feed 12 on 12 off for Ranger chicks??

[hensonly]

HI,

This is my first foray into meat birds. I've read that most of you remove feed at night when chicks hit a certain age...is this only for cornish x, or do I need to do it for my Rangers, too? They just turned a week old...if I need to pick up the food at night, at what age would I do that? And would I continue all the way until slaughter?

Thanks!

 

[TimG]

I don't think you need to do this for Cornish Cross, let alone Rangers.

As long as you aren't providing any artificial light, the chickens will not feed during the night, will they? Seems to me like less work than moving feed around a couple times a day, and less worry about having forgotten to do it once.

 

[mike67909]

I never took the food away for my rangers when they were 1-3 weeks old. Now that they are in the tractor I just try to keep feed for them at all times. They scratch and eat the grass up also, unlike the cornish I raised.

 

[UncleHoot]

Meat chickens go crazy when you bring out the feed. If you let them run out, they will get crazier.

Nevertheless, this forum is generally divided on this issue. Lots of folks swear by the 12x12 concept with CX's. So, extending it to Rangers should not hurt. My chickens have feed 24x7.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Rangers, you do not need to do this, cornish cross, only some strains, and it depends on what you are feeding them.

 

[hensonly]

I've got them on chick starter, 20% protein, unmedicated. I was told that the 24% protein(game bird starter, grower/finsher) would make them grow too fast and create all kinds of physical problems.

I do at present have artificial light on at all times, as they are only a week old and the temps are WELL below what they need, especially at night (we can easily get frost right up to Memorial Day). they still sleep under the heat lamp, and use the outer perimeter of the brooder only during the day when it's warmer.

Would I switch them to a higher protein feed sooner than I did my laying hens? Or not? They are growing much faster than my laying hens did, just on chick starter...They are active, and though they do eat a lot, they run around in between "meals". They will be outside whenever they have feathers, either in a tractor (if we get it built!) or in the new coop we just built for the laying hens (the hens aren't in it yet), so they will be foraging at least some. does this change the type of feed they should have?

Eeeek, I feel like I know NOTHING!!! (Probably because I DO know nothing!)

Thanks for all your BYC help!