Those anyone have any experience with these?

[Chickenheadmate]

https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/details.asp?List=1&Product=16

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've raised them three times. I liked them for the most part.
Their pin feathers were a bit of a problem when plucking by hand compared to white Cornish Cross.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

Thanks for letting me know, that's definitely something I don't like to do

I've raised them three times. I liked them for the most part.
Their pin feathers were a bit of a problem when plucking by hand compared to white Cornish Cross.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

They take closer to 16 weeks till harvest, which means they about $4.50 more a bird. People go with them cause they aren’t as genetically altered. Their mortality rate is drastically lower compared to Cornish.

 

[Chickenheadmate]

How do they compare to the red broiler?

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

How do they compare to the red broiler?

Freedom rangers is kind of like a trade mark. They are becoming a breed of their own. They will typically all look the same every time.
Red broilers could be more golden, black, barred, etc. Depending on what they bred to get them. This will also determine the date-till-harvest. And so forth.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They take closer to 16 weeks till harvest, which means they about $4.50 more a bird. People go with them cause they aren’t as genetically altered. Their mortality rate is drastically lower compared to Cornish.

It hasn't been my experience that it takes that long to grow FRs to butcher weight. I could have Cornish game hen type carcasses by 3 1/2 weeks as opposed to 3 weeks for Cornish cross.
If I keep them as long as 10 weeks, they are much to big to fit into a vacuum seal bag.

Perhaps the confusion comes in semantics. There are names like red rangers, red broilers, etc. but to the best of my knowledge, true Freedom Rangers only come from Freedom Ranger hatchery and are the same genetics as those in the Label Rouge program in France and they purchased the exclusive rights to that genetic line many years ago.

If one wants to utilize the genetics to best results, follow the specific guidelines for raising them as follows.
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Table 1. Label Rouge standards for broiler production
Genetics Only certain genetics are allowed – slow growing breeds suited for outdoor production.
Buildings Buildings are a maximum of 4,304 square feet. No farm can have more than four buildings. Building must be at least 98 feet from each other.
Maximum density
in building The maximum stocking density is 0.98 square feet for a bird. No more than 4,400 birds are permitted in each building. Chickens require 2.2lb of litter each.
Access and
size of range All birds have access to the outdoors from 09:00 until dusk after six weeks of age, and must be outside for at least 42 days of grow-out. Range requirements are 22 square feet per bird. About two acres of land are needed per house. 1.2 feet of pophole exits are required for 100 square feet of building.
Feed Feed must consist of at least 75% cereal and must be non-medicated; starter rations can be 50% cereal because of a higher soybean content. Rations cannot contain animal products, growth stimulants or other additives. Fishmeal is not permitted. Synthetic amino acids are allowed.
Other Although routine medications are not allowed, antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian are. Coccidiostats are permitted but must be withdrawn five days before slaughter. Vaccination is allowed; beak and toe trimming are not.
Slaughter age Birds must be grown a minimum 81 days.
Dressed weight Minimum 2.2kg without giblets
Sanitation period There is a minimum sanitation period of 21 days between flocks.
Transport No more than two hours travelling time or 64 miles to processing plant
Processing Air-chill
Shelf life Sold fresh within nine days of slaughter
Chart adapted from François Paybou's Technical and Economic Feasibility Study of Adopting French Label Rouge Poultry Systems to Illionois (2000)

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

It hasn't been my experience that it takes that long to grow FRs to butcher weight. I could have Cornish game hen type carcasses by 3 1/2 weeks as opposed to 3 weeks for Cornish cross.
If I keep them as long as 10 weeks, they are much to big to fit into a vacuum seal bag.
Slaughter age Birds must be grown a minimum 81 days.

Yeah I sell mine. My vacuum sealer does custom sizes. So I get my 8lb birds withiut giblets into it with ease. It yeah red broilers could be mixed with anything, but freedoms are a breed of its own. To get the same size as my cornish I have to grow freedoms to 16weeks. They have less health problems but take longer to grow. So it’s a game of ideology, purpose, and what you wanna spend on a broiler.