i love a fat juicy chicken - my wife has never had a fresh chicken and i can't even begin to describe to her the awesomeness of fresh chicken straight from the yard to the bbq pit or gumbo pot she is all about the egg layers .... i like both -- the thing is, we are limited in space and we live inside city limits my question .... do they mature fast enough that I can butcher them before they get too noisy? if i end up with a rooster, the day it crows will be the day it dies.
I can only speak of my experience. Ours didn't get old enough to crow. They are messy tho. But ours weren't as loud as our 'egg producers. see if you can go in on a small order with someone close by and just try a few. They are really quite messy.
Cornish X that we raise to 6-8 weeks never get old enough to crow. If you go with them, you'll be alright on the crowing thing. Regular dual purpose breeds would be old enough to crow before butchering size at 17-19 weeks. True, Cornish X are messy...they grow, and poop, the same amount in 6 weeks that a layer type will in 5-6 months. I'd recommend a tractor that you can move around the yard - less cleanup than a coop.
