FINAL WEIGH IN for the Cornish Cross!!! Freedom Ranger vs. Cornish Cross Chickens...Just the FACTS!!

[@sissydewoody8717]

K & S this is a perfect example of the balance of HEART & HEAD in homesteading. Never run out of words of appreciation for your spirit and your work. Thank you X infinity & may God continue to bless your dear family.

[@miller17013]

Difference between your healthy raised with care Cornish compared to the ones raised in the chicken houses by the big name companies is day and night. Everything you hear about the Cornish cross chickens is true if raised in the big houses where they are sitting in the same filth everyday and food and water is available within reaching distance so they don't have to move. You raised some good looking birds.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thank you!

[@papax4815]

Living Traditions Homestead absolutely loves yalls channel. One question how much money in feed does it take to raise 25 Cornish X birds? And can you put them all in the freezer at one time? God bless you and your family!

[@vickiburt2676]

Really, your birds look very healthy & plump in comparison to the ones I have seen grown in the cheapest way. The ones I saw, unlike yours, for sure were baldy & had a lot of fat. I use the fat to make chicken fat in a jar for good cooking choice & the feet for soup, which is really good y'all!! But you can see that the CC's feet holding them up are splayed out by this point but it's just a matter of a few days & they don't appear distressed or hobbling about. It's really amazing how plump they appear but you showed us in the greenhouse that there was virtually no fat!! That amazed me!

[@joleenknode8482]

Vicki Burt )

[@barbarasteed3966]

Country Living you have took words out of my mouth I have seen everything Kevin talked about..and i am not a chicken expert

[@hootowlholler3760]

My friend was trying to decide if she needed more than 1 Turkey for Thanksgiving. I told her to do the "Nerdy Chicken Math" LOL.

[@indridcold4469]

Good job guys science + homestead = awesome

[@medawson01]

I'm not a homesteader, but I love your videos. My grandmother used to raise chickens, and when it was time to butcher one, she would catch it by the leg with a device that looked like a coat hanger with a hook on the end. It had a wooden handle. She would wring its neck by hand. The chicken would flop around the yard even though it was dead. When it stopped moving, she would scald it in a big pot of boiling water and pluck it by hand. Your plucking machine and your process is genius. My grandmother would be impressed!

[@AliciasInTheKitchen]

Thank you for addressing the rest time on meat. I was trying to explain to my father in law that my family would always let a deer hang for at least 3 days (longer if it was cold out) and he argued with me that you have to do it immediately, but couldn't understand why when I process a deer it is more tender and tastes better than his.

[@sarahmannluker7528]

The Cornish couldn't make fat at this point. Their bodies grow so quickly they utilize all the food eaten to keep up with their enormous growth to make muscle. For those who process older birds, maybe as they stop growing their bodies put on fat at the end. The Rangers are eating quite a bit and not growing as quickly, so their bodies are able to store fat along with muscle.

[@sfnny5135]

Thank You for the happy feelings you always bring.

[@jerryj3854]

I've really enjoyed watching this informative series. I've not raised chickens (yet), but would agree with the commenters who have stated that the 'problems' arise with factory raised chickens.

[@kathleenmatela6430]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. From canning to gardening and now chickens you have been so helpful!

[@scottsutton7989]

You guys are awesome!!! God bless your beautiful family, great series !!!! Very valuable information

[@darhager4664]

Good morning,another video bringing back memories. We raised a chicken in my youth my papa called Whiterock Cornish cross. It was the women who dressed out the birds,mama readied,grandma plucked and I finished dressing them out,and yes it was a all day adventure as us three did a hundred at a time. The time we spent together though busy, was quality and precious,we always found laughter through the day. Have you ever eaten the feet? Mama made noodlels with them,my brother Jamies favorite meal. Some call this way of living simple,the work was never ending, Mamas saying "busy hands happy life" and in my memories it was.

[@patmaier6917]

Dar Hager we did twenty twenty five a day for three days. Had nothing as nice as you all have. It was a job for my mother and I.. I probably wasn’t as much help as I should of been. Was hot work.

[@darhager4664]

@@patmaier6917 The first time O sat down to do the job of dressing out I was twelve, its funny I cant even think of my childrwn doing it or my grandchildren,I guess it was a different time back then. Work was never ending gardening,foreging,cutting wood,baking bread,canning. I miss it,there is nothing that can compare to the feeling of a job well done,tired body,and good sleep.

[@patmaier6917]

Chuck, we all worked for food and it was family working together.

