMomma]

I just ordered my FRs. I'm hoping the order went through right. Anyone else feel like their odering process is a bit sketchy? It says a $5 fee will be added (I ordered 50) and that the auto shipping calculator is wrong. So, I placed my order and emailed them asking for a correct total. Never heard back. Called and asked for a mailing address and talked to a British lady that sounded slightly beffudled (but it could just be my Texan interpretation) for my check and to get the correct total, was told to reffer to my email confirmation. Oookkkaaayyy...

So I just sent the total that came up in my email. Sure hope it's right!! Guess we'll see if they cash my check and send my birds.

Liz - Here's hopin'!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Spent all weekend finishing the coop and finally moved the little chicken nuggets out there last night. They have been cooped up (no pun intended

) in the bird-quarium for 3 weeks now and quickly outgrowing it. They have so much room now they just ran from one end to the other flapping their little wings!! Had to teach them how to drink from their new waterer but everyone made it through the night and are fine today.

I did notice some of their toes were crooked. Is that normal? Maybe because I started them off on newspaper? I know you shouldn't do that but I didn't have a choice. Doesn't seem to bother them though!

 

[blue90292]

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don't worry, if it's not right, she'll email you. she's a very nice lady. i had a problem with the total also and i ended up paypalling her.

 

[blue90292]

Quote:
i'll have to look closer, but i didn't have any with crooked toes. i'll get those occasionally. i have a EE that's a permanent resident who's got it really bad. i have to help her all the time to get away from the boys. i start my birds on heavy paper towels. those blue shop paper towels you find in the auto section at wal-mart. now that i have the brooders with the wire mesh bottom, it's been great keeping everyone sanitary.

i sold only 4 last weekend, so i have 26 FR's left and 3 dark cornish from ideal. they are in a space of 6x10 tractor. i've had to put a couple of heat lamps in there since they were getting chilled at night even thought the nights are in the low 70's. i'd see them all hunkered up. i think it's that wind that keeps blowing and so i also covered up the drafty areas. otherwise, they're doing well. the 29 are going through about 7 pounds of feed a day. does that sound about right? that calculates to about a quarter pound a day.

i've also noticed some digging around the tractors. it could be my dogs or it could be predators. i'll be adding some re-enforcement of hardware cloth to extend past the wood floor frame so they dig at the cloth and not at the dirt. one of these days, i'm getting me a great pyranese.