Red ranger hen died of old age, my experience

[cottontail farm]

I'm posting this here because I know a bunch of us raise rangers instead of cornish cross and are looking for sustainable flocks.
Here are a few pictures of my red ranger hen who finally died today at 4 to 5 years old. I had kept her back when the rest were butchered because she was huge and had a good personality. I hatched her eggs crossed with brahma rooster and the chicks were just as big and grew as fast as hatchery rangers. They mostly looked like the brahma and had feathered feet.

She was a good layer and surprised me by being an excellent mom as well. Every year she hatched at least one clutch of eggs or took in babies I gave her.

When I picked her up to bury her this morning I was shocked by how heavy she was - must have been well over 12 lbs at least. I'm not sure why she died but she had slowed down the last month before her comb turned dark.
I was beyond pleased with what a great hen she turned out to be. Right now we are keeping chickens mostly for eggs but I would love to get another group of rangers and keep a couple of hens back again.

 

[Morrigan]

I have a held back red ranger hen right, who is going on 8 months, and was happy to learn that your hen lived for several years. I can't believe she went broody! What hatchery did you get her from?

 

[50-45-1]

Oh, thanks for sharing your story of Red the hen! Hopefully you still have some of her daughters who will be just as nice.
Some chickens live on in our memories long after they are gone. I know I have a large flock of chickens from the past that still make me smile with their rememberance.
Sorry for your loss.

 

[cottontail farm]

I have a held back red ranger hen right, who is going on 8 months, and was happy to learn that your hen lived for several years. I can't believe she went broody! What hatchery did you get her from?

She just came from TSC! So Hoovers maybe? She would have hatched a pile of rocks if I'd let her

 

[cottontail farm]

Oh, thanks for sharing your story of Red the hen! Hopefully you still have some of her daughters who will be just as nice.
Some chickens live on in our memories long after they are gone. I know I have a large flock of chickens from the past that still make me smile with their rememberance.
Sorry for your loss.

Tha is! I just wanted to share because so many people here are looking for a sustainable meat flock. She was a great mom and a her babies got big too.

 

[Morrigan]

I would be absolutely thrilled if my "Big Red" went broody. I've already hatched out a couple of her eggs (Naked Neck rooster) using an incubator. At 4+ weeks old, they are looking good.

 

[Josip]

I would be absolutely thrilled if my "Big Red" went broody. I've already hatched out a couple of her eggs (Naked Neck rooster) using an incubator. At 4+ weeks old, they are looking good.

View attachment 2067306

I also crossed Nacked neck with red ranger but all turned to be males except one. They are 8 weeks old.i have only one red ranger hen and she is best layer I ever had

 

[nicalandia]

I'm posting this here because I know a bunch of us raise rangers instead of cornish cross and are looking for sustainable flocks.
Here are a few pictures of my red ranger hen who finally died today at 4 to 5 years old. View attachment 2066944

is that a bantam Brahma rooster? because if not then that hen was really Huge. I always wondered what a CornishX x Brahma rooster would look like, I had assume that they would have the Brahma type but much heavier. Do you have pics of the Ranger/Brahma birds?

 

[Compost King]

is that a bantam Brahma rooster? because if not then that hen was really Huge. I always wondered what a CornishX x Brahma rooster would look like, I had assume that they would have the Brahma type but much heavier. Do you have pics of the Ranger/Brahma birds?

Imagine a Brahma that developed as fast as a CX but with a larger breast. That would be a great cross.

 

[nicalandia]

Imagine a Brahma that developed as fast as a CX but with a larger breast. That would be a great cross.

indeed