RIR and Freedom Ranger cross? Opinions please

[jmf]

Im fairly seasoned now to raising chickens now. I had them as my daily chores when I was kid.

In the last couple years I have had RIR from chicks and hatched new babies from them along with this year doing that with Freedom Rangers. But I think the RIR are to small for meat and the Rangers stink at egg production. Any ideas or experience on crossing these two birds for a good general purpose bird? Pros/cons or guess for the outcome?

 

[rosiekitty94]

I've never had any freedom rangers myself but I have had rir roosters. I totally agree about their disappointing size. Just a tip: the Rhode Island whites are much friendlier and larger. I do know though, that like a Cornish cross, freedom rangers are a four way hybrid meaning that to get a freedom ranger chick, you cannot breed two freedom rangers together. I don't think crossing a freedom ranger with a rir would work as many important genes from the freedom ranger would be lost. If you could figure out what breeds went into creating a freedom ranger and maybe throw an rir in there too, it would work better. Of course the company isn't going to give away their secret "recipe" and who knows! They may already contain some rir!