Yea or nay? New hampshires from Freedom Ranger.

[SheaLoner]

I've been going back and forth on wether to order chicks in, or go through what comes in at the local feed stores. Purpose being a mostly free range flock, not high strung yet likely to survive a medium predator level. With the possibility of keeping breed stock and decent layers through the winter. Holy grail right there I know.

If I do order in the line of New Hampshires at freedom ranger looked promising and shipping for me is only $10! I did have a lead at a local Agway for some local bred stock, but the owners have not been able to give me a list of breeds they have or an Idea on pricing yet.

Any advice? I might still pick through the bins to try out a few other breeds. Looking to start with 20 or so total str run.

 

[boskelli1571]

I've been going back and forth on wether to order chicks in, or go through what comes in at the local feed stores. Purpose being a mostly free range flock, not high strung yet likely to survive a medium predator level. With the possibility of keeping breed stock and decent layers through the winter. Holy grail right there I know.

If I do order in the line of New Hampshires at freedom ranger looked promising and shipping for me is only $10! I did have a lead at a local Agway for some local bred stock, but the owners have not been able to give me a list of breeds they have or an Idea on pricing yet.

Any advice? I might still pick through the bins to try out a few other breeds. Looking to start with 20 or so total str run.

New Hampshires are a nice dual purpose bird and if you get a rooster he can be used to create your own sex link chicks (breed with a Delaware hen).
You can get NH chicks for around $2-3 each, so sounds like that's a good deal

 

[trescloudy]

I have some New Hampshires from freedom Ranger ranch. They are true utility birds. They dont lay heavy and are not bred for color.

But if you want heritage birds that grows fast these are the ones. Dont know why anyone would go with actual freedom rangers when this opportunity is available.

If you are into meat birds and dont like the cornish rock option I highly recommend New Hampshires from Freedom Ranger Ranch. They are bred by Henry Noll who is a geneticist and you can tell he knows what he is doing when you raise up his New Hampshires.

They grow incredibly fast and have an excellent disposition. Very friendly birds that get huge. I'm getting 100 more in a month. Plan on butchering 80 or so and keeping the fastest growing birds that have the correct shape. Only negative thing I noticed is that some birds are a little narrower on the back side but honestly even those look great. It's just a slight taper and will still make excellent carcasses.

I kept 5 roosters with 5 or 6 hens and the roosters dont really fight so far. They are 6 months old now and could have been butchered months ago. I think 8 -10 weeks would bring nice broiler size carcasses.

 

[trescloudy]

New Hampshires are a nice dual purpose bird and if you get a rooster he can be used to create your own sex link chicks (breed with a Delaware hen).
You can get NH chicks for around $2-3 each, so sounds like that's a good deal

Go with Henry Nolls New Hampshires. You will be totally satisfied. Birds from feed lot stores are usually low quality birds bred for egg laying. If you want meat dont get ANY dual purpose birds. If you want eggs they work ok but ISA browns are the best egg layers you are going to get as far as im concerned. They are hybrids though...

 

[SheaLoner]

Threads a bit old at this point. I DID go with New hampshires from freedom ranger. A really nice meat bird. I butchered the roosters at 12? Weeks no older then 14. They were 7lbs dressed. Great stock! Rich and tasty meat if a little tougher then CX but definately still fryable.
The hens layed pretty well the first year. About every to every other day. Only have 1 maybe 2 though that came back into lay this spring out of 6. The rest are a bit too fat I think. Definately need to ration feed with the hens! Most of mine are in the 12lb range at 11 months old. And not because they are a large frame bird, they dont have much of an Off switch when it comes to feed.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Threads a bit old at this point. I DID go with New hampshires from freedom ranger. A really nice meat bird. I butchered the roosters at 12? Weeks no older then 14. They were 7lbs dressed. Great stock! Rich and tasty meat if a little tougher then CX but definately still fryable.
The hens layed pretty well the first year. About every to every other day. Only have 1 maybe 2 though that came back into lay this spring out of 6. The rest are a bit too fat I think. Definately need to ration feed with the hens! Most of mine are in the 12lb range at 11 months old. And not because they are a large frame bird, they dont have much of an Off switch when it comes to feed.

Just finding this thread now. How did the hens lay? I was curious how many eggs they'd lay being heavy.
I have freedom rangers that I raised on restricted feed to experiment with breeding them. I should have gone with the NH from the start. The rangers hens are laying though so I'd think the NH would be a bit better probably.

 

[SheaLoner]

They layed far more seasonally then my reg layers. 4-5? A week during summer. Then it trickled next to nothing for the winter. I dont use supplemental light, and they needed to be rationed. They did Not molt the 1st year, just now molting in their 2nd winter.
I am unlucky enough to one again have to order a batch to get a rooster that functions. 1st one was people aggressive and poorly shapped. My fault, it was raining when I butchered his brothers and managed to miss the paint marking on my preferred breeder.
2nd batch from this spring went mutch better, kept back a few as spares, got a prime specimen, and then a Raccoon decided to take the Roo and my new hen stock. Left me with only 2 yr old hens and the roo slated for thanksgiving. He's too big, limps and a pendulous crop so not even a possible breeder.
The 2 batches Ive had were not uniform. Probably would be with some selective breeding on my end buy I need to get to that point 1st.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

They layed far more seasonally then my reg layers. 4-5? A week during summer. Then it trickled next to nothing for the winter. I dont use supplemental light, and they needed to be rationed. They did Not molt the 1st year, just now molting in their 2nd winter.
I am unlucky enough to one again have to order a batch to get a rooster that functions. 1st one was people aggressive and poorly shapped. My fault, it was raining when I butchered his brothers and managed to miss the paint marking on my preferred breeder.
2nd batch from this spring went mutch better, kept back a few as spares, got a prime specimen, and then a Raccoon decided to take the Roo and my new hen stock. Left me with only 2 yr old hens and the roo slated for thanksgiving. He's too big, limps and a pendulous crop so not even a possible breeder.
The 2 batches Ive had were not uniform. Probably would be with some selective breeding on my end buy I need to get to that point 1st.

Thanks! Sorry to hear about your troubles.
From what I've read around the forums they definitely seem to be an uneven bunch. But with lots of work already done to get them meaty... They just need the selection and attention of a smaller breeder to whip em into shape!

 

[SheaLoner]

Correction. They layed everyday during peak season then 4-5 a week on either side and a one layed 2-3 a week all winter. Thats what I get for trying to answering at 6am.

 

[SheaLoner]

Thanks! Sorry to hear about your troubles.
From what I've read around the forums they definitely seem to be an uneven bunch. But with lots of work already done to get them meaty... They just need the selection and attention of a smaller breeder to whip em into shape!

Yes and if you go with them the hens need culling too. 1 went for agression with other birds, couple with pendulous crops. Couple with min lay ability and extra appetite.
Did have 1 go broody quite a few of them were sweet. A year or two selectively breeding and i think you could have a good suatainable line going.

Spelling before my tea kicks in. My old nemesis.