The Final Comparisons! Freedom Ranger vs. Cornish Cross Meat Chickens...Just the FACTS!!

This is week 10.5 for the Freedom Ranger Chickens on our homestead. This week we process them and do our final comparisons of our experiment to determine the best breed of meat chicken for our family farm.
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[@Miss449686]

I know that doing this comparison has added to your work -- thank you for taking the extra time. It has been very interesting.

[@davidthomas5482]

based on your average carcass weight, that's an extra 38.75 lbs of meat in the freezer based on 25 birds. Seems like the Cornish Cross are the most economical bird to raise.

[@kathybluxome5514]

WOW! That's a lot of lbs difference! I wish they would have let three of the Cornish Cross go another 2 1/2 weeks to see how much heavier and the fat layer developed Next to the Freedom Rangers! That would have been interesting!

[@jackfanning7952]

@@kathybluxome5514 If they had let the Cornish Cross go another 2 1/2 weeks thaye would not have been able to walk at all. They are bred for large breast meat and their little legs would not have been able to carry them.

[@dianehall5345]

You are so correct Jack! I got busy and did not dress my Cornish in a timely manner. Their legs started breaking :-O. I had to stop everything and dress out those wounded birds. I would raise Cornish again, but would be more careful about when to process....

[@kmundwiller3936]

Buying the chicks, Cornish are cheaper too. Didn't seem like they added that cost in here...

[@gingerreid8569]

@@kmundwiller3936 , we paid 1.98 per chick at Tractor Supply...based on how many you buy, from hatcheries, it can be cheaper...so far I am very happy with what we bought and the cost and work to feed them.

[@lisabooker6405]

This was THE BEST comparison series I’ve seen to date!!! Excellent job and thank you for going to all the trouble. Yup...that Freedom Ranger better have golden nuggets to convince me it’s a better bird!! Hahahahaha Thanks again! God Bless you and Happy Thanksgiving 🍽🍁🦃 to EVERYONE! ~Lisa

[@HaywireHomestead]

I love that you did this experiment! I was considering doing the Freedom Rangers next year. I think I will stick with the Cornish crosses.

[@ultimatehomestead1466]

The rangers are a healthier choice while the Cornish Rocks are diseased ....

[@uddercharmsfarm8159]

I think I’ve already decided for me! But the taste test will be interesting!!! Our Cornish taste so much better than store bought already!!

[@rkorsberg]

That's all you need to know!

[@NS-pf2zc]

That was a very fair comparison! I wonder if anyone has ever done a nutritional analysis between the birds. Because of the extra fat on the FR I wonder if they are higher in fat soluble vitamins. Personally, we've opted for rabbits due to ease of processing and we like them better, Haha. Have you ever done this type of thing between rabbit and chicken? That would be interesting to see the feed to meat ratio.

[@michaelripperger5674]

Natasha S. Would love that

[@giverny28]

Was thinking the same thing.

[@BLHomestead]

Or even a rabbit breed comparison. That would be interesting. I wouldn't be able to do rabbits because the wife is allergic to them. I wouldn't mind having a few for an occasional switch up for me though.

[@mio.giardino]

Natasha S. Well that’s something they can aim for next season. Great suggestion as I like rabbit meat as well as chicken 👍🏻

[@NiaLin]

I would never have thought that I woulda been so engrossed in a chicken trial 😁. It’s been fascinating info whether one raises meat birds or not. I was wondering if free range could produce a slightly slimmer chicken? Do they work off a bit more of their caloric intake wandering around versus the tractor method you use? Looking forward to the final results w/the taste test. It’s been a very informative, interesting ride! Thanks so much for taking us on it!

[@tulipsmoran5197]

Free range chickens consume more grasses which are much lower in protein 6%-9%. commercial feed mixes are much higher protein from 24% - 15%. Protein is what develops structure and flesh. In my experience free range meat birds are like marathon runners...lean and a little tougher.

[@pmessinger]

The best kind of trial; the judges get to eat the evidence. You should host the annual chicken trials and sentencing; ending with a lots and lots of barbecued chicken (an' fixin's)!

[@NiaLin]

Tulips Moran That’s exactly what I was wondering was the possible outcome w/my VERY rudimentary chicken knowledge. It does make sense. Thanks!

