New Hampshires from Freedom Ranger Ranch

[jolenesdad]

I don’t think anyone here has had them. A couple people in the Pastured Poultry Facebook group have.

they’re supposed to be great birds. The hens get too large to lay without withholding feed, or so is the word on the street. It would be awesome if you keep us updated on what you see as they grow and what the final outcome is.

 

[jolenesdad]

And yes, knoll is a super respected geneticist. He used to have a big hatchery where he worked on broiler hybrids and was super well known for excellent meat birds. In super old threads on here while searching you’ll come across mentions of it.

Moyer hatchery bought it and took over all the lines of birds he was working on with Hubbard, so all the official “broiler” types of birds that aren’t Cornish cross.

knoll kept the Delaware and New Hamp lines of birds to continue. The NH are for meat entirely and the Delaware are for eggs almost entirely.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don’t think anyone here has had them. A couple people in the Pastured Poultry Facebook group have.

they’re supposed to be great birds. The hens get too large to lay without withholding feed, or so is the word on the street. It would be awesome if you keep us updated on what you see as they grow and what the final outcome is.

Ah okay maybe someone was just thinking of getting them then??? I might have gotten mixed up.

 

[trescloudy]

And yes, knoll is a super respected geneticist. He used to have a big hatchery where he worked on broiler hybrids and was super well known for excellent meat birds. In super old threads on here while searching you’ll come across mentions of it.

Moyer hatchery bought it and took over all the lines of birds he was working on with Hubbard, so all the official “broiler” types of birds that aren’t Cornish cross.

knoll kept the Delaware and New Hamp lines of birds to continue. The NH are for meat entirely and the Delaware are for eggs almost entirely.

Wow, his NHs are bred entirely for meat. That's exactly what I was looking for. I guess it was a good thing I waited until now.

I have some breeding ideas and plan on crossing these to barred rocks for one. Not trying to remake Delewares so much. Really just want to make F1s to use in my own polyhybrid projects.

It's also quite interesting to me that Knoll is still keeping NHs. Makes me think he may have used them in his own broiler projects.

Of course I also plan on keeping these NHs as a pure line. Have to do that and want to do that.

I'm even more excited about getting these birds. Now I have to find some really good barred rocks.

 

[jolenesdad]

Wow, his NHs are bred entirely for meat. That's exactly what I was looking for. I guess it was a good thing I waited until now.

I have some breeding ideas and plan on crossing these to barred rocks for one. Not trying to remake Delewares so much. Really just want to make F1s to use in my own polyhybrid projects.

It's also quite interesting to me that Knoll is still keeping NHs. Makes me think he may have used them in his own broiler projects.

Of course I also plan on keeping these NHs as a pure line. Have to do that and want to do that.

I'm even more excited about getting these birds. Now I have to find some really good barred rocks.

Where do you live? The gold standard in Barred Rocks is Frank Reese. He doesn’t ship or often sell his stock but there are a couple people that have his lines that do. They’re in Kansas. I also know a breeder in Oklahoma with a really great utility-bred line of heritage Barred Rocks.

there’s a thread in this forum on someone who did just this to make one of the most well known line of Delaware’s. I *think* she even used frank Reese’s barred rocks. It’s the “Bonham” line of Delaware’s. There are only a couple of known lines of Delaware’s and hers was recreated from really impeccable lines of NH/BR. There’s a GIGANTIC thread on here somewhere about it, but it’s incredibly disappointing. She used the forum throughout the entire build of the line, but then, after creating the line, came back in and deleted most all of her posts as to what she did and the questions she had answered from people here.

it’s still got a lot of interesting info in it..... if you do decide to go beyond the F1 aspect....

 

[trescloudy]

I live in Michigan but I would drive 500 miles, maybe more to get the best. Of course hatching eggs would be ok too lol.

Its wonderful that she bred a new line of Delewares and I understand why she deleted some of her posts. I may find it tempting to create a new line but I'm really focused on meat.

Through searching around I've found broilers at way better prices than I have been paying Townline Hatchery but it's the idea of doing something on my own. It's also about making broilers that are more like the chicken we ate when I was a kid. The chicken we ate in the 70s and the meat chicken of today are not the same. I used to enjoy white meat. The white meat now is dry and very coarse textured.

We need better options for meat birds and the tools are still out there to create them. We definitely need to start working them back into the SOP though.

Recreating old varieties with good sturdy lines takes having sturdy lines to begin with. A huge reason I'm choosing to work with more common varieties. Figure will be easier to work those lines into SOP if they arent already.

It's just worth it to seek out well bred varieties.

I'm also hoping to somehow inspire others to work their lines back to SOP instead of just letting any ole birds make chicks. Hoping that the situation the world is currently in will help wake us all up. We need to realize how important all the livestock varieties are. Our ancestors worked seriously hard in times with no electricity even to create and provide the wonderful gene pool we now have. Sad but they are dwindling away.

Anyway I'm getting off topic. End of rant.

 

[jolenesdad]

I live in Michigan but I would drive 500 miles, maybe more to get the best. Of course hatching eggs would be ok too lol.

Its wonderful that she bred a new line of Delewares and I understand why she deleted some of her posts. I may find it tempting to create a new line but I'm really focused on meat.

Through searching around I've found broilers at way better prices than I have been paying Townline Hatchery but it's the idea of doing something on my own. It's also about making broilers that are more like the chicken we ate when I was a kid. The chicken we ate in the 70s and the meat chicken of today are not the same. I used to enjoy white meat. The white meat now is dry and very coarse textured.

We need better options for meat birds and the tools are still out there to create them. We definitely need to start working them back into the SOP though.

Recreating old varieties with good sturdy lines takes having sturdy lines to begin with. A huge reason I'm choosing to work with more common varieties. Figure will be easier to work those lines into SOP if they arent already.

It's just worth it to seek out well bred varieties.

I'm also hoping to somehow inspire others to work their lines back to SOP instead of just letting any ole birds make chicks. Hoping that the situation the world is currently in will help wake us all up. We need to realize how important all the livestock varieties are. Our ancestors worked seriously hard in times with no electricity even to create and provide the wonderful gene pool we now have. Sad but they are dwindling away.

Anyway I'm getting off topic. End of rant.

Seems all on topic to me!

G-Bear Farms in Oklahoma has great utility birds. I found them because they’ve won the National marans egg show. They’re super nice and informative people. I’d reach out to them. If you have Facebook, look up their farm Page they’re very responsive.

let me find the person who sells Frank Reese birds.

 

[jolenesdad]

Checked my notes.

I’ve been TOLD the best New Hampshire’s in the country come from Mike Omeg. http://www.whiskygulchnewhamps.com

I’d personally do like you and try freedom ranger first. But if you’re not happy.... that link is where you go.

Ryon Carey in Kansas is who has Frank Reese’s birds. Doesn’t ship a lot, but WILL. I don’t have contact info and am running outside, but I think you can google it.

 

[trescloudy]

Seems all on topic to me!

G-Bear Farms in Oklahoma has great utility birds. I found them because they’ve won the National marans egg show. They’re super nice and informative people. I’d reach out to them. If you have Facebook, look up their farm Page they’re very responsive.

let me find the person who sells Frank Reese birds.

I've tried to get info on someone holding the Frank Reese line of Barred Rocks to no avail. Any chance you could get me in?

 

[trescloudy]

My New Hampshires are coming Friday. Im pretty geeked about it. I purchased some new heating plates. They do up to 55 chicks each and only use 56 watts. Im planning on making my coop solar powered so these will be a great help in saving on settting up.