McMurry Red Rangers - When do they start crowing?

[DenverBird]

I've go a batch of the McMurry Red Ranger cockerels and live in a place where we can't have crowing roosters. They're 10 weeks today, we're planning to butcher in 2 more weeks. I'd expected they'd be just starting to crow at about 11-12 weeks like the FRs I've raised in the past. I think I heard a little starter warble crow today. Can anyone that has experience with these birds tell me:

About what age will they start to crow?

Once they start to get their little warbling crow going, about how long before we'll hear full on crowing?

Any info on these is greatly appreciated!

-DB

 

[LoveChickens123]

the roo will start crowing and 6mo. and when they grow out of the little crow its about 4mo. before the big crow is in

 

[DenverBird]

Thanks! Is that your experience with the Red Rangers or another "fast" growing breed?

 

[foamspoon]

Old thread but i have 15 females but my next batch with be males or straight run. I do not want 25 roosters crowing the last few weeks. Are there any other members that have experiences with the Red Rangers from McM??

Thanks

 

[BCMaraniac]

Old thread but i have 15 females but my next batch with be males or straight run. I do not want 25 roosters crowing the last few weeks. Are there any other members that have experiences with the Red Rangers from McM??

Thanks

I have Red Rangers from McMurray that hatched on May 10, they will be 12 weeks old on Friday. A week or so ago, I heard an occasional little kazooing. I have several cockerels, but it seems that only one is at all vocal, and it is only on occasion. The crowing isn't a problem for me, but we are beginning processing this weekend, since they are 12 weeks, which is the expected time needed. The one that is trying to crow is one of the biggest ones, so he will be among the first group. I would think that if you are processing within the next couple of weeks, you shouldn't have anything more than some ill attempts at crowing.

 

[DenverBird]

My experience last year with the Red Rangers and previously with the Freedom Rangers has been that by processing time there were usually a few starting some attempts at crowing, but nothing I'd consider a nuisance, even considering that roosters are against city code where I live. Right now my neighbor and I have 2 dozen FR hens in the brooder and plan to grow them out to about 4+ months to get really big before processing. Hopefully it'll be worth the extra feed and I'd love to have a bunch of 6 & 7 lb birds for freezer camp.

Good luck!

-DB

 

[foamspoon]

Thank you. I got females because that was all what was left by the time I ordered. If I ordered again why would I not order all roosters instead of females or straight runs? If hens are smaller why would you get them?

 

[DenverBird]

Thank you. I got females because that was all what was left by the time I ordered. If I ordered again why would I not order all roosters instead of females or straight runs? If hens are smaller why would you get them?

there's an ordinance against roosters crowing in my town. Since the hens don't crow, we'll be able to grow them out longer. Hopefully the size difference between the hens and roosters won't be too significant and we'll have big birds to butcher. I consider my time butchering to be worth a lot more than a few dollars worth of feed, so if I can get a significantly bigger carcass with the same effort butchering, that's worth the extra feed to me.