[@kmundwiller3936]

I'm pretty certain they did tractors for ALL the birds. Did I miss that part? We're they letting them free range? Cause here in MO, free range range can mean free meals for the wild animals. Lol

[@LisaHall-uc8sq]

Praying that you and your family will have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

This was a fantastic learning experience so I can raise and butcher my own chickens hopefully one day soon. We are slowly transitioning to homesteading & have been growing our own food for a while, but never meat. This series gives me the confidence I need to start small, so thank you so much! I love watching you and your new friends over at roots & refuge😊 keep up the amazing videos! I love the country! My goal is to homestead ourselves while investing and donating most of what we grow to homeless shelters in need. Unfortunately there are way to many hungry people around here where I live. I'm just hoping to have the right tools and finances to be able to help them someday soon! Thanks for sharing!

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

@Zara Ibrahim Thank you so much!

[@lfrias78]

That’s a really good real world comparison I think. Thanks for that. Thanks for what I took as a very impartial experiment. You did a good job of showing both sides of the fence.

[@tammylowe4047]

You two are brilliant. Very very interesting.

[@pennymclain2532]

Good morning. Thank you so much for the work you had done to encourage and spare the rest of us from any unwanted agony in pursuing our own adventures of raising different breeds of birds and between hens and roosters. I am thinking of raising my own meat on a minimal budget next year and this helped so much for me. Once again, thank you for ur time and efforts in bringing this important info to us. 😎👍❤💯

[@melodycapehartmedina2264]

This was such a pleasure to watch!! Just a note to share now that the feed numbers are revealed. I have the Rangers as part of my flock and like having fresh baked chicken for meals and don’t mind processing a couple by themselves. But I have learned they are eating machines and not in a good way. I have pigs, cows, rabbits and ducks and I have to really be creative with feeding them all or the Rangers will consume their food quite rapidly. They will free range very well but only when there is no feed available. Last Spring I went back to the Brahma’s which is what my grandma had when I was young to compare them with the Ranger. I will leave a comment on that after you have done your taste test 😊 No spoilers here. lol I am so not a math geek (my accountant would LOVE you) so I completely enjoyed your labor of love to share this information with all of us!! It has answered a lot of questions for me. Thank you so much!!

[@bruceswabb7145]

Melody did you compare with the brahmas?

[@jeannemckay2206]

I'm curious about your result with the Brahmas

[@leslieMClass80]

Very excited for the taste test! Have a good weekend!

[@ecw13pi]

Great series! Thank you for all your hard work and the info you provided to us. Thank you!

[@missmartpants2269]

Can't wait for the taste test! This was such a great series of videos. God bless!

[@kathybluxome5514]

Thank you so much for this series! I know I'll choose the CC when I raise my chickens next spring!

[@nancysadewater964]

This has been a great series comparing the two breeds - thank you for doing it. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[@BluegrassHomestead]

This has been a great series. I agree with you all, you could have free ranged or had other supplemental food sources, but for someone who really wants the most accurate numbers of feed, this was the best test. I think it's worth it to get the Cornish, then incubate the eggs and not have to buy chicks, or course, that's all about scheduling too. You know what I mean, planning your chicks and hatching them out at the best time of year. Anywho, great series, really showed me what to consider for the future, having had freedom rangers but no Cornish, I'll have to try the Cornish! God bless you! Have a great week!

[@timgiles9413]

I would love to see you guys do the exact same comparisons with Cornish Cross Males vs Females, in two separate chicken tractors. :) Then whoever wins, males or females, split two batches using dry food vs 3 day wet food. Now that would be awesome :) Great video :)

[@marybethham4967]

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving. I really enjoy watching you all.

[@wendybarbeau5375]

Thank you for providing this series. I look forward to the final video!

[@Thisisit120]

Wow you guys put in a lot of work doing this. Thank you so much.

[@jenniferrescott1149]

Love how you guys are so thorough with your experiments.. definitely very helpful

[@wendyall1]

Thank you for sticking with the experiment all the way to the end!! I enjoyed this immensely!

[@AngiesPantry58]

This is a awesome experiment that you two took the time to do.. Very informational.. Can not wait to see the final reviews.. Thank you for taking the time out of your weeks to do this.. :")

[@colemyst]

Thanks so much for so much detail in your calculations and information.

[@big4metalbabe]

Thank you both for doing this experiment.

[@piaspermacultureedu9460]

Awesome watching your comparisons - thank you for all you do. :)

[@heatherbrewer1586]

Love these videos. Very informative, super helpful and much appreciated.

[@tamahahomestead2153]

Wow. What a wonderful series.I appreciate so much all the great information.

[@carolcurley7840]

Great experiment and video. Thanks Kevin and Sarah.

[@luanngriffin8807]

You're comparison work is so beneficial for all of us following along! Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom! :D

[@ritamccartt-kordon283]

I really appreciate what you've done!