[@patchurch1677]

@chuck wood m

[@wendysmith4096]

@@darhager4664 I loved chicken feet as a teen, however I use to eat them because they were the cheapest meat aside from the wings that I could buy and have to myself. At that time I lived in Costa Rica. Upon coming back to the states I found it difficult to find chicken feet 😞. This will be my first year having chickens. We bought hatching eggs. 12 for the broody hen and 12 for our incubator, only three hatched from each haha so I will have myself 12 nice chicken feet in a 4 to 5 weeks. 😀

[@Awesomewally]

Morning Guys💞 watching the wind blow at the beginning of the video is just what my heart needed, must have rewound it 5-6 times. As always thanks for sharing your knowledge.🙋

[@bluedragon0262]

Rain, windy and 55 here in Vancouver Washington. Great video, thanks so much for this information.

[@mtoy100]

You guys are going above and beyond. What a throe comparison. I look forward to seeing all of this.

[@edmondsonoffgridhomestead8932]

I don’t think I have ever paid this much attention to a series AND I took notes. This is an awesomeness series. Very valuable information.

[@carlabarnes6255]

Your videos are so well thought out. I learn something everyday. God Bless you for sharing your knowledge. 🥰

[@amandaforeman703]

That was some great team work! You two are truly a team! Wonderful video! I have enjoyed this series :)

[@cathysteenson9591]

You really are doing all of us a service with this comparison. Thanks for all the chicken math!

[@kimberlywalders6063]

I think you guys take great care of all your animals. Nice to see that. Blessings

[@greggiono8789]

You are a great team and great farmers.If I was a meat chicken I would want to live at your farm.

[@loboalamo]

Wow! Great job and really good work. I'm looking forward to the the next one.

[@fionajane56]

Those are the most beautiful Cornish cross I have ever seen. Clean, well feathered and moving around really well. Wonderful work.

[@chelinfusco6403]

I've seen other videos on chicken processing, but this one is wonderful. Very clean, although I can imagine messy as you guys said in the video. It also shows "respect" or appreciation for the animal. I saw a video of a popular KZbin homesteader processing birds and he focused on the bloody mess in an spectacular manner, which was disgusting, brutal, and unappreciative for what God has provided. It was not educational like you guys. We chuckled when you guys struggle bagging one of the birds, Big Birds! So impressed with everything you have done so far. We are getting confident to do this next year. Looking forward to the next video. PS... I watched Roots & Refuse video of their visit with you guys and we got to see what she meant by "food everywhere" expression. LOL. It is a great feeling. I wonder if you got the chance to show then your meat freezer. LOL. Love you guys.

[@TheNealsHomestead]

I've followed along on your chicken growing information and have found it very educational. Thanks for going to all the work of record keeping and sharing with your viewers. - Janette

[@miller17013]

Also thanks for turning me on to the shrink bags they are awesome and made that entire process so much easier.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Thank you, Janette!

[@chuckmayes234]

Great video !!!! Very educational

[@50shadesofgreen]

good day to you Kevin and Sarah !! thanks for sharing another awesome update and adventures on & off the homestead 👨‍🌾🎥👍✝

[@robertruvalcaba9886]

Great series extremely well done I appreciate the informaion that you are providing to homestead communitiy

[@BulletproofPastor]

Another great video! You are looking at every variable and I'm looking forward to your conclusions.

[@leslieMClass80]

Good morning you two! Thank you for this video! Have a great weekend!

[@brendachapman9431]

Cool, Thanks For The Info On Everything And Especially On Letting The Meat Rest! Love

[@richardchamberlain7053]

Thanks for your time on this project. I decided to grow few Cornish cross, I'm about 3 weeks behind. Its been an interesting experience. Tip raise your birds in the spring and summer. The frost came early for me so I hade to keep them in the garage, wow the smell could knock you over. I could also hear them peeping through the wall beings my room is next to the garage.

[@sewerratt47]

What a pleasure to watch you guys

[@njfinch439]

As usual, love the photobombing ducks in the beginning. We watch for them every video. Great work guys, what a feeling of accomplishment that must be.

[@ayronsmama05]

Wow I am almost glad that you didn't show everything, not that I haven't seen it before, lol. But it has been 40 yrs since participating in processing. We used of course a big iron kettle over fire and a CHICKEN PLUCKER, WOW that was us kids! I honestly never knew of such a vessel till now. Love it, brings back some wonderful memories. God Bless you all!!

