08/18/2025
Hey Friends!
This isn't your average egg colored or availability post, I want to share another aspect of chicken keeping with you all!
This year, I decided to do some meat birds! I love the idea of a self-sustaining flock, but I'm currently at my capacity with my colorful egg laying breeds.
(I understand some people hate the idea of butchering chickens, and that's ok! This post will talk about that process, if it bothers you in any way, respectfully, do not read on)
So I decided to go the route most people do, and I purchased some 'meat bird' chicks. However, I didn't do the Cornish Cross, I went with the Red Rangers!
I grew up on a farm, and our choice for meat birds was always Cornish cross, so I wanted to try something different. I can say that I wasn't disappointed, and I would probably do them again.
A couple differences I noticed personally:
~ Red Rangers take about 2 to 3 weeks longer to 'finish' off. (Possibly longer if you want them larger)
~Red Rangers seem hardier to me, I purchased 20 and we cleaned 20. With the Cornish, we would always lose some as chicks, even some closer to butcher date.
~Cornish grow extremely fast, the Reds did as well but not as fast. With that, I think it helped the Reds keep their mobility, and they ranged on grass most days.
~The Reds averaged about 5 lbs per bird at processing, at 13 weeks. My parent's Cornish we did this year, were processed at 10 weeks, averaging 6 to 8 lbs per birds. So better bang for your buck, would be the Cornish!
~Butcher time~ the fat consistency/texture was different with the Reds compared to the Cornish. I have yet to feed my family with the Reds, but I do wonder the difference in taste (Will keep you posted)
~with plucking~ the Rangers had more of an oily based feathering to them which made it a little more difficult for the hot water to pe*****te, but my dad knew (with his experience) to add a small amount of dawn dish soap to the hot water, and it made it just as simple as the Cornish.
~Cleaning~ when it comes to cleaning the birds, the Reds were very consistent, from organs to skin color. Cornish would typically have a few with something not right, discolored livers or enlarged hearts, discolored skin and so on, nothing that didn't make them consumable thou!
In summary, this was MY experience with Red Rangers and raising meat birds for my little family! Everyone is different, from feed choice to the living environment of the birds. So everyone has their own experiences. You are welcome to share yours below if you'd like!
The best part of the process was being with family as we cleaned the birds. Talking about what we were noticing, and reminiscing over the past 20+ years, we've been doing this process, Together. Their support for Feathered Acres, keeps it going. I wouldn't be where I am without them, and their willingness to always lend a helping hand. They are the best 🫶
Some pictures from our day below! I have a side by side of a 6 months old Roo that was aggressive and my friend asked me to clean. The difference in size is another reason why meat birds, are a great option!
As always, Thank for reading and supporting Feathered Acres 🥰🥰
