Meyer Hatchery Pioneer Broilers

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I was wondering if anyone has raised the Meyer Hatchery Pioneer Broilers. I believe they just started selling them in the 2025 season and are supposedly a good alternative to CX and Rangers and are good foragers.

If you have raised them, how were they growth-wise? Did the males start crowing before harvest day? I ask because one time I had Rangers and they crowed before harvest day, and we have a rooster ban in the city I live in. I've had to do Cornish X since then for that reason, but have always wished for an alternative.

 

[SourRoses]

The pioneers definitely didn't have those chickens.

 

[SourRoses]

Did you decide on getting these?

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Did you decide on getting these?

I did not. I don't know enough about them so I'll probably just get some CX in the spring.

 

[Molpet]

There's a couple threads about these
Pioneer meat birds- the good, the bad and the very, very ugly | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens https://share.google/TSH8hAmIanpHFwYyj

CX or Pioneer or red Rangers, which is best? | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens https://share.google/RtYhQpWXezbtaVoX4

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

There's a couple threads about these
Pioneer meat birds- the good, the bad and the very, very ugly | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens https://share.google/TSH8hAmIanpHFwYyj

CX or Pioneer or red Rangers, which is best? | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens https://share.google/RtYhQpWXezbtaVoX4

Good info! Thank you. I think I'll stick to the chill vibes of the Cornish X, after hearing that the Pioneers can be so cannibalistic and flighty lol.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

There's a couple threads about these
Pioneer meat birds- the good, the bad and the very, very ugly | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens https://share.google/TSH8hAmIanpHFwYyj

CX or Pioneer or red Rangers, which is best? | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens https://share.google/RtYhQpWXezbtaVoX4

I don't think these are the same hybrid that @HenriettaPizzaNolan was asking about. Meyer's Pioneer broiler is a Naked Neck cross. The pictures in the second link show fully feathered birds.

@HenriettaPizzaNolan, I raise pure Naked Necks and the earliest my cockerels start crowing is at 12 weeks. I usually start culling at 13 weeks just to prevent the noise issue. I would guess that if you are planning to cull them earlier than that, the Pioneers would not be too noisy.