Decrowing Roosters.

[Countrywantabe]

The only way we could have a rooster is to have a quiet one as we are surrounded by neighbors. I would like to have the experience of a friendly rooster who cares for his girls, and what good could be done by allowing others to keep roosters. We enjoy our hens and the few days we had the serama roosters here they were happier. I was so sad to have to send them back to their previous owner- we were told they were quiet but they crowed non stop for two days. The hens moped around also when one by one we had to rehome our hand raised roosters when they started crowing. They had each paired off. The girls acted lost. One started crowing at just five weeks. They were all supposed to be pullets- you know how that goes. Half of our "pullets" turned out to be roosters. They were all very nice and would follow our son around waiting for the bugs he caught them. Our son wasn't happy to see the boys go either- it wasn't fair and all- just because they were boys.

Here are the pictures of some of roosters we had to rehome.




This was Hicup- so named by our son.





This was ugly duckling

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Dr. James,
I think it is a great thing you are doing. If you lived in an urban area in the Southeast, you would have more business than you could handle. Two of our girls turned out to be boys. We had to get rid of a loud 6 a.m. rooster, but fortunately found a good home for him. The other is oddly quiet. I worry something is wrong with him- a possum attack survivor- he's so quiet.
Keep up the good work!
Katherine

 

[gryeyes]

Dr. James, I think this is an invaluable service. I have had to rehome several roosters, some of which I loved dearly. I still have roosters, but only two, due to neighbors. More than two and the crowing festivals just keep going and going...

One of my daschunds has been "de-barked.". I had another which was also de-barked, he has since passed. He was poisoned by a neighbor, but my vet saved him and she suggested the " vocal cord shaving" as a solution. He lived 11 years past this procedure. He still barked, the high pitch was gone. He kinda squeaked. My current doxie had to have the procedure done twice. The first went down the throat, the second required an incision through his neck,
.he was debarked at the same rime he was neutered, so he wouldn't have to go through surgery and anesthesia twice. However, he was a youngster and still growing, so he grew his bark back. Hence the second procedure later .

Anyway, back to roosters crowing. It is 3:15 A.M. And my dominant rooster just began to crow in his coop. I LOVE the sound and loved to hear my six roosters...but my neighbors do not and they took the issue all the way up to a Board of Supervisors Administrative Hearing. I can keep two.

Honestly, I keep four, but when new cockerels start to crow, I must rehome them. Or process them. Actually, all I need to do is silence them....

My flock of 50 some chickens ranges freely on my two-thirds of an acre, along with ducks, geese, and turkeys.

I was gulping at a $250.00 fee, but $150.00, well, I'd pay that. And as mentioned, I have more than one rooster, so the predator alert system would not be adversely affected.

Having two de-barked dogs (just two out of the many dogs kept over the years) gives me a slant on the issues mentioned by others. I don't think either of my dogs were "frustrated" with their decreased volume and change of pitch, nor do I believe the procedures diminished their canine attitudes or life styles.

I think de-crowing a rooster can be a very good thing. I am glad you provide it. I wish you were closer! And yes, I am a Californian.

(*Note: some comments in this post are not directed at the good doctor. You know who you are...)

<I><*dimpling innocently*></I>

 

[kukupecpec]

I decided to look a little more into a roosters crow. I love earning the anatomy of how animals work - still debating if I should go back to college and apply to vet school or just finish my vet tech training , too many differences for me to decide which I would enjoy more! - and I was wondering what you do to the syrinx. It's very difficult to find information on it, and I would assume it's because there isn't much interest in it, and I don't really feel like cutting open a bird strictly for research purposes (unless of course the bird had died of natural causes and I didn't want to eat it for fear of what killed it). From what I can find, it looks like the syrinx is just a thickening of the bronchi where they split into either lung. There doesn't seem to be anything to sever or remove unless you are just taking off the layers to thin it out.

This is the best photo I found


Do you remove the thickened area and reattach the trachea to the bronchi?
It seems like a very intense procedure as far as precision. Not to mention how extremely small the actual syrinx is! I tend to think everything is larger than it really is, until I'm monitoring and get to actually see inside an animal.

 

[chickenzoo]

I think we need to remember the main reason expressed for this type of surgery....saving the life.of a Pet rooster...perhaps one.sold as a.pullet. ...loved....then found out its a.boy....then would have to part with a dear pet who's fate would be.unknown if given away. I don't think everyone is going to run out and spend that type of money on a flock of roosters. Most people spending that type of money on the rooster.....well it probably lives in the house.or in a.pretty safe area.... I don't think there.is going to be a stampede of people doing this Willy nilly. ..most people don't see poultry to have that type of value.
It is good that we are going over many possibilities and exchanging concerns. It is nice of Dr James to ask our opinions and tell us first hand what he sees. It is nice to find a.Dr that cares at all about chickens....
Do I think everyone should go out and do this to their rooster...well no....I'm sure the Dr doesn't either. But I do see this.as.a.helpful option for someone heartbroken about the choice of giving up a dear pet....who's fate may end up worse than other rehomed pets.

 

[bluedogsonly]

Thanks all. Its good to see some more positive comments and questions.

Ya'll are right about the target client, the "oops" rooster that has become a pet. Also I think that there are alot of people out there that would like to show the kids how the incubation process goes. So they need a fertile rooster to go with their hens. I doubt that there are very many schools doing this little project anymore, which really is a shame.

That is a good pic of the anatomy that I'm working with. The syrinx is actually very thin and kind of floppy, it works like stretching the neck of a balloon. With the surgery, the goal is to cut slits in either side of the syrinx. This allows the forced air from the lungs during a crow to be pushed through the slits into the clavicular air sacs, instead of past the stretched part and on out of the mouth. But normal breathing is much slower and is circulated normally. Bird respiration is interesting, it is so efficient, they actually exchange oxygen on both inspiration and expiration. Plus all the air sacs hold extra air (in an emergency air can be supplied through the humerus or even the abdominal cavity) .
Its very tight in there, Im working through a hole smaller than a quater at the base of the neck. Im a tinkerer and have built some really specific tools to accomplish this.

Also an advantage of poultry is that you can mail them. So I hope that distance is not a huge hang up with some of you, shipping is pretty economical and I've had good luck with it so far. I shipped a pair to NC for less than $15 postage, the rooster was about 7 days post surgery. They arrived in 2 days and were actually left an extra night at the post office because my friend didnt make it down there before they closed. Done great, pullet actually laid an egg on the journey. She's a vet and she said that my surgery is very effective. I'm hoping that she'll finally get on here and comment and possible post a video.

Thanks heaps.

Dr. James

 

[centrarchid]

I think this thread should be moved to classified section. Intent is sell a product / service.

 

[Countrywantabe]

Maybe but I am glad this discussion is out here. I am learning alot and I think others are too.

 

[chickenzoo]

This ia a learning....discussion thread. The Dr wanted or opinions....as we.are all bird people here. He was stating about shipping..because there were.questions and fears about shipping birds after surgery.
Please lets keep this civil.....

Its hard enough to find any vet that will help anything to do with chickens.... And with our knowledge and his perhaps we can help other issues.

 

[centrarchid]

Civility of discussion was already compromised when discontent with alternative views expressed. I read thread again and conclude effort is fishing for parties desiring service provided. Better results for OP could be acquired by actually advertising in a standardized manner rather than a thread which gets relatively little exposure with intended audience. Doing like this thread is similar to selling wares in a Wal-Mart parking lot and not even being seen by most folks walking by. In the end it appears likey the service will be realized and for some parties their will be advantages experienced for rooster keepers. Intent is not to suppress that.