Red Ranger Meaties 9- weeks

[pgrenna81]

 

[Tracydr]

Have you had these before? I'm on my fourth batch of Red Broilers from Ideal. This batch seems faster growing than any other. Could be feed or weather since we've moved from AZto NC.
I'm hoping to get Dorkings to raise but the Red Broilers are good and will work until I have a Dorking flock going.

 

[pgrenna81]

Nope this is my first run at them, butchering a couple tomorrow for the weekend so I'll post how they are

 

[pgrenna81]

Butchered 2 of my 10-week old Red Rangers today . Both birds were just a sketch over 3-lbs dressed about 4 1/4 live weight so probably another couple weeks before they're fully grown but they should be yummy. Used a cone for the first time and slit the arteries and it worked great, much cleaner sand swifter than chopping off the head. I used a drill plucker and it worked fantastic also.

 

[Tracydr]

Butchered 2 of my 10-week old Red Rangers today . Both birds were just a sketch over 3-lbs dressed about 4 1/4 live weight so probably another couple weeks before they're fully grown but they should be yummy. Used a cone for the first time and slit the arteries and it worked great, much cleaner sand swifter than chopping off the head. I used a drill plucker and it worked fantastic also.

They look very similar to mine. They tend to have bigger thighs and legs, slightly less breast than a CornishX. I usually wait until 12-16 weeks. One thing I really like about them is that I can process 2-3 at a time and not worry about the others dropping dead. Each batch I've kept a pullet or two and they lay large brown eggs. I've lost the 1-2 year old hens to heat a couple of times but they're pretty healthy chickens otherwise.
I've also found them to be far more active then Cornish X, very good foragers. The only thing I don't like is that the cockerels can be total but threads when they reach puberty but what do you expect from a pen full of young cockerels with plenty of laying hens to fight over?
I pick out the most obnoxious to process first and just work down from there.