Red Rangers

[Farmer-John]

Does anyone have any experience with raising this broiler type??

Getting ready to place a large broiler order and was curious what your experience was like with them..

FYI, not interested in Cornish X... looking for a free ranging broiler with a quicker turn around time than my dual purpose birds.

Thanks!

 

[bloonskiller911]

i've been interested in them my self but have no expeirence with them. can't wait to see your replies. also there is a pretty active indiana thread going if you want to join. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/730582/indiana-bycers-here

 

[Farmer-John]

Thanks for the link.. I planning on ordering 100 of them, if the replies look promising.

I set eggs a couple weeks ago, the pullets will go into my layer coop and the roo's, well you know where they'll go.

I have alot of family that enjoy the fresh chicken so I alway butcher more than i need. Just wanted something different than the the CX's but something that didn't take 18-22 weeks to feed out like my dual purpose breeds. Grain prices have taken some of the hobby out of it; although, it's worth the price vs store bought chicken..

thanks, again..

Farmer-John

 

[bloonskiller911]

I AGREE!!! always better than store bought. just hatched off some myself for an uncle and getting ready to start the incubator on thursday hopefully. got a lot of people i know wanting to get into chickens. only to glad to help get them started.

 

[Farmer-John]

I hear you, my brother is the Chief of Police in Osgood, and I finally got him hooked on chickens.. I gave him three Golden laced hens and a french black copper marans roo. He's hooked..and ready to expand. I have a pretty good sized farm so I raise all the meat birds here and have a butchering party... All they guys, bleeding, scalding, plucking (I have a plucker) and cleaning,, the ladies do the quartering, and packaging. Did i mention that there is a few brews consumed during such time.

Either way, it's a good way to get everyone together, get some work done and have a good time.
We'll fire up the big smoker and put several birds straight on, and by the time we're done, so is dinner.

Good times!!

 

[RubyRamona]

We got some a week ago. They are HUGE already!!! I'm worried they are going to eat us out of house and home our hatchery says they are 8lbs at 12 weeks but if they maintain this rate there's no way they will take 12 weeks!

 

[Farmer-John]

yikes... I was hoping they were a little slower growing than that. It does sound as if they have a good weight to fee ratio though.

Quick question: are you allowing them to have feed 24/7 or are you rationing them? I have always rationed my broilers, or else they would eat me out of house and home.

Just curious...

thanks so much for the reply..

John

 

[Farmer-John]

I just realized you have only had them a week, sorry.. So i'm assuming they have feed around the clock right now. I would always feed mine mid-day and only once a day, once I figured out about how much they ate within 30 minutes.

thanks again..

 

[Life is Good!]

I raised this breed last spring/early summer. I'll be getting more early May this year...April was just too early for me last year.
I enjoyed this breed both in the pen and on the table. They act like chickens - sure they LOVED their feed, but they also foraged nicely, ate every bug out there, and were true 'chickens'. We processed ours at 12wks. Started at 10 1/2wks with some of the louder roos. Certainly got quiet quickly after that!
Weights were around 5#'s, some hens were a touch under 4#'s. I kept feed in front of them 2x/day (7am and 4pm) - then when they were outside, they also could eat/forage/catch what they could. If I recall, they were feathered enough to go outside at 3 1/2wks. I didn't use any fermented feed with these, just ACV in the water - had no losses, no health issues either. All around good experience.
Oh, there were 25 birds in our flock of meaties.

 

[RubyRamona]

Buff Orpington on the left and a red ranger on the right. Both hatched a week and a day ago