Pioneer meat birds- the good, the bad and the very, very ugly

[oshun55555]

Gosh, i've had quite a good experience with them. I got a few Pioneers from MMM. Two roos and a hen. I love them. They're big and grew fairly fast, but didn't have leg or health issues like some of the CXs i've had in the past. Mine are docile and pretty friendly. They don't fly and aren't stupid, IMO. They're also free ranging well. They get along with the other chickens just fine and haven't shown any aggressive behavior. To top it off, they are pretty to look at and have unique color. I just ordered four more so we'll see how the next ones turn out, but so far, I am really liking these birds.

I have had similar experience as you, they free range just fine, get along with all the other poultry, I have F1 and F2, the F2 have bred true, lets see how the F3's do, The second generation has grown and finished out at the same rate and weight as the F1s, so i am hoping for a sustainable bird for the farm, they lay like laying monsters.

 

[shoresofOK]

Does anyone have any pioneer chicks for sale?? I'm looking for some and haven't been to locate them. Mcmurray hatchery is not hatching them anymore this year

 

[oshun55555]

Mcmurray is not carrying the pioneers anymore.

 

[shoresofOK]

Do you know if they are similar to the freedom rangers at freedom ranger hatchery? Bout the only place I can find them at. Thanks!

 

[oshun55555]

The name Pioneer was give to their birds and McMurray stated on their site the name in the industry is Rainbow Chicken, however I know that Hoover Hatchery has them https://www.hoovershatchery.com/rainbow.html

 

[Newyorkrita]

Mcmurray is not carrying the pioneers anymore.

I wonder why they stopped selling them.

 

[Ra_]

I have heard the Pioneers compared to Dixie Rainbows but my Dixie Rainbow matured slowly, as do their offspring who were crossed with Barred Rock.
The hens are 11 and 12 pounds. They rule the other birds but nothing more than chasing them off of a treat. Never had a bird killed by my other birds.
They love to free range and they love wading on hot days.
Lots of big eggs and the meat is plentiful and delicious.
I had to stop hatching eggs because I have too many birds so I can't ship chicks but I'll ship eggs from them and their offspring.
The cross has produced a nice variety of fascinating genetic throwbacks in the 2nd generation, along with about 50% breeding true to the first generation Rainbow Rock cross, shown here with her Dixie Rainbow mother.

A few of my 5 hatches have produced boys like some of the multicolor roosters shown in this thread.

But my favorite are the white sports which are going into a new project of their own.

 

[BelleMara]

Welcome comments......

Does anyone know the life expectancy of Pioneer meat birds not harvested?

The organic farm where I was buying my Cx meat birds, just announced that they were including Pioneers in their flock as an alternative.

When using Cx bones for my broth, I noticed that I could not find the bones when done. I could see the carrots, celery, onions, garlic etc, but no bones. So I researched.....

The Cx has been engineered to grown so fast that before harvest at 6-8wks they can have a heart attack or break its bones. It cannot live naturally (or easily) beyond 6mos and because of its bone structure, does not forage well or move far from the grain or water bowl.

So it got me thinking....."we are, what we eat".

Why then, would I feed my family something that does not have longevity, can easily break bones and/or have an early heart attack?

Therefore, I decided to not include the Cx (and/or any production breeds) in my family’s diet, as well as, hybrids that are engineered for excessive annual egg laying like the ISA Brown, Lohmann Brown, Golden Comet and a few other breeds, which also have a shortened life expectancy between 2-5yrs. Again, if we are eating eggs from birds that exhaust their reproduction system within a year and have a shortened lifespan, what does that do to our health?

Heritage and/or landrace chicken breeds are generically healthier and my choice for meat and eggs for my family …..and they can easily live 10 to 12 years or more.

Interesting article…… https://www.eatradius.com/chicken/