[@janmyers985]

This has been an awesome series! Thank you so much for showing us all the details of raising and processing the chickens.

[@kimberlycleveland1816]

Thank you Sarah and Kevin! Very helpful! God bless

[@AmandaIsAwesome]

I am amazed that you guys can put out such entertaining, useful, well edited videos this many times each week. Such great info here!! Love your channel!!! 💕

[@43pasadena]

Great comparison, you could kinda tell Kevin was leaning towards the CC from pretty early on. 😄 When I put the price of feed around here a few vids back it was $15.49. I bought feed last week and it was down to $10.00. So if a person knows they are going to raise birds, I would suggest buying quite a few bags when the prices lower in the fall. Could end up saving a good chunk of money. 👍🏻

[@fivetopsfarm8061]

I'm so grateful for you doing this comparison. Really opened my eyes to a lot of factors of both.

[@audreynanapreps2543]

Awesome job, lots of info, cant wait. God bless

[@stevemcdermott8263]

Thanks for doing this experiment, much appreciated.

[@wandamannsmith8469]

Wish I had your energy! Thanks for sharing this.

[@johnchase4408]

Excellent !

[@tammyhanson7843]

You could give me the facts about a bucket of rocks and I would watch. Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍽 P.S. Nerdy chicken math saying cracks me up every time 🦋💜

[@aliverseidge]

Thank you. Great job. Looking forward to the complete review.

[@brittneyshaleen]

Wowza! What a huge difference. Thanks for doing this experiment - VERY informative!

[@rennells]

I’m so grateful that you did this.

[@rennells]

I’m on the same page as you all with the freedom rangers

[@aromaofhope]

Fascinating! So glad you guys did this experiment. Very enlightening!

[@eileenpalumbo6578]

A very informative series. Thank you for all the work you put into this series. Very helpful.

[@TrinityRidge1959]

This was awesome..for now on I'm considering you all my living traditions almanac. What a fantastic thorough review. Who would have known?? Thank you God bless

[@RainbowValleyRanch]

Wow, this series was INCREDIBLY helpful. Definitely helped me decide which direction we will go on our farm!

[@Beecozz7]

Very thorough review of both birds, thanks for the great info!

[@rogerholloway8498]

Thanks for doing this great service for future poultry raising folks!

[@FreedomandBaconHomestead]

Great series and thank you for your efforts!

[@xljimmy89]

Wow great information! Thank you for taking the time to keep track of all that and to share! :)

[@GrubbGardenBonnie]

Wow this comparison has been so informative! Thank you so much!

[@gbC4mpos]

Great series! One of the most valuable qualities of your channel is how organized it is with your playlists. It's so easy to find what I want and helps peak interest in new areas. Great job, God be with your family

[@judyzilinsky4095]

Love your show. I have learned so much.I have a small veggie garden. Love watching your animals.

[@1wolfpup]

Really great job on this experiment. Y'all have provided a lot of valuable information for raising chickens for meat. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this comparison and filming it all. God bless your family.

[@kerrymyers7004]

I love what you are doing. Thanks for the good work and the entertaining way in which you are making the comparison.

[@heatherhancsak5463]

Thank you so much! I am getting ready to order and this series just made my decision. Blessings and keep teaching.

[@wordvendor1]

What a great video! Thanks!!!

[@gibsonschickasawhomestead5322]

What a fabulous experience! Thank you, thank you, thank you for this information. Valuable data.

[@joycebritt4014]

This has been a fantastic series! Looking forward to your final video on this! Of course I'm loving all the other videos you do too!

[@50shadesofgreen]

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

[@randyfontaine2627]

A really excellent comparison series. A lot of good content and information! Thank you

[@trytobetheballpeople]

Great job folks!

[@jerryj3854]

Your videos just keep getting more and more interesting. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[@point6acre]

Thank you for doing this time-consuming homework for us! Looking forward to hearing the taste-test. I enjoy your videos greatly!

[@swianecki]

Great series. Really enjoyed it. Can't wait for the taste test.

[@sonyamary1]

I loved this series thank-you for sharing!

[@TheNicoleary]

Thank you very much for this info!

[@vickycraine4232]

You did a great job with this comparison. Congratulations on being thorough and straightforward..

[@charlesmichael5654]

Y’all just keep getting better...👍

[@gainesarnold3561]

One of the best video series out there. Great job!

[@shonitagarcia3222]

Love nerdy chicken math! Thanks for sharing!

[@utubeaccess7]

Ty guys, great info

[@liznyp6209]

Great series and info, thank you!

