Decrowing Roosters.

[bluedogsonly]

Oh and I have 5 of the splash Jap chicks on the ground out of that decrowed roo. He's still doing his job just fine.

 

[Countrywantabe]

I have the idea or providing decrowed OE bantam, serama etc... (very small birds) as house pets. I figure that there are some people who would like the experience of chickens but very limited space. "

We have just brought home two seramas who spent the whole day crowing. I assume they will crow less after things settle down but I have been stressing out all day that someone would complain. Is there more risk involved with this smallest breed of chickens? They are so sweet and the girls all are adjusted too them already. Would you have referals for some one closer to home- Utah? Where do I sign up?

 

[bluedogsonly]

oremut, The only other vet that I know who does this procedure is in Phoenix. I know he charges more than what I'm wanting to charge. He hasn't done birds that small (the smallest he's done is the OE silver duckwing of my gal's). I've also decrowed small (OE bantams) birds and actually I think there would be a better result because of the size of tools I have built. Just PM me with your phone number and we can discuss it more. Thanks for the interest.

Dr. James

P.S. the decrowed Splash Jap was killed by a 'coon last night. So I didnt get a video of him post surgery.

 

[missnu01]

I am not sure what good a rooster with no crow would be. isn't the crow to warn the chickens and such? I think it is like debarking dogs...if you don't like barking don't get a dog...if you don't like crowing then eat your roosters...

 

[FireTigeris]

I am not sure what good a rooster with no crow would be. isn't the crow to warn the chickens and such? I think it is like debarking dogs...if you don't like barking don't get a dog...if you don't like crowing then eat your roosters...

No not exactly, it's the territorial noise, not the alarm noise- not the same all all noise is not stopped.

The crow, 'Cock-a-doodle-doo' is to be loud and announce his territory, the alarm cries for "ground danger" or "sky danger" and "I found food" are different.

It be like de-hwoling a dog, without debarking it... one territorial behavior noise lessened or removed.

Or 'fixing' (spaying) a queen cat to keep her from caterwauling- it doesn't stop other noises either...

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Also it's not legal in my town to butcher a bird, not legal to euthanize any animal w/o a vet... and in most of this town roosters can be a noise nuisance or a land code violation...

 

[SleepyOwl]

I might do it, if there was someone close that did it. I love a crowing rooster, but I live in town, and my neighbors, not so much. This way I could have a roo for my girls (and their eggs.

)

 

[Pele]

No not exactly, it's the territorial noise, not the alarm noise- not the same all all noise is not stopped.

The crow, 'Cock-a-doodle-doo' is to be loud and announce his territory, the alarm cries for "ground danger" or "sky danger" and "I found food" are different.

It be like de-hwoling a dog, without debarking it... one territorial behavior noise lessened or removed.

Or 'fixing' (spaying) a queen cat to keep her from caterwauling- it doesn't stop other noises either...

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Also it's not legal in my town to butcher a bird, not legal to euthanize any animal w/o a vet... and in most of this town roosters can be a noise nuisance or a land code violation...

It's actually not like those examples though. All of his communications are muted, not just the annoying one. He cannot effectively signal to his flock if danger approaches, nor if he finds food to court them with, nor any sound to stop in-fighting. I think this is more akin to cutting off a dog's nose because you don't like the fact it gets into your trash. The sense of smell is the primary sense of importance to a dog. So is the ability to verbally communicate in a chicken/rooster.

I'm all for surgeries on animals that improve their quality of life, but this one is entirely for human convenience. It would seem to me that if you dislike a major feature of an animal, you shouldn't decide that you can just cut here, snip there, and get a designer product. Just get another type of animal. For example. I detest parrots because they are freakishly loud. And I mean detest. I never once said to myself "you know, all that parrot needs is some cutting, and it'd be nifty keen." I just don't own parrots.

I've had roosters that I couldn't keep. I made the effort necessary to relocate them to new homes. You can't have everything you want in life, that's just how life works. Crippling an animal because you can't come to terms with that? Doesn't seem right.

 

[centrarchid]

I would like to hear voice of such treated birds. Vocalizations of crowing, cackling, tidbitting, aggression and distress should adequate to assess impacts.

 

[RachaelS]

It's actually not like those examples though. All of his communications are muted, not just the annoying one. He cannot effectively signal to his flock if danger approaches, nor if he finds food to court them with, nor any sound to stop in-fighting. I think this is more akin to cutting off a dog's nose because you don't like the fact it gets into your trash. The sense of smell is the primary sense of importance to a dog. So is the ability to verbally communicate in a chicken/rooster.

Has anyone heard a rooster that has had this procedure? Or watched it interact with a flock after?

Also, from what I understand (nope I have not heard it), but it is not like cutting off a dogs nose so it can't smell, more like burning the smell sensory while put under and no I do not agree with doing that.

However, I think there is a lot left to be studied. If in fact it does inhibit the roosters interaction with the flock, then no, it should not be done, but if it does not, then it is a good alternative for a lot of people with that "accidental" rooster. I don't think people want to do it for their own convenience it is more for others, such as the person that lives next door.

Just my 2 cents, take it for what it is.

 

[katydid715]

I got a whole box of Old English Game bantam hens and of course there was a boy in the batch. I live in the middle of a city and my neighbors are an arm's length away from my house. I am allowed to have the birds, but the noise ordinance is such that when little Henry decided to make noise, keeping him was going to be a problem. Dr. James allowed me to keep all of my birds, and only the neighbors that can see them even know I have chickens! Henry still does a perfectly fine job of being a rooster- he eats and flirts and mates,and postures and flaps his wings to crow- he just doesn't make very much noise. Neither he or his girls seem to mind or notice that he doesn't make noise, and I have had no increased death loss because of predation- I've still got everybody, and have had for several months now. The alarm noises and funny little warbling sounds he makes are minimally altered- he still calls his girls over when he's got food, or holler when I go in to catch him. I suppose I don't really know about alarm sounds because one hen I've got stays pretty on top of looking out for everyone, and they all defer to her. It doesn't seem to affect his behavior at all- he is very much the same bird as before he was decrowed, and his libido and fertility are unchanged. I've hatched chicks under hens and chicks in the incubator with excellent results. I understand the people that think it is inhumane and believe me, I hear it. I don't mind the sound of his crowing, but the human population at large is not always so tolerant. And not all of us are so lucky to live out of earshot of our neighbors. After all, we found each other on this site- backyard chickens. Because our birds don't all get to live on the farm anymore. They live in backyards, and often those yards are next to and behind someone else's. For my roo it was a lifesaving procedure. I understand that it's not for every bird or every human that owns one. But for birds that are largely ornamental- Henry wouldn't make a chicken nugget- I wouldn't be killing him to get use out of him as food. I would be killing him to appease my neighbors. Instead, I have a pain free bird whose voice has been modified living in my flock, siring chicks, completely unaware that his life could be any different. Someday I hope that I don't have to take the voice away from these beautiful boys- but if it's the only thing that allows me to keep them and keeps them alive in the process, then it's what I'm going to do. I would have it done again, and I'm very grateful to Dr. James for introducing me to the procedure and allowing me to keep my sweet Henry in the process. I appreciate anything that keeps chicks in my hands and under my birds even under the city lights- and the neighborhood kids are too. I can also post a video of Henry being a normal rooster if anyone desires more proof, but I assure you. . . it's underwhelming. : ) ~just a note from the keeper of some urban birds, Tulsa, OK.