[@mecraig6291]

Appreciate all the useful info and time y'all put into these videos for us.

[@shwetamujumdar699]

Its a joy to watch you guys do your farm work...

[@eileenpalumbo6578]

God bless you also and thanks for another informative video. You folks put a lot of time and energy into useful, honest content. Thank you.

[@mountainsidefarm8357]

Ok that chicken rack 😳 that’s a life changer! I need to make one of those!!

[@pieceofpeacehomestead529]

Looking forward to the pig processing video. Excited to learn your process. Thanks! :-)

[@sonialegault8673]

I am a retired women who lives in a condo, the most I can do is plant flowers but I really enjoy sitting down daily and watching your videos and being part of your lives.

[@gkevineady49]

That side-by-side of the two birds was convincing.

[@looperfamilyhomestead3586]

Me and my husband are really enjoying this series as this is our first year growing meat chickens. Very informative

[@bjski4557]

I made one of the previous comments on the dirtiness of the Cornish Cross chickens. I didn’t say the entire chicken was dirty. Their breasts were very dirty. My chickens were free range so they weren’t lying around in the dirt. They were fully mobile until the end. I think one of the differences between the Cornish cross and other chickens is that because they are so heavy, they don’t roost off of the ground. They sleep on the floor of the chicken coop. I have very low roosts for them, but they don’t use them. My chickens look must like yours from the top. From the bottom, it is another story. As I said before, using an automatic plucker, probably helps you not to notice the dirtiness while butchering. Butchering is the time when the dirtiness bothers me. Thanks for all your work with this project. I enjoy watching it.

[@chrisgreen1331]

Was just wondering when your upload would be today, and boom, its arrived. Thanks guys.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

We try hard to have them come out at 5am Central time.

[@tr5598]

Looks cosy in front of the fire. I don't even raise chickens and prob never will .. but this series has been sooo interesting, and really clearly explained🤓🐓

[@melodycapehartmedina2264]

When fat is bred out to make more meat the taste and flavor will be lacking. Looking forward to the taste test. You two have done an outstanding job on this series!!

[@jenendahunter8207]

Wow, from beginning this series to almost done you guys have done a amazing job for all of us!!! TASTE TEST, TASTE TEST AND TASTE TEST Giggle! Jenenda

[@candiwallace6605]

Thanks for sharing the information I will definitely use this when choosing my birds🤗🤗

[@salmonhunter7414]

Moving the tractor everyday keeps them nice and clean. Also if you clean their stall everyday they would be cleaner also. Thanks for sharing Stay safe and Warm.

[@grace8688]

I think I comment this on every video, and if I haven’t - I should have. This is my favorite channel. I am consistently inspired to live my life in this way. I’m just about to graduate college, and I’m just itching to do this! I’m beyond inspired and empowered and excited! THANK YOU!!!!

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words. This is a very fulfilling way to live life for sure!

[@kendaum102]

I’m going to miss our weekly updates. But can hardly wait for the end results. You both are so wonderful for sharing your life with us.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

We will still be here 5 days a week! 😊

[@brotherwadeh7206]

work in this series. Anyone that wants to raise meat birds can use this experiment as a guide. Thank you so much for the series.

[@BluegrassHomestead]

This is a great series! Thank you for your extra work and debunking a few myths too! Absolutely love how you showed that these Cornish aren't overly lazy or defeathered. People need to realize it's all in how you raise them. If they are in a mega chicken farm where they are caged and stuffed with food, yes they are gross and can't walk and get ridiculous. This is the natural and healthy way to grow your birds, moving them around and letting them have fresh forage keeps them active. I think this is why there wasn't any excessive fat on the Cornish! Overly fatty birds, like at the grocery, have been cage raised and just stuffed with food. You guys are awesome as always! I hope a lot of people are motivated to grow their own food because you've shown so well how to grow, process and handle home grown food. Thank you!

[@conniecrites5148]

I have truly enjoyed these comparison videos but then I love all your videos. Keep em coming, there's so much to learn.

[@lindalefort782]

Thank you so much for your sharing. My son just tried growing Cornish and realized there is so much to learn

[@pamelaremme38]

That is true about hardly any feathers on the cornish cross if the birds are under stress. I have seen some deplorable conditions on homesteads and their birds show it by the lack of feathers. Great job guys!

[@dileklemons2888]

Thank you , thank you so much for this video you want believe how much this helps. I can't wait for the pig 🐖 videos . Have a blessed and wonderful day you too.😀

[@jeanneamato8278]

I’m a vegan for health reasons mostly but I appreciate the care and thought that you give to breeding, feeding and butchering.

