Thinking of an experiment

[MissE]

They look great!! Any idea on their weights? My rangers are looking chubby chub at 8 weeks. I am gonna weigh them and compare

Love those little dinosaur faces!

My pullets are small, but the cockerels are almost the size of my layers. I would guess about 5 lbs. I'll see if anyone wants to cooperate with the kitchen scale. They do have some nice breast development, and the ones from the BA hen have some beautiful iridescent greenish black feathers. Might have to keep one of them as my back up rooster. Two of them were trying to crow this morning. Sounds like someone squeezing bagpipes.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Love those little dinosaur faces!

My pullets are small, but the cockerels are almost the size of my layers. I would guess about 5 lbs. I'll see if anyone wants to cooperate with the kitchen scale. They do have some nice breast development, and the ones from the BA hen have some beautiful iridescent greenish black feathers. Might have to keep one of them as my back up rooster. Two of them were trying to crow this morning. Sounds like someone squeezing bagpipes.

Awesome! That there tells me they are developing as fast as my "pure" rangers, who are getting close to my laying hens size, but are much heavier when i pick them up. I havent weighed mine either, but their mass is significant for their size and age. Mine are a week behind yours so they should be bigger than my hens in another 2 weeks (first butcher date for half of them).

 

[MissE]

Awesome! That there tells me they are developing as fast as my "pure" rangers, who are getting close to my laying hens size, but are much heavier when i pick them up. I havent weighed mine either, but their mass is significant for their size and age. Mine are a week behind yours so they should be bigger than my hens in another 2 weeks (first butcher date for half of them).

My second batch, using the same RR rooster and SS and BA hens, are more uniform size from suspected males and females. Crazy comb development though, so I'm pretty confident at 6 weeks who is who.

I haven't decided when I'm processing them. I'd rather do one day of a dozen birds than split it into two days, so I may wait until the older ones are 15 weeks and the younger are 12.

 

[MissE]

Awesome! That there tells me they are developing as fast as my "pure" rangers, who are getting close to my laying hens size, but are much heavier when i pick them up. I havent weighed mine either, but their mass is significant for their size and age. Mine are a week behind yours so they should be bigger than my hens in another 2 weeks (first butcher date for half of them).

The red one (SS hen) is 4.5 lbs and the black one (BA hen) is just shy of 5 lbs. I didn't weigh the little red pullet (SS hen) but as you can see, she is significantly smaller.

 

[NatJ]

I didn't weigh the little red pullet (SS hen) but as you can see, she is significantly smaller.

Did you happen to pick her up and notice if she's lighter in weight?

I agree she looks smaller, but Dark Cornish chickens in a mixed flock taught me not to trust that. They looked smallest but were actually heaviest! The other chickens had longer legs and fluffier feathers, but less meat.

 

[MissE]

Did you happen to pick her up and notice if she's lighter in weight?

I agree she looks smaller, but Dark Cornish chickens in a mixed flock taught me not to trust that. They looked smallest but were actually heaviest! The other chickens had longer legs and fluffier feathers, but less meat.

Not this time, but I have previously. She's half the height, thinner legs, and weight seems proportionate to her size. All but one pullet is significantly smaller, and have been from the first couple weeks. The bigger one is from a BA. The rest are from the SS. My SS were smaller than all the other pullets their age until about 30 weeks. Cute little buggers, just dainty.

The younger batch seems to be more uniform.

I was going to sell all but a couple pullets from both batches, but my husband suggested keeping most, or all, of them. Gee, twist my arm.

 

[MissE]

Lots of cockerels!

The first batch is now 12 weeks old. Of the 13 chicks, I have 7 cockerels. Most of them are crowing, but need more practice. My big guy stands at the fence dividing them, and tries to encourage them. Think the darkest one in the center of the first picture is the one I will keep. He, along with all the other ones from the Australorp, is much bigger than the ones from the Sussex. All BA ones have grey legs.

These are the 9 week old chicks. Out of 11 chicks, 6 are cockerels. I was trying to get a picture of a pullet from the BA, but they all kept swarming me. She is black and yellow, whereas the other BA ones are black with orange.

As you can see, no one likes to eat thistles but will destroy any blade of grass that pops up. It's been really hot, so I've been making mini shade spots. They are in with the 12 week old ones, but they have an imaginary line down the middle of the run, so the poplar saplings in the first pictures are a no go zone for these guys.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

They look great!! I am excited to see their processed weights. I just did 21 of my rangers at around 11-12 weeks. They ended up average 3.8 lbs processed. I think they could have been heavier if i would have fed more freely. I did feedings twice a day and free range the rest of the day except the last week, they got all the food they wanted. But i am into these guys for less than $4/bird, so i am pretty happy with the outcome.

I held back 2 roos and 4 pullets, hoping to get a few hatchable eggs before they have health problems.

 

[MissE]

They look great!! I am excited to see their processed weights. I just did 21 of my rangers at around 11-12 weeks. They ended up average 3.8 lbs processed. I think they could have been heavier if i would have fed more freely. I did feedings twice a day and free range the rest of the day except the last week, they got all the food they wanted. But i am into these guys for less than $4/bird, so i am pretty happy with the outcome.

I held back 2 roos and 4 pullets, hoping to get a few hatchable eggs before they have health problems.

I still have a rooster and two hens from my last batch, and they are over 2 years old now. I did lose several hens initially, but no new losses in almost a year. The hens don't lay as well as they used to, but when they feel like laying, I get 3 eggs a week from each. They will lay for a month or so, and then stop for a couple weeks. Egg size is jumbo or better.

3.8 lbs is pretty good at that age. I was lazy and waited much longer. They were 6-7 lbs dressed if I remember correctly. Guessing my rooster would be over 11 lbs if I did him now, so they do grow for a long time.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

I still have a rooster and two hens from my last batch, and they are over 2 years old now. I did lose several hens initially, but no new losses in almost a year. The hens don't lay as well as they used to, but when they feel like laying, I get 3 eggs a week from each. They will lay for a month or so, and then stop for a couple weeks. Egg size is jumbo or better.

3.8 lbs is pretty good at that age. I was lazy and waited much longer. They were 6-7 lbs dressed if I remember correctly. Guessing my rooster would be over 11 lbs if I did him now, so they do grow for a long time.

Wow! Now i wish i woulda waited! I was scared the roos would get tough if i waited too long, but i guess in reality, i could have waited 16 weeks. The next batch, ill hold out a little longer. When do you plan on processing these guys?