When do Roos start...

[LivingLocal]

Not at all! The input is greatly appreciated.

 

[walkswithdog]

Most Roos won't go off early. Dorkings are fast growing but you're not looking at a bird ready to eat in under 12 weeks probably. And they'll make NOISE long before they make fertile eggs. If you always retrieve your eggs and don't let them sit under a broody hen, then you don't have a hatching problem. A hen or an incubator are necessary to make babies.
My youngest cockerals (male under a year) are just hitting... 16 weeks and don't crow yet.

Technically a rooster is over a year old. I have one older cockeral, and wow he crows. I don't know his age, he was rescued a month or two ago and he's around 9-10 months if I had to guess.

Mine are Plymouth Rocks, barred and partridge. They're usually not even a good size to eat until they hit around 16 to 20 weeks, and 20 weeks is generally when pullets begin to lay. If it doesn't lay eggs by 24 weeks, eat it. Easy...

Dorkings may be faster growing than Rocks but they don't grow like the broiler chicks. You shouldn't expect eating wt until at a minimum 12 weeks and more likely 14-18 weeks. Ask the man you get them from at what age he's butchering to get what SIZED carcass. If you want a 3 lb bird after butchering you get to butcher a LOT earlier than if you want a 7 lb one.

Whether 3lbs or 7lbs it's going to be pretty obvious who the cockerals are in the crowd by then.

And at any age - the mean birds get eaten first - it's a rule LOL.