They aren't really nasty at all, in fact, they are generally pretty easy going, but they do get voracious about their feed... We currently have 2 groups of 10, so the competition isn't too fierce, maybe worse with bigger groups of birds. But they are very, very single minded. They are hungry and they want to eat.
But then again, I have 2 layer hens I can think of who are the same way about fresh food or treats....
It isn't till about week 4 through 6 that they get worse... so it's not that I wouldn't get them again, it is just that by the end of 6 wks you are ready to not deal with the mess for a while. But a few weeks of voracious birds and messy coops is worth it for the meat. I am going to try red rangers next year to see how they are for meat developement vs the mess and stuff to see if they are better choices/fit for us.
I want most of my regular birds to eventually be meaty dual purpose birds so I can cull roosters and such at our convenience when we want meat for the freezer. But even when our flock hits that balance I still think I will get a batch or two of meaties in the spring for the fast turn around roaster/broiler birds to use in the smoker and for bar-b-q use, just because of the more tender meat for those types of cooking. For all of our other uses the heritage birds are great.
