Red Rangers, free range?

[runnersrunn]

Hello, everyone.
This year we got 50 red rangers for meat. I have to say out of every chicken I have ever had these are my least favorite. We keep them in a large field ( I have a great Pyrenees watching them) and they do not free range at all. They sit and wait. I have tried only feeding them a little, or a lot, or at different times of the day. No luck, they just sit. I have been on here and read about how great they are free ranging, any ideas anyone?

I decided I will cross a buff with a naked neck for my next round of meat birds, should be friendly free-ranging big birds.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Interesting... I wonder how many folks are getting mixed results with this hybrid.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

What hatchery?

Hello, everyone.
This year we got 50 red rangers for meat. I have to say out of every chicken I have ever had these are my least favorite. We keep them in a large field ( I have a great Pyrenees watching them) and they do not free range at all. They sit and wait. I have tried only feeding them a little, or a lot, or at different times of the day. No luck, they just sit. I have been on here and read about how great they are free ranging, any ideas anyone?

I decided I will cross a buff with a naked neck for my next round of meat birds, should be friendly free-ranging big birds.

 

[RUNuts]

This is a pondering. Take it for that and nothing more. Some people have suggested that putting a heritage bird in with broilers will get them moving. Some people have suggested that some rangers are just like heritage only larger.

Learning about husbandry, the parents' instincts are important. However, lazy is as lazy does. May be worth trying, but it may also be too late. These won't be the same birds unless the hatchery keeps the same traits for breeding.

Solutions:
1. Feed them out and butcher. Don't buy from this source. Problem solved.
2. Add a couple of heritage that will "teach" these to get up and move.
3. Try a different hatchery to compare next time.

The CX I got this year were out in a tractor at 2 weeks. They moved, they looked for bugs and ate a little grass. Loved the feed trough, but would wonder around and nibble a bit. The big fat things that they were would haul butt to the gate when I showed up. Left the garden alone for the most part. Changed my mind on CX and I will get these again. I was going for naked necks, but had a pleasant experience that I'll stick with CX for the savings in money and time.

Best wishes!

 

[trudyg]

I have 10 red rangers, 5 buff orpington and 1 who knows what that are 5 weeks old tomorrow. Yes the rangers like to eat, but these range, scratch, peck, fly around just as much as the others. I do have 5 grown birds, tho, and they've been at least in sight of everyone since the beginning. MHP was fantastic. They were all going up to the roost by the 3rd week. Most of my rangers are boys and get into trouble (flying out of their pen) more than the others. I'm still wondering how old they'll be before good enough size to butcher..... I use both all-flock and fermented feed and they really don't seem to eat all that much at this point.