Ranger chicken(s) crowing at 5.5 weeks

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Since he will be butchered in the not too distant future I would not worry about it. It will be a bit before he is loud. If anyone complains, apologize and tell them that you have to take whatever the hatchery sends you and there are usually a few roosters in the bunch. Say that the offending party is already scheduled for the butcher. Most people understand that when things are done by appointment you have to follow the appointment,

Unfortunately this won't cut it, because someone could call the city on me. We have a rooster ban. But tbh the city probably has much more important things to attend to than a rooster. I don't want to risk losing my flock though.

 

[Morrigan]

Not the best pics ever, but they are very skittish.
View attachment 3670978
View attachment 3670979


I think I somehow only have one female in the group. All but one have some pretty serious comb/wattle development going on.

I weighed the largest one, which I'm assuming is the one that crowed. He was 3 lbs, 13 oz. Almost 4 lbs at 5 weeks. Not bad! If I process him, that could still be a good meal for my husband and I.

Ursula's chicks are almost as big as her!

 

[Morrigan]

I just processed a couple of scrawny 14 week old hatchery stock cockerels. Dressed weight was 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 lbs. Before his crow gets too bad, you are going to be doing far better than that.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Ursula's chicks are almost as big as her!

I know! How crazy is that!

I just processed a couple of scrawny 14 week old hatchery stock cockerels. Dressed weight was 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 lbs. Before his crow gets too bad, you are going to be doing far better than that.

Good to know! I figure if I processed him today at about 4 lbs, he'd be around 3 lbs dressed. How was eating those chickens in the 2 lb range? How many could a chicken that size feed?

 

[Morrigan]

How was eating those chickens in the 2 lb range? How many could a chicken that size feed?

It is a hair small, but still fine for us. Since it's just my husband and I, a 2 1/2 bird will get us around 3 meals. For example, night 1, we will we roast it and then have a wing and a drumstick each with gravy and potatoes. Meal 2, the breasts get turned into a chicken sandwich, or maybe a salad. Meal, 3 the thighs make a breakfast hash. Bones get cooked down to stock.

When we first started with meat birds, we ended up with some 8 lbs CX. That really was way too big for us. We'd be eating chicken solid for a week. My ideal chicken size is anywhere between 3 1/3 lbs and 5 lbs.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

It is a hair small, but still fine for us. Since it's just my husband and I, a 2 1/2 bird will get us around 3 meals. For example, night 1, we will we roast it and then have a wing and a drumstick each with gravy and potatoes. Meal 2, the breasts get turned into a chicken sandwich, or maybe a salad. Meal, 3 the thighs make a breakfast hash. Bones get cooked down to stock.

When we first started with meat birds, we ended up with some 8 lbs CX. That really was way too big for us. We'd be eating chicken solid for a week. My ideal chicken size is anywhere between 3 1/3 lbs and 5 lbs.

Thank you!!! Great to know. I'm just starting to learn what is best for us also. Our first batch of CX were 8.5 pounders and really, it's a bit big. I couldn't even roast one because the skin would be burning while the inside was raw. I'm finding that I really like a 5-6 lb bird since that's what a our last batch was, but it's good to know you can still get more than one meal out of a 2.5 lb bird.

I feel like all the how-tos for raising meat birds assume that everyone was gigantic chickens, but like you, I've been learning to see the value in a smaller chicken.