- Dec 17, 2008
- 22
- 1
- 32
I'd posted a while back asking about experiences with FR's.
Mine arrived May 27th from Kendall Fox of Freedom Ranger Hatchery. They included one extra and the total # I received was 26.
One runt died after a couple days and the rest are doing great.
I don't have any feed conversion stats, but I'll update at butchering with feed amounts and dressed weights.
What I can comment on now is the significant difference in behavior I see between FR's and the McMurrary Cornish Roasters I've raised in the past.
The FR's are much livelier and eager to forage. They immediately leave their coop when I open the door in the am. They forage around the yard and visit the coop occasionally- lots of activity. At nightfall they all return to the coop. The CR's were much less eager to leave the feeder, and when they would it be only to sit in yard. At nightfall I would have to find them in the yard and physically put them back in the coop.
I introduced the FR's to the yard later than I should have and feared that it would be too late and they wouldn't have any desire to forage, but they proved me wrong.
The FR's have huge feet just like the CR's and, as I mentioned, although I don't have the stats on feed conversion they look to be growing quickly and, if not as fast as the CR's, not far behind.
The coop is also much cleaner. We would change the bedding frequently with the CR's and yet theirs breasts were always worn of feathers and impacted with their waste. I'd gotten a bit discouraged with how filthy they would get no matter what we did. The FR's have their breast feathers and the bedding stays significantly cleaner.
So far I'm immensely satisfied. It seems that the benefits of the FR's are a bird whose breeding results in good growth while maintaining the desire to forage, move around, and use what little brain it has. I have to say that, I'm sure as many of you I raise meat birds for the overall quality of the meat I put in my freezer, and to know where my food comes from (especially so the kid's see where it comes from) and not to save money. So, if they cost more in feed the trade off seems well worth it.
I'll update again.
Mine arrived May 27th from Kendall Fox of Freedom Ranger Hatchery. They included one extra and the total # I received was 26.
One runt died after a couple days and the rest are doing great.
I don't have any feed conversion stats, but I'll update at butchering with feed amounts and dressed weights.
What I can comment on now is the significant difference in behavior I see between FR's and the McMurrary Cornish Roasters I've raised in the past.
The FR's are much livelier and eager to forage. They immediately leave their coop when I open the door in the am. They forage around the yard and visit the coop occasionally- lots of activity. At nightfall they all return to the coop. The CR's were much less eager to leave the feeder, and when they would it be only to sit in yard. At nightfall I would have to find them in the yard and physically put them back in the coop.
I introduced the FR's to the yard later than I should have and feared that it would be too late and they wouldn't have any desire to forage, but they proved me wrong.
The FR's have huge feet just like the CR's and, as I mentioned, although I don't have the stats on feed conversion they look to be growing quickly and, if not as fast as the CR's, not far behind.
The coop is also much cleaner. We would change the bedding frequently with the CR's and yet theirs breasts were always worn of feathers and impacted with their waste. I'd gotten a bit discouraged with how filthy they would get no matter what we did. The FR's have their breast feathers and the bedding stays significantly cleaner.
So far I'm immensely satisfied. It seems that the benefits of the FR's are a bird whose breeding results in good growth while maintaining the desire to forage, move around, and use what little brain it has. I have to say that, I'm sure as many of you I raise meat birds for the overall quality of the meat I put in my freezer, and to know where my food comes from (especially so the kid's see where it comes from) and not to save money. So, if they cost more in feed the trade off seems well worth it.
I'll update again.
