Decrowing Roosters.

[speckledhen]

Frankly, I'm truly surprised that the poll has come out heavy on the positive side.

I voted in the negative. I listened to the EE male that the OP is trying to sell here on his video (who, btw, looks as if he could use come bumblefoot surgery-jes sayin') It found it disturbing to watch and listen to that rooster attempting to eke out sound. How many people would accept de-barking surgery on a dog? To each his own, I guess. In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, that's all I have to say about that.

 

[rancher hicks]

At the risk of ticking people off or seeming to be a suck up to Speckled hen I voted negative too.

A roosters crow is more than just making noise. It's a signal to other roosters and his hens. Hens tend to wander and I've seen him crowing to let them know where he is. Block his crower and he can't call his hens in and signal them when he's found grub. Have you never seen him when you toss scratch or treats? A good rooster calls the girls. I've seen my Nick, God rest his soul, hold the bread in his beak for the hens to take it.

Not all roosters are created equal and some are better at doing their job than others.

Seems to me interfering with his crowing is like taking the battery out of your smoke alarm. It just makes no sense.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Well, Rancher hicks and Speckledhen, you would both be incorrect in your assumptions. It is not like debarking a dog in that the procedure is very different as the noise-making mechanism is wholly different; also this procedure is humane, unlike older home procedures that make me ill to think of. I took my roo to Dr James and he still can crow, just not as loud. He also makes all the range of his usual calling sounds and all his behaviors are still the same with his hens. They were SO VERY happy to see him when he got back (I had had to relocate him for a few weeks because of a neighbor complaint). The reuniting of our roo with his family still makes me teary eyed when I think about it.

If you're interested in reading our story, I have re-published what I wrote several times on this thread and you can just go back a bit to find it.

I'm editing this to add that a rooster only needs to have a voice that carries a half mile when the group is living in the forest and has endless potential terrain to cover. For birds that are kept in a backyard or even in any typical commercial free-range situation, in other words, any captive/domesticated situation, the rooster does not need full voice to reach and communicate with his family. Our lot is 255' deep, and the hens hear the roo, and respond, from one end to the other. So the argument that the roo cannot perform his communicative functions is not valid. They can, and do.

--Victoria

 

[speckledhen]

There was a poll for votes, every vote just as valuable as the next. My vote is a resounding NO. It will always be NO. A rooster is not a rooster without his voice, which he does not use only for crowing. That video of the Easter Egger attempting to crow was seriously pathetic and disturbing, IMO. It did not produce simply a quieter crow, but one that sounded like something I really never want to hear again-in my empathy for the rooster, I cannot help but feel it distresses him to lose his voice this way. I did not find the video enlightening or encouraging in any way, shape or form. What I saw in the OP's video was a rooster who had what I will always consider unnecessary, mutilating surgery when a real health issue he has that needs treatment for (inflamed foot) was staring me in the face. If someone can't handle a rooster crowing, then a rooster is not for that person. Rather than stand one's ground with a controlling neighbor (if a rooster is legal where you live), choosing this course of action, to me, is not acceptable. No neighbor is going to cause me to do something like that to one of my animals. That is my opinion and always will be. No, frankly, I'm not interested in your story, Victoria. It will not change my opinion of this procedure, only serve to make me angry as I feel the choice is an inappropriate one. I prefer to just leave here and go on to more positive threads.

 

[Victoria-nola]

That is my opinion and always will be. No, frankly, I'm not interested in your story, Victoria. It will not change my opinion of this procedure, only serve to make me angry as I feel the choice is an inappropriate one. I prefer to just leave here and go on to more positive threads.

Yes, because learning the facts is always a bad idea?

I guess you won't want to know about my roo's utter joy when he was reunited with his flock. I offered my roo a chance at life, in the bosom of his family. And believe me, he would rather be with his girls than be moved to the country in a new situation (been there, and shortly after I retrieved my rooster the foster situation fell apart and they got rid of all their birds-- so he would have been moved yet again into another situation, if he was lucky-- that is the reality for roosters and chickens in general). I kept the family together by doing something that has not altered his or the hens' behavior one whit. Except that during the separation, the flock fell apart, and it has been united ever since, even added a stray chicken to the flock and the hens did not peck her. In other words, happy hens.

For your information, roosters were made illegal after I had already had one for 2+ years, but it's only enforced if a neighbor complains, and the newest one of mine did (all the others love the 2 roos on the block). Why don't you try imagining the various types of shoes that people are walking in out here, before being so sure of your opinion in all cases for all time?

That's a rhetorical question, btw.

 

[polarbearpilot]

There was a poll for votes, every vote just as valuable as the next. My vote is a resounding NO. It will always be NO.

To each his/her own. Your vote is only valuable to you and no one else. My vote is a resounding YES. It will always be YES.

 

[rancher hicks]

To each his/her own. Your vote is only valuable to you and no one else. My vote is a resounding YES. It will always be YES.

All votes are valuable in that some will go with the majority and change their mind about a matter.

If votes don't matter why bother taking a consensus? If votes don't matter then this whole thread is moot.

I've come to find that in many cases folks who ask a question aren't really looking for the truth just validation of their stance. If others don't agree then they get upset and don't speak to them, block their posts or ignore them.

As I recently told my younger sister. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean you're wrong. There is no reason for cross words or hurt feelings.

There will always be those who agree with us or not on a variety of subjects. The question I ask is can we live with them anyway? Can we still be kind or at least civil?

Now Polarbearpilot, let me make this clear. I quoted you. It does not mean I don't like you or worse. We disagree on this subject. I can live with it and you. I'm to old for grudges and hard feelings.

Peace,

Rancher

 

[polarbearpilot]

All votes are valuable in that some will go with the majority and change their mind about a matter.

If votes don't matter why bother taking a consensus? If votes don't matter then this whole thread is moot.

I've come to find that in many cases folks who ask a question aren't really looking for the truth just validation of their stance. If others don't agree then they get upset and don't speak to them, block their posts or ignore them.

As I recently told my younger sister. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean you're wrong. There is no reason for cross words or hurt feelings.

There will always be those who agree with us or not on a variety of subjects. The question I ask is can we live with them anyway? Can we still be kind or at least civil?

Now Polarbearpilot, let me make this clear. I quoted you. It does not mean I don't like you or worse. We disagree on this subject. I can live with it and you. I'm to old for grudges and hard feelings.

Peace,

Rancher

Your comment that this thread is moot if votes don't matter makes no sense at all. If someone "decides" based on other people's votes then that person leaves the thinking for others to do. I do my own thinking and make up my own mind.

 

[centrarchid]

Purpose of this thread does not appear to be the measure of opinion or develop a consensus. Rather it has been what appears to be a ploy to attract interest / customers for surgical procedure that generates income for the OP. Other contributors do have their own angles which complement or conflict with OP's.

 

[rancher hicks]

Your comment that this thread is moot if votes don't matter makes no sense at all. If someone "decides" based on other people's votes then that person leaves the thinking for others to do. I do my own thinking and make up my own mind.

I do my own thinking too. I think that sometimes others know more about a subject than I do and trust them and I've made up my mind about it. I won't argue about it. Do and think as you see fit. I can live with that.