Processed our Freedom Rangers!

[ak rain]

So should you feed free-choice if not free range?!??! I may have some complaining spoiled fat red rangers if I change the feed schedule they are now 9 or 10 weeks. Sylvia

 

[mocluckin]

So I'm a little worried about our FR chickens... they are 8 weeks old tomorrow and they have been growing like crazy. We lost 4 on July 4th during several days of 100plus degree weather but knock on wood we've been fine since then. They get fed every morning and that sees them through the day. I went out to refill water this afternoon around 5 and found one dead on his back next to one of the feeders. He was still warm and soft so it seemed like a recent event... brought him to the house to weigh him and he came in at 5 1/2 pounds. I'm not planning to graduate them until the first week of September, thinking they would go 12 weeks, but if this happens again, I may consider doing them in small batches, working from the larger ones on down through the flock.

Thoughts? Have I overfed them to have them at this weight at 8 weeks?

 

[meganblythe]

Thank you!!!

Do you think I'm not feeding them enough? I was worried about that. :-(.

When I raised FRs I decided to not give them food free choice because I didn't want them to get fat and grow too fast and develop leg problems. They didn't get to free range but we did move them around the yard to eat grass and bugs. But I think I fed them twice as much as you (I had locally milled feed though, so it might not be a valid comparison with what you used). Also, at around 8 weeks I thought the birds were too small for their age so I increased their food ration and they started growing faster. By the time I harvested around 11-12 weeks the smallest hen was around 3 to 3.5 pounds and the largest rooster was around 5 lbs or more. Based on my experience and yours together, it sounds like maybe you didn't feed them enough. Next time, increase the feed and see what happens! And let us know...