Slow growing Red Rangers

[duluthralphie]

I need to stand up for the CX's here. They are getting a bad rap.

I love CX's. I raise mine for 13 weeks, I have1 that is over a year now and fertile eggs I am hatching. I have 2 that are 3/4 CX and 1/4 Dixie rainbow.

If you do not over feed the CX's and free range them or at least keep them in a large pen they are fantastic birds, they are not smelly and are the best tasting birds around. The only reason I process at 13 weeks is because that is large enough. The roosters will got 10-13 pounds dressed the hens 7.5-11 dressed. They are great cut u for fryers, roasted or smoked at that size.

For my wife and I we get 4 meals out of the breasts, and 2 out of the hind quarters. They go over better at holidays than turkey does. When a CX is sloppy, smelly and goes bad it is because of the parenting skills it grew up with, just like with kids.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I need to stand up for the CX's here. They are getting a bad rap.

I love CX's. I raise mine for 13 weeks, I have1 that is over a year now and fertile eggs I am hatching.  I have 2 that are 3/4 CX  and 1/4 Dixie rainbow.

If you do not over feed the CX's and free range them or at least keep them in a large pen they are fantastic birds, they are not smelly and are the best tasting birds around.  The only reason I process at 13 weeks is because that is large enough. The roosters will got 10-13 pounds dressed the hens 7.5-11 dressed.  They are great cut u for fryers, roasted or smoked at that size.

For my wife and I we get 4 meals out of the breasts, and 2 out of the hind quarters.  They go over better at holidays than turkey does.  When a CX is sloppy, smelly and goes bad it is because of the parenting skills it grew up with, just like with kids.

I know, , we have had this discussion before on our very different opinions of the CX. I will concede that I kept mine locked up too long. I do intend to give them another chance (would already have a batch except DH had to get the girls ducks :/). But even you must agree that even with diet restrictions, very few of them could make it to adulthood. They are not a healthy bird.

 

[duluthralphie]

I know,

, we have had this discussion before on our very different opinions of the CX. I will concede that I kept mine locked up too long. I do intend to give them another chance (would already have a batch except DH had to get the girls ducks

). But even you must agree that even with diet restrictions, very few of them could make it to adulthood. They are not a healthy bird.

I know, it is the problem with us fanatics.

 

[Betsy57]

Well I baked one of my Red Ranger's last night that I butchered Saturday. Butter, garlic, onion, and rosemary. Very tasty. Could taste more chicken flavor than the Cornish X for sure. Sometimes I thought it was too strong, other times thought it was good. It was a smaller bird 3.5 lbs so not as much meat as I would like for all the effort that was involved in butchering. But I have a 4.5 lb in the freezer and 3 more to butcher maybe this weekend. So overall, I'm okay with the Red Rangers. I do prefer Cornish X because I am a "get it done and get it over" person but the extra month in growing the Rangers hasn't been too bad.

 

[duluthralphie]

Well I baked one of my Red Ranger's last night that I butchered Saturday. Butter, garlic, onion, and rosemary. Very tasty. Could taste more chicken flavor than the Cornish X for sure. Sometimes I thought it was too strong, other times thought it was good. It was a smaller bird 3.5 lbs so not as much meat as I would like for all the effort that was involved in butchering. But I have a 4.5 lb in the freezer and 3 more to butcher maybe this weekend. So overall, I'm okay with the Red Rangers. I do prefer Cornish X because I am a "get it done and get it over" person but the extra month in growing the Rangers hasn't been too bad.

I think you have stumbled on something here. I butcher most my roosters around the 20 week mark. I process the CX's at 13 weeks, The first bunches I did at 40-42 days. The younger ones are tender, but there is not much chicken taste.

The older ones at 13 and 20 weeks are by far better tasting with more of that "old Fashioned chicken" taste I want in home raised birds.

6-7 weeks my not be long enough out of the egg to get the adult taste. One of my complaints about store bought chicken is the lack of chicken taste.

 

[Betsy57]

I butchered the last 3 today. A friend used his new wiz bang plucker and wow! 20 seconds and they're clean! Took about 5 minutes max to clean 'em and get in the cooler. Wow! Makes it so much easier and faster! These weighed 3.5 to 3.75 dressed. So I'm not too happy with the weight of them after processing. I like a finished weight of 5 lbs at least. They're 11 weeks old. I am not sure how much more weight they would have put on if I waited another few weeks but I read where they should be processed by the 11th week. Not sure if I will do Cornish X next time or Red Rangers. I like the proportion of the meat, it is a more natural carcass but the meat is stronger and not as much. They're definitely cleaner and not as smelly as the Cornish Cross. Didn't keep track of the feed so I'm not sure how much they went through. I split their feed with 5 new ISA Browns so hard to know how much they alone went through. Glad they're done and in the frig and will be in the freezer next week.

 

[duluthralphie]

11 weeks seems a lot early to me.

I would wait with rangers or rainbows until 18-20 weeks. I like fuller and larger thighs though and they seem to be the last thing to fill out.

Home raised chickens are seldom cheaper (if ever) than store bought ones. They are always better in my mind.

 

[Betsy57]

11 weeks seems a lot early to me.

I would wait with rangers or rainbows until 18-20 weeks. I like fuller and larger thighs though and they seem to be the last thing to fill out.

Home raised chickens are seldom cheaper (if ever) than store bought ones. They are always better in my mind.

Yep, we don't raise meat birds because they're cheaper for sure!

 

[Dave C]

It's not about the £££ because you wouldn't make any ha.

It's about rearing a quality bird that has lived well, tastes better than anything you can buy in the supermarket and can feed your family for 2 days.

 

[duluthralphie]

It's not about the £££ $$$ because you wouldn't make any ha.

It's about rearing a quality bird that has lived well, tastes better than anything you can buy in the supermarket and can feed your family for 2 days.

I translated that into our English for those that can't read your English for you...No charge for the translation service, but cash donations would be accepted......

to help defray meatie costs.