Our 14 FR roos ceased crowing when we took out the loudest amongst their group and sent them to Camp Frigidaire...the other roosters seemed to 'figure it out' that if you crow, you go!
Seriously, we took out the two loudest ones - and didn't hear a peep from the other dozen roos for 4 days. Then another started in - took him out. The remaining 11 never said a peep beyond that day! (Despite our Black Java rooster crowing at everything that comes his direction) Our one roo is rather, um, forbidden, so we're already not exactly to code by owning him - to have 14 more was beyond what we were comfortable with! So, they simply couldn't crow - but they did. Thankfully, the first one was very very muffled and garbled (sounded like a muted french horn!). But after a week or so, he started to learn how to use his voice. Um, no, not allowed.
Husband sat and watched them at lunch break daily from the day they came. But after he started taking them out of the pen (and the chicken never returning), the remainder became very very leery of him. They knew wife fed them (or perhaps it was the pink muck boots?), so they were never suspcious of her...just him! (He wears black muck boots)
Rangers must have said something to the layer Black Java rooster - he's now very leery of husband's actions as well! Leery to the point of charging the fence when husband appears. Wife is planning on having husband give Java rooster treats to 'remind him' of where food comes from...otherwise, Java rooster won't be on the farm long.....the saga continues......
