Ranger breeding project

[zebradreams07]

I know I'm not the first person to have this idea, so before I dive in and go full crazy chicken lady (I'm already the crazy goat lady!) I'd love to hear from people who have attempted breeding Rangers before - from whichever proprietary line. What were your goals, what worked or didn't, what's the status of your flock if you're still raising them, or what was your reason for quitting if you aren't?

My goals would be to create a true-breeding, sustainable bird that's healthy enough to live a full breeding life, but with better grow out and carcass than cull layer cockerels. Enough egg production for decent chick crops - not on par with layer breeds, although of course they could be eaten as a side product, the same way extra layer birds can be used for meat. Not a true dual purpose breed, because there doesn't seem to be much interest in them these days. Hopefully with broody tendencies, because I feel that mothering ability is a crucial trait in sustainable breeds - not relying on human intervention to survive. People can always incubate if they want a large batch for butcher, but in my mind that goes along the same lines as relying on hatcheries to produce proprietary hybrids. A lower priority goal, probably a few generations in, would be to shift them to a different color so they stand out from the hatchery breeds. Still something light for clean carcasses; maybe buff? I would be introducing some layer birds here and there to maintain genetic vigor and improve some traits such as the egg production, so I can bring new color in that way. Any area thee seen to be weak in, I can look for existing breeds that could strengthen it without losing other qualities. Yes, this is obviously a long term project! Quality takes time

Thoughts?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are a hybrid from France with the original genetics licensed to a hatchery in PA. But, to the best of my knowledge, as a hybrid, you can't breed two together and get the same thing as the adults.
You could create your own line of a similar hybrid but that will take years. That's what other hatcheries do that sell red rangers.

 

[zebradreams07]

They are a hybrid from France with the original genetics licensed to a hatchery in PA. But, to the best of my knowledge, as a hybrid, you can't breed two together and get the same thing as the adults.
You could create your own line of a similar hybrid but that will take years. That's what other hatcheries do that sell red rangers.

Yes, I know. Hence long term project. And I'm not interested in just creating another hybrid to sell chicks from, I want a true breed.

 

[zebradreams07]

Anyone? There's so many older threads and blog posts about this, there have to be folks with info to share!

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I have read and followed several meat bird projects... here is what I am doing. I have finally found four CornishX hybrids and some sex link pullets. I have had a really hard time getting either laying hybrids or breeds and finding meat hybrids this year. Next time I order live chicks Rangers as well as some other “meat” breeds are on my to get list. But for right now the plan is to rear the CornishX with the goal of keeping one pullet and one cockerel if possible. Then we plan to experiment with breeding them to each other and the laying hybrids as the sec linked hybrids are from dual purpose breeds. We know the CornishX to CornishX won’t breed true. Heads up a lot of meat hybrids have a dwarf gene in the mix that is important to create bigger birds and often people in the threads I read cull these birds not understanding they might be necessary to maintaining heavyweight lines. Any way I will be experimenting. I was hoping to find Rangers or Kosher Kings or something like that but nope... panic buyers has made finding any utility production chick breed hard...

 

[zebradreams07]

I have read and followed several meat bird projects... here is what I am doing. I have finally found four CornishX hybrids and some sex link pullets. I have had a really hard time getting either laying hybrids or breeds and finding meat hybrids this year. Next time I order live chicks Rangers as well as some other “meat” breeds are on my to get list. But for right now the plan is to rear the CornishX with the goal of keeping one pullet and one cockerel if possible. Then we plan to experiment with breeding them to each other and the laying hybrids as the sec linked hybrids are from dual purpose breeds. We know the CornishX to CornishX won’t breed true. Heads up a lot of meat hybrids have a dwarf gene in the mix that is important to create bigger birds and often people in the threads I read cull these birds not understanding they might be necessary to maintaining heavyweight lines. Any way I will be experimenting. I was hoping to find Rangers or Kosher Kings or something like that but nope... panic buyers has made finding any utility production chick breed hard...

Cornish X are likely to die from heart attack or have their legs give out before they hit maturity. I highly doubt a cockerel could make it on top of a hen long enough to do the deed even if they survived until fertile, and you certainly wouldn't get a longer term breeding life to experiment with. For all I know they might be sterile from all the genetic mucking about That's why I didn't consider them at all for mixing in with mine; only heritage Cornish.

 

[zebradreams07]

I'm also not interested in perpetuating any physical defects, regardless of what effect they have on progeny. There's usually health consequences that go with, even if they aren't noticeable at first. I'm not trying to create fat monsters like Cornish X at any rate; going the usual route to produce normal larger birds is fine with me, even if it takes longer. My jersey giant roo (in my avatar) might be able to add size if I can balance it with faster growth rate. He's a hunk! I don't want black trickling down the generations though.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Yeah the Jersey have size but slower maturity. My preference would have not been Cxs but I will fiddle with them. If I can avoid creating growth health issues it may work. If I get a rooster that is healthy I figure it will have to be AI for the F1 breeding then hopefully the F1 will be a bit smaller more dual purpose... in a perfect world I would have rangers or kings to work with. So it’s just a crazy experiment on my end now.

 

[zebradreams07]

Yeah the Jersey have size but slower maturity. My preference would have not been Cxs but I will fiddle with them. If I can avoid creating growth health issues it may work. If I get a rooster that is healthy I figure it will have to be AI for the F1 breeding then hopefully the F1 will be a bit smaller more dual purpose... in a perfect world I would have rangers or kings to work with. So it’s just a crazy experiment on my end now.

AI chickens? Yikes. Have fun with that.

You can order rangers online. That's the only way I was able to get them. Looks like I'm getting another batch in a few weeks

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Ordering on line I think is what ultimately will happen... but first I am going to raise up the CXs and a random assortment of breeds, cull heavily. I also have some eggs in incubation of rare breeds... so first get that all squared away. Next live chick order will include Rangers is the plan.

I do have several concerns with the CXs... one is they grow faster than their skeletal system. Other health issues too. So I am not raising to maximize meat growth to see how that works out for better health. I am not really expecting much from this experiment especially since I have read a lot of folks have failed at breeding Cx stock let alone just raising to eat.

I don’t have Cornish but I did hatch out two Aseel mixes... these should be very much like Cornish Indian Ancestors were... so that gives me some interesting cross breeding options.

As to AI I was all ready going to try it to use it on a laying hen. So adventures in chicken keeping it is...