Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[aliciaplus3]

Had 5? plus external pips on the duck eggs this morning! I am ready for them to come out and play.... or at least I want to meet them, not overly interested in their water antics

 

[Bookworm0124]

Had 5? plus external pips on the duck eggs this morning! I am ready for them to come out and play.... or at least I want to meet them, not overly interested in their water antics

Yay! I'm collecting eggs for my first hatch. Another day or two and I should be able to fill the incubator

 

[RUNuts]

@jolenesdad and everyone else,

Being in no crow zone, I'm a little sensitive to drawing attention. When do the Red Rangers/Imperial Broilers/others of this ilk crow?

With harvesting being 14-16 weeks, I'm afraid I'm sticking with the 8 weeks to freezer types.

The NN cockerel is finding his voice at 12 weeks.

 

[jolenesdad]

@jolenesdad and everyone else,

Being in no crow zone, I'm a little sensitive to drawing attention. When do the Red Rangers/Imperial Broilers/others of this ilk crow?

With harvesting being 14-16 weeks, I'm afraid I'm sticking with the 8 weeks to freezer types.

The NN cockerel is finding his voice at 12 weeks.

I had a 9’week old crow once last week. It was faint and half hearted and weird and only happened once. It was a fluke and I think it got frightened or something.

the last batch I had one that started at 11 weeks regularly. Not loud at all and kind of gutteral and didn’t carry far. After a week it was crowing regularly and fairly loud.

most straight broiler type (imperials, etc) make incredibly candidates for harvest at first crow. There’s not much reason to take them past 11-12 weeks. I’m taking all of these at 10 weeks this Friday and they’re huge and will make wonderful table birds.

most heritage style or heritage cross birds run the risk of crowing. I don’t think they really fill out until right at the cusp of a majority of them crowing. None of those Delawares were crowing at 13 weeks, but they were close. I’d bet half of them would have started by 16 weeks.

I do think crowing has to do with maturity and genetics within a line. Most breeders of a line are able to tell you when the crowd start. The Delaware breeder told me hardly none at 16 weeks, soft at 20, full crowing around 22-23 weeks.

sorry about that NN, it’s probably not too filled out yet? At least it probably has some good legs.....

 

[aart]

I had a 9’week old crow once last week.

My last batch of chicks had a cockerel 'crowing' at just under 2 weeks.
Not often but regularly after that.
That cross was definitely precocious.
I slaughter at 16 weeks because still tender enough for the grill,
and not causing too much trouble(tho have gone as early as 13-14 weeks).

 

[jolenesdad]

My last batch of chicks had a cockerel 'crowing' at just under 2 weeks.
Not often but regularly after that.
That cross was definitely precocious.
I slaughter at 16 weeks because still tender enough for the grill,
and not causing too much trouble(tho have gone as early as 13-14 weeks).

Tender for grill after just 24 hour rest or so you do a little longer at 16 weeks??

 

[RUNuts]

sorry about that NN, it’s probably not too filled out yet? At least it probably has some good legs.....

Tall but scrawny. He is larger than the barnyard hatchery mix cockerels but not much heavier. I'll hazard a guess at 4 pounds live weight. Time to put him on the scale. Great idea!

The last Barnyard cockerel went to 14 weeks and had a lot more meat than the first 10 (1.5-2# dressed). He was the only broody chick to live and didn't have crowing competitions like the incubator mob.

NN isn't loud yet. I pushed my luck before, but let's see how far we get this time.

 

[aart]

Tender for grill after just 24 hour rest or so you do a little longer at 16 weeks??

I rest for at least 2 days, but I found longer(another day or two) is better.

 

[Mosey2003]

My Barred Rocks almost never crow before 12 weeks. Usually not before 14, and it's not unusual for them to just be starting to pipe up shortly after 16. But, they're a very slow maturing bird (they're standard-bred, not hatchery). The Barred color in particular is bred to be very slow, because the slower they feather, the crisper the barring comes in.

 

[FortCluck]

Yay! I'm collecting eggs for my first hatch. Another day or two and I should be able to fill the incubator

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