White Ranger from Freedom Ranger Hatchery - Results and Experiences Anyone?

[FunClucks]

This season I ordered 4/29 and raised White Rangers from Freedom Ranger Hatchery along with 15 NH chicks. All chicks were healthy with no issues. For a while I was concerned the WR were not steadily fleshing on and their weight was more consistent with heritage dual purpose breeds. At 8 wks I separated the NH/WR and fed WR 12/12 cycle in confined pen (I don't free range anymore b/c Avian Flu outbreaks in both Tyson/Perdue producers here in TN.) Our weather in May was rain nearly every day then June was awful heat waves cycling with storms. July leveled out somewhat but I believe that heat impacted WR growth. But all of a sudden it was like a switch was turned on and they began muscling like the Cornish Rock 708 strain. I didn't process until 10&11 wks. Finished carcass cockrels 8-9lb and 7-1/2 to 8-1/2 pullets. Two pullets thrived but did not finish at those weights so I've held them back and put in with the Del roo just ot see what kind of F1 comes from that cross next season. If positive I'll reserve a couple of the female F1s and incorporate into the breeding flock. The WR were easy birds to keep - no bad or skiddish behaviors. My only negative is holding them over for processing because maturing cockrels can be a chore to butcher - their bones were ossified like mature roosters and connective tissue was sometimes tough to cut through. The flavor was great. I have a Ninja Woodfire and smoke whole spatchcocked birds 155*F for 45min which slowly breaks down all that connective tissue and renders the meat moist and succulent. Then airfry in the Woodfire at 400*F for 35min. There's no better chicken in my opinion. Same experience with my Del/NH F1 - they're a little lighter at 13wks but just as tender and tasty.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with these! I too noticed that the WR seemed to grow fast, then slowly for a while, and then they put on the weight. I don't know how weather affected it, but I get similar weather to TN here in N AL. Had one WR die about a month ago, probably due to heart attack/heat stress. I was going to keep her for breeding, but no luck. Now I have one WR female left.

 

[SE_Gardener]

Dec 31, 2024Update Sustainable Meatbird Breeding As many of you may have read I've been breeding/selecting sustainable meatbirds for the past several years crossing Del Roo on NH Hens with fair success. Late fall 2023 Mycoplasma SV raged through my flocks with 90% surviving after antibiotic treatments. Not sure of the origin but me and vet believe wild birds. Unfortunately survivors are lifelong carriers for Mycoplasma SV even through their eggs. Although meat and eggs would be consumable I made the decision to depopulate all the birds rather than maintain Mycoplasma SV in the breed stock passing to their progeny. Sourcing replacement stock starting over was at best a crap shoot. Knowing hatcheries rarely select for any trits if any I decided to source Del/NH chicks from three hatcheries. To give you an idea of the poor meatbird prospects - I ordered 105 total birds and culled at 6 and 10wks, processing 24 WR, selected 15 Del/NH breeding candidates with final cull at 20wk resulting in 1 Del Roo, 1NH Roo, 4NH Hens, 2WR Hens and 1Del Hen. Speaks volumes about potential meat bird breed stock available. It's a lot of record keeping, weighing, culling, processing chickens.

Of the 25+1 Wht Rangers I held back 2 of the hens that were smaller and slighter body mass that are with NH Roo and NH Hens. The Del Roo is with Wht Rock (layers). Late Jan/early Feb I plan to swap Roos - NH Roo with Wht Rocks and 1 NH Hen/1 WR Hen and the Del Roo with 4 NH/1 WR. Hopefully this will produce a WRxNH and WRxDel hybrid hens as potential breed stock to cross on Del Roo as my meat bird program. I'm worn out with all the numbers of chicks to cull/raise for a handful of breed stock. I'd like to cut back to just a layer flock and one breeding flock with single Del Roo. I achieve best hybrid vigor with DelxNH and because the Del Roo passes his feathering to offspring they are very easy to process. NH are heavy feathered with massive pin feathers - even with a plucker they're still a chore to process. NH Roos produce too much variability. I select for broad body, deep chest and have found best breed stock are the short stocky type. Same for hens. I've always kept Wht Ply Rock for layers - they lay 300 eggs. I have two really nice broad bodied deep chest WPR hens that I may also breed to Del.

Here's pics of Del and NH Roo

Here's #1 Wht Ranger Hen and #2 Wht Ranger Hen at 9months. #1 is better balanced and not as wide/short as #2. I'd still welcome eggs to hatch from both.

NH and Wht Ranger Hens for comparison. NH are still very large hens at 8months

Although I selected for layer type, two Wht Ply Rock rock are viable meatbird breeders especially #1 - she's that short stocky type I select for. Also here's #2 with rest of the layer flock - 6 hens total 3doz eggs/wk

Hope this helps some of you...Happy New Year and a "peaceful" 2025.

 

[Folly's place]

Very impressive, the project, the work involved, and those beautiful birds!
Mary
And how miserable to have your first flock destroyed by Mycoplasma! If it hits us here, I'll cry and do what you did...

 

[SE_Gardener]

Very impressive, the project, the work involved, and those beautiful birds!
Mary
And how miserable to have your first flock destroyed by Mycoplasma! If it hits us here, I'll cry and do what you did...

Wasn't my first flock. I've been at this for some time. It was my 1st bout of mycoplasma SV. I've never had to make the decision to completely depopulate and start a 8+yr project all over again. This was my meatbird operation and main source of protein on my homestead. But thanks for the compliment on the birds - I'm really picky on selection and culling.

 

[Molpet]

Wasn't my first flock. I've been at this for some time. It was my 1st bout of mycoplasma SV. I've never had to make the decision to completely depopulate and start a 8+yr project all over again. This was my meatbird operation and main source of protein on my homestead. But thanks for the compliment on the birds - I'm really picky on selection and culling.

Very nice birds
Sorry for the restart. Not sure what I would do. I too mainly eat poultry I raise.