Ranger Grow-Out Journals

[TimG]

Mrs. Mucket :

Now that some of us are breeding our Freedom Rangers, I'm more curious about breeding and genetics. I know some of you have knowledge or experience. What results can we expect from the first generation we grow out from our FR parents? Will they likely be similar size and have similar growth patterns/processing weights as the parent flock? Will there be more variation in appearance, rather than just the three basic FR colors (red, buff, tricolor)? I've heard they may revert to grandparent genes, but would they likely still be generally healthy and vigorous?

No one really knows...​

 

[Jared77]

When working with a hybrid like this its really tough. Nobody knows the combination that produced the FR so its tough to predict what you'll get. Your doubling up on all the traits that have been passed down so you could easily get birds that resemble the parents or grand parents depending on how the FR is produced.

However it doesn't change the rules of basic breeding. You select for the offspring that have the most desirable traits and fit closest to the standard you have for your flock. I'm very curious to see how the chicks develop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't do either Cornish X or Rangers but am enjoying this thread.

Cornish X are not really crosses. They were at one time, but they have been selectively bred to the point that they are their own breed now. Yes, the breeders keep four separate flocks, each of the four flocks designed to produce only one specific grandparent of the broilers, so maybe they are crosses in a way, but not in the way many people think. I don't know, but I suspect the Freedom Rangers are much the same. They are not really crosses but are the result of selective breeding to where they are basically their own breed and should breed true. I'm not convinced they are really hybrids any more. Colors do not make a breed. With these it is more body composition and growth habit.

Remember with any breed of chicken, whether Welsummers bred for dark eggs or Cochin bred for the show ring, the breeder has to actively cull every generation for the best breeders. If you don't do this, the quality very quickly goes down.

Just like Jared77 said, you have to cull for the traits you want, whatever they are. If you hatch out a lot of eggs and vigorously select breeders for the traits you want, you will probably get a pretty good product, though it might be hard to maintain the original quality. If you don't do that, I's expect a pretty rapid decline. I'm thinking again on four different flocks, one for each grandparent.

You might enjoy this video about raising the parents of the broilers. It blew away several of my misconceptions about them.

Broiler Chicken Videos

 

[TimG]

I weighed the chicks today, a couple days short of four weeks. Their average weight is 17 oz. That's where their parents were at 3 weeks. (You may recall these chicks were an ounce ahead of their parents at 2 weeks.)

I believe the problem is that they haven't eaten much. I put shavings in their pen a bit over a week ago. They scratch relentlessly. I clean the shavings out of their water and food and 15 minutes later the shavings are piled high again. I've been cleaning it out regularly, but they can't be getting a lot of food between burials. They also try to eat my hands when I reach in the pen.

Today I moved them to a larger pen in the barn. I hope the larger quarters will reduce the amount of shavings that reach their food and water -- it is the same pen their parents were raised in and I did not experience this problem with them. The barn is not heated, but I have put a heat lamp out (just 100 watt bulb) for them and will leave it on 24/7 at least for a while.

They seemed happy running around their larger quarters -- no huddling for heat in the first 10-15 minutes.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
Thank you for the update. Best wishes for keeping them healthy and growing!

 

[RHB]

Are they still doing well?

 

[TimG]

One of them has a broken or dislocated leg. It hobbles around just about as fast as the others.

Other than that, all are doing fine. They've been outside with a 100 watt light for a while now. I don't think the light is providing much heat -- their water freezes daily. So, they were good for freezing temps at 4 weeks.

 

[RHB]

Wow, that's impressive.
Do you think it's the growth, or the breed that can handle the cold?

 

[TimG]

They feather quickly. That's my only insight.

 

[Jared77]

I appreciate the insight on this. Please continue to keep us posted.