Poultry
Red Ranger
C tier
Red Ranger is a coloured commercial meat chicken selected for moderate growth, outdoor hardiness, and improved flavour relative to ultra-fast white broilers. Related to Ranger and Label-style genetics, it typically reaches market weight more slowly than Cornish Cross, with red plumage and a conformation suited to pasture pens and free-range yards. Cooks value Red Rangers as whole roasting and grilling birds with firmer bite and deeper taste. Dark meat is especially full-flavoured; breast remains usable when not overcooked. The variety serves small producers seeking a practical meat bird that still reads as “farm chicken” on the plate.
Also known as: Red Ranger, Ranger-type red broiler, Slow-growing red meat chicken
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Characteristics
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
French alternative broiler programmes developed red-feathered slow growers for free-range quality labels.
North American hatcheries offered Red Ranger and similar strains to pastured-poultry farmers.
Direct-market and CSA chicken sales increased use of Red Rangers as a Cornish Cross alternative.
Welfare and flavour messaging cemented Rangers as the default “slow broiler” for many small farms.
Continued breeding refined growth uniformity while keeping coloured plumage and outdoor activity.