[@swianecki]

Very informative video even for us non-chicken raisers. Enjoyed the series.

[@Beecozz7]

Really great presentation!!! Y'all do it right! TY

[@phyllisschapiro7894]

Also . . . Congratulations on having your parents/inlaws decide to live with you. How great for you and the girls. Their time with their grandparents will be priceless!

[@joedecook]

One experiment you may want to try, is to boil a Freedom Ranger carcass and and Cornish carcass for broth. Do them is separate pots. Let them cool over night and skim the floating fat. It may give you a good comparison of the fat content that you can't see when it's still in the meat/bones, etc.

[@HeyWatchMeGo]

Good idea, that would be a great experiment. If this channel has done a video on that, I would appreciate it if someone could let me know. T.I.A.

[@melhawk6284]

Visons of chicken pie are dancing in my head after that comment, 😆!

[@sammiewatson6957]

Hubby watched with me this morning, loved how detailed you are, and really breaking down the math, I am learning so much , Thank You =D

[@robyrcmp]

The whole plus to the Freedom Ranger from what I know is that they are a better free foraging bird and so when let loose they tend to be a better forager than the Cornish cross and so save on feed costs. When they are confined the gains from saved feed costs are not seen.

[@diyfferent]

Thank you for bringing this up. This experiment has been flawed from the beginning imo because they didn't seem to understand the design and purpose of the breed, and instead raised them as and compared them to something they are not. When you try a new bird, you may have to try a new system. Plus freedom rangers are a moderate growth bird while the cornish x is a high growth rate bird, so doing a side by side comparison of weights doesn't make sense to me. Each bird is bred for different needs and purposes.

[@diannaclarke2758]

I guess there's another comparison series. Growing freedom rangers in a tractor v letting them out to forage.

[@legaleagle308]

It’s awesome to see the differences in the two breeds. I’m with both of you that it takes less time to raise the Cornish cross, and the size and weight sure shows that. Thank you both for doing this comparison, and I look forward to the last two videos in this series!

[@rogerholloway8498]

Super, super show! Thanks!

[@amandapittar9398]

That was fascinating. I have watched this from the beginning. I had 12 chickens for eggs - of various types. I got 9-10 eggs a day. I fed them kitchen scraps, leftovers, oats, garden leftovers and chook feed. I got lovely eggs. Every three days or so, I would let them out of their garden into my veggie garden for an hour. They ate all the bugs, and then I gathered them up and they went to bed. Unfortunately I could never eat the girls, they all had names. They more than paid their way in eggs and bug killing in my organic garden plus the chicken poop. Please keep up the videos 😍

[@marciaolson5708]

I learn so much with your videos, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! God bless you both!

[@sissydewoody8717]

For possible future comparison [1] might moving the tractor more than once a day make a difference in the feed per pound. [2] is it practical/economical to seed clover or legumes in the pasture for the trailers to up the protein level over plain grass. [3] also practical/economical to feed wet mash or sprouted grains, which I've read cuts food consumption. [4] at some point will the quail be put on trailer type situation? You guys provide service as well as inspiration to so many hoping for a self-sustaining life. I call that good stewardship of the gifts God has given you!

[@wilmagregory8967]

Well the amount of meat and fat is a eye opener. I wouldn't have thought it was going to be so obvious but you proved it today. Thanks for the video, much love and peace. Blessings

[@gregneff8108]

I'm sold on the Cornish Cross, y'all are great thank you

[@dawnwoodcock5256]

Thank you for these videos!!! Love the detail you guys do to give a real picture of the process.

[@snapstring3134]

Really lov’n this detailed chicken study

[@sammiejo9047]

Great job! you two, thank you.

[@AngiesPantry58]

Awesome informational video.. Thank you for taking the time out to teach us this.. Big hugs you two are awesome.. Love the fire.. Stay warm.. :")

[@ryanleayman801]

Thoroughly impressed. Much learned

[@backtobasicstipswithtomrib19]

Great series We have 40 Cornish X remaining to process here. Thanks for the " Nerdy Math" very interesting

[@melindapyle6422]

We’re raising our first batch of 30 Cornish cross and are in week 5, so this was a perfect video to watch. Thank you so much. I’ll look forward to the next video and I’m ordering our chicken plucker this weekend.

[@keithcarter4086]

Amazing, what great looking chickens!!