[@brianclayton6305]

Thanks so much for doing this. When I first started raising Cornish I watched your 8 week series on Cornish (I still use The hatchery you recommended), this is another GREAT series. So we’ll done and useful for many people. Thanks again for doing this!

[@HeyWatchMeGo]

Excellent video. No wasted time, well presented facts and figures...no uhms/ahhhs/ or 'likes'. 5 star. Thank-you.

[@diananore5528]

Very helpful and educational. Your attention to detail is evident in all aspects of your homesteading endeavors.

[@wilmagregory8967]

Thanks, great work with the chickens and the comparison between the two. Have a great day and peace on your home, many hugs and much love, blessings.

[@looperfamilyhomestead3586]

Great series, me and my husband have enjoyed watching it and learned so much. This is our first experience with meat chicks and glad we got the Cornish cross.

[@donpastor7244]

When we raised Cornish Cross we normally kept the for at least 12 weeks and depending on the number I had to process we could keep them an additional couple weeks. At that time there was a lot of fat. It never bothered us since the chickens were the size of small turkeys, Soli Deo Gloria!

[@johnmccormick175]

Great video!...you folks are amazing.

[@droxlundquist8013]

This was Interesting and I loved the comparisons. Cornish Cross is the least expensive way to go, but I would still raise some Freedom Rangers because Diversity in our eco system is important. Remember the potato famine in Ireland. What if something like that happened to our chickens? Just a thought. Love the channel. You guys ROCK!

[@btagg2024]

This was so informative. Thanks for making this series and God bless!

[@sarahaugustine4185]

Fantastic job. I can hardly wait for the blind taste test. Enjoy your week folks.

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Thank you for spending the time to bring us this comparison on putting it in a video(s)! God Bless You All and have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

[@victorialg1270]

The final cost analysis is so helpful! Would you plan a year end review of hogs, rabbits, chickens, garden etc. We all have limited time and money. To know where to get the most bang for our buck would be a great video.

[@PlainJane48]

Thank you!

[@rmartinie]

What an amazing job you two did!! 😮 Incredible!!! 👍🏻 Thank you SO MUCH for this comparison experiment 📝 You two ROCK!! 💪🏻

[@mfahrney1]

Thanks for helping me make up my mind for my meat birds..you guys are awesome♡

[@jimh712]

Based on your test results so far... Organic birds are a lot more expensive than grocery store birds especially when they are on sale... Makes one wonder what they pay buying bulk feed.. And how much they are cutting quality in what they're feeding their birds.. And how much, not allowing their birds to move in the cages, helps in the feed conversion... Well we all know quality costs more...😊

[@tulipsmoran5197]

It's next to impossible to compare commercial poultry to homestead poultry...the commercial operations often involve 33,000 birds to a long house, but there's also the investment into buldings, supplies, vet, staff, etc. They try to cut costs but not with the feed. Instead they try to cut costs by shipping live birds for process to China and then same day flown back to US for grocery distribution. In my opinion, homestead costs to raise food is almost irrelevant because I have control over what goes into it to produce it.

[@makeitkate3240]

This was really helpful - we ended up ordering straight run as well.

[@planbhomestead8276]

This has been a great series, very good information!

[@brendamontanye9877]

I am totally into the nerdy chicken math. Sometimes it is a little hard to quantify certain experiences though... One year I had new layer birds (probably straight run, but eventually for eggs) in a chicken tractor next to cornish cross. Same age, same everything. One morning early I got there to discover they had been attacked by raccoons. The heritage breed were unscathed because they were roosting towards the middle of the tractors. The CC were missing heads, wings, etc because they weren't roosting and were near the edges. My take away is that though they provided some meat at that point (about 5 weeks), it was nearly a complete loss, so for my situation I have to up my game to take care of the CC. They don't appear to have some of the survival skills that my other birds posess. (I work on upping my game anyway, but sometimes the results seem weighted to favor survivor birds). To a lesser degree, most people I know accept that there will be more CC deaths at all ages and even though there is still more meat in the end it seems that it needs to continue to be accounted for in some way. I am hanging tough on my opinion about the texture/flavor profile issue, haha, as it seems quite clear that the CC are the winners in the cost to raise issue. This has been a thought provoking experiment and I'm glad that I have the winter to think about it.

[@bettyjoelauper]

Fantastic nerdy chicken math experiment. What a great series. You guys rock. Soo informative..

[@2001lextalionis]

thanks for sharing

[@annettecastellanosguillen9491]

Thank you so much for your information very informative