Raising Freedom Rangers for meat chickens. You won't be disappointed, here's why!

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  • čas přidán 30. 07. 2021
  • Just a short episode this week to mark the end of our Freedom Ranger's tenure here at North 44º. This was a nice group of birds. Vibrant, healthy, excellent foragers. They dressed out between 4.5-6.5 pounds at 12 weeks. This is a great alternative meatie for anyone who can't stomach the problems associated with raising Cornish Rock X.

Komentáře • 53

  • @fisherman7510
    @fisherman7510 Před 3 lety +7

    Awesome short filming, especially when the truck pulls away and the dog seems to be saying goodbye to the chickens he herded and protected around the property from the hawks, owls, and coyotes. He has an integral part and thoroughly enjoys his duties in raising chickens and turkeys as meat birds. So nice of you to reward him in the end with the leftovers from the preparers. Nothing goes to waste! Kudos!

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 3 lety +3

      Thank you, Fisher Man! How observant of you to notice such subtleties. Radar is doing very well for a young cattle dog. His new specialty is gently breaking up chicken and turkey fights!

  • @OnlyTheChronic
    @OnlyTheChronic Před 2 lety +8

    I love my Freedom Rangers! They are also excellent egg layers too! I bought the butchering kit on Amazon with the cone, knife, defeathering attachment for the drill but I just can't do it.. my friend handles it for me. I'm currently working with mine by X breeding them with Breese in one pen & Silkie in the other, just for my own experimentation and so far things are looking promising. Just a few weeks off we will see if the meat from these crosses turns out okay.

  • @Hoss999
    @Hoss999 Před 2 lety +3

    Wow that video was very refreshing! Thank you so much for showing us that!

  • @yvesberube6067
    @yvesberube6067 Před rokem +1

    Still catching up on all of your terrific videos. The content and comments are so true to life and capture our sense of humour. We will never understand why people don’t click ‘like and subscribe’, it’s so friggin easy, I mean, what’s the harm! Thank you for all your efforts, Brenda and Yves … Rose Bay, Nova Scotia. We have a little 3 acre homestead. 🇨🇦⚓

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před rokem +1

      Thanks so much for sticking around Brenda, & Yves! Wow, Nova Scotia.. we're almost neighbors!

  • @johnburke5087
    @johnburke5087 Před 2 lety +6

    Thank you for posting this. We are raising cornish cross now because wearein a rush for 2inter prepping. The genetics are just CRUEL. We find that a breed that can't live past 10 weeks to be against nature. There are not a lot of videos on the rangers except for the cost, so it's good to seesomeonepost about the geneticsand health. Again, thank you. You make our spring Tim choice easier

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +2

      Thanks so much John, they really should be a much better known option! Help spread the word to your fellow homesteaders.

    • @ThesmartestTem
      @ThesmartestTem Před rokem +2

      We are interested in meat chickens as soon as we have the space for them and I agree about the cornish cross. I find them unethical (my personal thoughts, others are free to disagree). Rangers are the current top pick for our future meat birds. We want our own sustainable breeding flock of rangers for meat, along with surplus roosters and aged out hens from our laying flock as a long term goal.

  • @kentuckyprepper1792
    @kentuckyprepper1792 Před 2 lety +5

    I raised broilers in my backyard suburbanstead last year. I'm looking for a sustainable chicken that I can use and Freedom Rangers are under consideration. Thanks for sharing. Subscribed!

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +3

      Thanks, Kentucky! If you're going to try sustaining them I'd suggest separating out your chosen breeders and putting them on a lower protein diet so they'll have an easier go at it come mating time. Good luck!

  • @farnorthpicker56
    @farnorthpicker56 Před rokem

    Our fur kids get chicken treats when we bring ours home too! We also freeze all the feet, they love them! 😊👍❤️

  • @AshGreen359
    @AshGreen359 Před 2 lety +4

    My father in law wants us to raise these. Highly sought after by Chinese people if raised a particular way

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +3

      Hi Ash, that's interesting! We love them. Once you raise them, you may never do another breed again.

  • @general5875
    @general5875 Před rokem +3

    I have raised Cornish cross for years with no problems but the freedom ranger spikes my interest

  • @samanthashaw4669
    @samanthashaw4669 Před 2 lety +4

    I find the freedom rangers taste better than the cornish cross. They are less rubbery of you let them go longer. I just wish we could breed them ourselves.

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +3

      I'm seriously contemplating trying. I've heard conflicting opinions about whether or not they breed true. Only one way to find out for sure...!

