Meat Chickens

  • beardly
    Hastings, Mn
    Posts: 473
    #2094047

    We’ve had domestic ducks and geese for the last few years. They’ve slowly disappeared/died and we are down the last one. We enjoy them during the warm months but are a HUGE pain come winter. So, I’ve been looking at doing meat chickens. One, we get food from them and two, they will be gone before winter. It seems like Cornish Cross chickens are lazy and can have health problem. Ranger chickens seem to be more active. To get some of the free range benefits (less bugs) I am thinking of going with the Rangers. Any one raise meat chicken and have advice? Any other breeds to consider?

    stout93
    Becker MN
    Posts: 973
    #2094058

    We raise 30-40 meat birds each summer. I think they are Cornish Cross, but you are right after about 4-5 weeks all they do is sit, eat and crap. They try to waddle around a bit, but at that point they’re just too heavy for their legs. Not sure if other breeds are more active. Ours takes 8 weeks and then off to the butcher. And let me tell you, you really don’t want to go any longer than 8 weeks if you can, they become a royal PIA and we get sick of dealing with them.

    The only other advice is to figure out when you want to butcher them and then back into the date you want to get them. First few years we were dealing with them in their last few weeks in the middle of July when it was steaming hot out. Lost a few to the heat. Finally said screw that and now we get them in mid April and they’re ready by mid June. That didn’t work so well last year since first part of June was 95 degrees every frickin day. Had to keep fans on them 24 hours. My gal probably spent 2-3 hours a day on them, feeding, watering, etc.

    They’re kind of a PIA all the way around to be honest. But the chicken is the best. We cook a whole chicken every other week. Doesn’t even closely compare to store bought chicken.

    beardly
    Hastings, Mn
    Posts: 473
    #2094939

    Thanks for the tips! From reading, it seems the Rangers arent as needy. Thinking we will go that route.

    slowpoke
    Perham Mn
    Posts: 238
    #2095021

    If you are going to free range them I would suggest getting more than you want to butcher. The coyotes and fox WILL quickly realize where the free meals are at and thin your flock. As for the birds the cornish or cornish cross are the best at converting a pound of food to a pound of flesh. To slow their growth so they don’t have the health problems remove their food and control the hours they can eat. The hatchery will tell you that when they are shipped to you. But if you are bent on the free range birds cornish is not the way to go.

    Reef W
    Posts: 2770
    #2095075

    Thanks for the tips! From reading, it seems the Rangers arent as needy. Thinking we will go that route.

    I don’t raise them but farm we get our stuff from has both. My wife doesn’t like Ranger chicken and says not to buy it anymore so we’re back to Cornish. I don’t have much preference but it’s definitely different than what most people are used to with regular Cornish Cross chickens. Make sure you like it before you get too many of them.

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