Out of the Brooder and into the Pasture!
Posted on | October 17, 2009 | No Comments
Today we moved fifty Cornish Crosses and one hundred Colored Rangers from the brooder to the pasture.
They have been in the comfy confines of the brooder for three weeks, since they were only a couple of days old. Now it’s time for them to grow up and grow out on the pasture where they will be enjoying sunshine, fresh air, and all the salad and insects they care to eat.
The Cornish crosses are the yellow/white birds and the Colored Rangers are…,well…the colored birds. The Cornish Crosses are the American standard for chicken. Plump and tender, bred to sit, eat and grow fast, about 7 – 8 weeks to processing size. They are great tasting birds and have been our bird of choice at Legacy Family Farm.
For our latest run of birds we have decided to try, along with the Cornish Crosses, the Colored Rangers. We have three different kinds of Rangers, the Le poulet Tricolor, Le poulet Redbro (red) and the Le poulet Jaune (yellow).
The breeding stock for the Rangers is imported from the regions of Burgundy and Brittany (France). The genetic stock is derived from the American and European old heritage breed of chicken and was developed in the early 1960’s to meet the highest standards of the French Label Rouge Free Range program. Currently, the Ranger genetic stock is used by most non-factory farm production models (alternative) all across Europe and also by small pastured poultry producers in search of a traditionally raised farm chicken – just like the “oldies”, healthy and with a succulent flavor and texture.
Since our Ranger Broilers are a slower growing breed, they are naturally better suited to the higher welfare and all true natural rearing systems(free ranging on fresh pasture).
Natural instinct and behavior is preserved in the selection and growing methods of the Ranger breeding stock. It goes without saying that these birds love foraging in pastures, free ranging outside, always looking for natural sunlight and fresh air, as well as ground scratching and dust bathing.
We are very excited to be able to offer them to our customers.
The Cornish Crosses should be available mid November and the Colored Rangers first to mid December.
Here’s my wife and one of my daughter’s moving a crate of broilers to their new home.
Placing the broiler chicks in the pen.
The chick’s new home for the next few weeks.
We will keep them in the pen for 24 hours so they will become accustom to it and consider it home. We will then let them out during the day to range and forage. They are kept safe from predators during the day by an electric chicken net placed around the two pens. This gives them approximately 8500 square feet ranging area. At night the birds will go back into the pen for shelter, safety and sleep.
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