    • @Dave-if5qj
      @Dave-if5qj Před 9 měsíci

      I believe you seems like most commercial
      Chicken products today are tough and rubbery

    • @traceyallen5977
      @traceyallen5977 Před měsícem

      @North44farmstead did you try? I'm thinking about it...

  • @dulseyhamlett8450
    @dulseyhamlett8450 Před 2 lety +3

    What kind of tree with berries?

  • @843andyville.5
    @843andyville.5 Před 2 lety +3

    Doesn't look like the butcher shrink wrapped them very good... mine are completely shrink wrapped, no air at all!

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +3

      Yeah, out of 50 I'd say 10 are always more airy than we'd like. Will lodge the complaint when we see them again for next harvest in July!

  • @karenladwig3856
    @karenladwig3856 Před rokem +1

    Hi everyone!

  • @Dave-if5qj
    @Dave-if5qj Před 9 měsíci

    Before the Cornish rock
    Hybrids took over the broiler
    Industry the delawere and new Hampshire were the
    Favored breeds in the broiler industry
    On a side note pure bred heritage
    Cornish are awasome meat birds
    But unfortunate rather slow growing

  • @askavettech2057
    @askavettech2057 Před rokem

    such a grear video. I miss my mulberry tree!!!

  • @HaleysHomestead
    @HaleysHomestead Před rokem +3

    How much on average is charged to process per bird?

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před rokem +2

      It's gone up to $1/lb here. Ouch!

    • @HaleysHomestead
      @HaleysHomestead Před rokem +2

      Oh wow that’s a lot. We’re looking to raise about 25 and been going back and forth on if we should do it ourselves or not.

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před rokem +3

      @@HaleysHomestead Honestly, if you're not having to sell them at market like we are, I would just do it yourselves!

  • @Joedamusickidd
    @Joedamusickidd Před 2 lety +3

    Are the roosters aggressive

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +3

      Hi Matt. Out of the hundreds I've raised, I've only ever had one that was super aggressive. His name was Bones. What a beast!

  • @jenniferbunker2757
    @jenniferbunker2757 Před 3 měsíci +1

    What is the size difference in a ranger and a cornish cross? My family are big breast eaters

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 3 měsíci +1

      The breasts are bigger on the Cornish, but they're more flavorful on the rangers.. and could be bigger if you're willing to let them go an extra couple weeks!
      (giggity)

    • @jenniferbunker2757
      @jenniferbunker2757 Před 3 měsíci

      @@North44farmstead do you have a video of a carcass of both to show side by side ?
      What breed of chicken has big breasts like a cornish cross ? Would love to find something we could switch too

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 měsíci

      @jenniferbunker2757 sorry, I don't have a video, but the rangers are your next best option for great breast meat!

  • @Criatoriominas
    @Criatoriominas Před rokem +2

    Já me escrevi muito bom

  • @sarahheaton7358
    @sarahheaton7358 Před 2 lety +3

    on the farm culling is much kinder to the bird. transporting is stressful. Also, who decapitate birds as a means of culling? In-humane. kosher cull is preferred.

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před 2 lety +2

      Thanks Sarah. Of course we don't decapitate to cull. And I wish we could afford to build our own inspected facility so we could process our birds here and sell them at market. I agree transporting is stressful.

    • @jamjar5716
      @jamjar5716 Před rokem

      What is a kosher cull?

  • @maheshwaranparamasivan5177

    What tree is that with the berries?

  • @archiehendricks6093
    @archiehendricks6093 Před 2 lety +2

    The dog told them your time has come to an end, the humans need to lick their fingers

  • @archiehendricks6093
    @archiehendricks6093 Před 2 lety +2

    I do not pluck, I rip skin off, then you can have feathers

    • @North44farmstead
      @North44farmstead  Před rokem +1

      Hi Archie, do you use them for fly fishing??

    • @archiehendricks6093
      @archiehendricks6093 Před rokem +3

      I hang em along with pheasants feathers , went into a shop and seen how much they sell for.
      I have fly fished without a fly pole on fast.

  • @Jamworldtv
    @Jamworldtv Před 8 měsíci

    12-14 weeks?

  • @Dave-if5qj
    @Dave-if5qj Před 9 měsíci

    I would rather wait a few extra weeks to bring a chick
    To market size then
    To deal with the problems
    Of carnish rocks

  • @archiehendricks6093
    @archiehendricks6093 Před 2 lety +2

    The dog told them your time has come to an end, the humans need to lick their fingers