[@danielleniser5575]

I love watching your videos! My husband and i are working towards being homesteaders and watching your videos are helping us to prepare. You both have taught me so much already and just help us to stay positive while we work towards our goal. Thank you for everything! You truely dont understand how much your videos mean to me. -Danielle 💚

[@celinebridges7817]

Hey Sarah and Kevin 😊 Fantastic video thank you so much..we learned a lot . We hand pick our chickens feathers .. your way super fast and they come out cleaner .. Cornish Cross chicken wins for us . Look like a lot of meat .. my hubby going to build that chicken holder .. wow just to eat fresh chicken meat is awesome.. thanks guys for this video.. great job 🤗 Blessing 👩‍🌾

[@lindabarre483]

Thank you for all of your hard work/efforts. 🌝

[@steb8335]

Those perceived issues would be down to bad husbandry not the breed of chicken. Your chickens don't have the issues as you have looked after them. ;)

[@WowWow-ow6fw]

Was thinking the exact same thing!

[@walkbyfaithfamily9177]

This has been really interesting to watch! Thank you for doing the research.

[@lorim.8136]

You have lots of good tried and true information to share 😃 it’s great for the new or soon to be homesteader 👍🏼😃

[@tammysarrazin7078]

love watching the feathers fly lol

[@kevinstrieter4915]

I really liked this analysis. Cornish Cross is on my list for my homestead come spring. Soooo excited!

[@darknappster7822]

Just checking but I don't remember seeing the video about the taste test and average feed costs around the country. I rarely miss one but maybe it slipped by. Love your videos. This is one of the best and most practical series in the You tube world

[@sonyamary1]

Hi Sarah & Kevin! Another great video thanks for sharing. I think the Cornish cross maybe the bird for my family just because they're ready to process sooner. Also just a suggestion or idea to reduce the waste of animal I've done this one I keep livers, hearts,etc to cook and give to the dogs or cats. And another homesteading blog I read regularly (for about 1 year) said to peel the chicken feet and make broth with them. One of the reasons I love homesteading more than other lifestyles is many believe in ethical animal raising (raising our food as nature & God intended). Lol hot topic for me I guess. Again thanks for sharing although I'm new to your community here I love coming back everyday to see the new🙂

[@c.j.rogers2422]

There's no need to cook those organs; God designed cats & dogs to eat raw meat and that's still the healthiest option.

[@rosiec1974]

Am I going to go the hell in a hand basket for laughing at the chicken legs flailing out the Plucker?? Tha was funny!!!

[@ladydriver0_0]

Tahneesmum , ha ha, I laughed too, so I guess we're going together!

[@rosiec1974]

@@ladydriver0_0 yayyy company

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

I thought it was funny too, that's why I kept it in the video. 😂 I almost burst out laughing while i was recording it. IT'S HAZARDOUS running the plucker machine! Haha! So worth it when that bird comes out clean!

[@stonehillridge2619]

Wanted to get in on the nerdy chicken math. :) A number that would interest me is the feed conversion of carcass weight which translates in cost for usable meat. For the Cornish X looks like 3.14 (18.1/5.77).

[@bethjones8447]

Looks like the Freedom Rangers from today will be great for chicken and dumplings! Thank you both for all of the great videos!

[@brotherwadeh7206]

Great jobs guys. I already knew the cornish x would come out on top from the early numbers and also the fact that I know about cornish x breeds. You did outstanding

[@barbaraguthrie5107]

Nerdy chicken math is invaluable!

[@arthurdetweiler2876]

My opinion is that the 3 main contributing factors in adding flavor to chicken is (1) Age, (2) Feed, and (3) Breed in that order. I am curious about the results of a taste test with a 10 week old Freedom Ranger and an eight week old Cornish.

[@VannaWhiteboard]

Looks like the Cornish Cross are good meat birds, and the Freedom Rangers are good for soup, stew, stock, and bone broth (and fat for lard)..

[@DarrenShinn]

Hey guys, just wanted to say what a great series on the birds. I really appreciate all the info and tips. Cant wait for future episodes. Thanks and God bless!

[@plurmingo1]

It’s great to see how to process chickens, the nerdy chicken helps explain to me husband how much it would cost. You have inspired people to do chicken math. 👇🏻 Danny and Wanda’s video ( I need to watch). Thanks for sharing.

[@brandyfillie8995]

Thank you for this experiment. I have been talking to the Mister about these 2 specific breeds. Now I can tell him to watch this series. I know where my decision is. So thank you for your videos!!!