Homemade No Crow Collar

[CrispFire]

I thought I would share this. I ordered a No Crow Collar, but it was too wide for my chickens. So I made one. Basically you need no sew velcro. The loop side (soft side) should be wider than the hook side. The length is based upon your chicken.
I managed to find loop side velcro fabric. I cut 1.25"x8" velcro fabric and sewed .75x3" hook side down the middle. I also rounded all the corners. The loop side should be touching the chicken's neck, the hook side should be facing away from the chicken's neck.

 

[Dry Creek Ranch]

Let us know if this works. I have been looking into these but I have 10 roosters right now and buying these collars online would be too expensive. My goats are getting ready to kid and I have a baby monitor with them. The chickens sleep in the barn with the goats and the roosters are crowing all night. Kind of hard to sleep with rooster crows blaring through the baby monitor all night.

 

[cotoletta]

Hi, I had complaints from my neighbours about my cockaroo crowing so loud. I made a collar using the same technique as CrispFire and it has worked a treat! I really didn't want to get rid of my boy so I am pleased it has helped. It hasn't stopped him from crowing but it has significantly reduced the volume. No complaints since!
I was worried about it hurting or being uncomfortable but he's had it on now for 1 month and is absolutely fine. Still ruling the flock and marching around!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Good idea! Let us know if it works.

 

[CrispFire]

Good idea! Let us know if it works.

Yes, I am already using them on my city hens. I did my do diligence and informed neighbors when I got chickens. They were fine. Then 6 months later, new neighbors. These work. Just make sure it is tight enough but not so tight that your pinky finger cannot fit under the collar when it is in the chicken. I would use the official no crow collar for big birds.

 

[andreacroyle]

Let us know if this works. I have been looking into these but I have 10 roosters right now and buying these collars online would be too expensive. My goats are getting ready to kid and I have a baby monitor with them. The chickens sleep in the barn with the goats and the roosters are crowing all night. Kind of hard to sleep with rooster crows blaring through the baby monitor all night.

I am using the homemade one on my 5 bantams and they seem to be working

 

[LilFrenchies]

I just made one of these for my little bantam fella - Pickle.
He HATED it, threw himself on the ground kicked at it, pecked at it falling all over the garden - wasn't tight at all! I took it off and tried again later, same result. Tried the next day and sat with him for 45 minutes caressing him so he would stay calm and he sort of got used to it so I left it on him yesterday all day and then all night. Today seems to be better, but he still picks at it occassionally and loses his balance when he does that. Like I said, it's not tight so the crowing is still quite loud but sounds strangely different. I thought I'd leave it on him like this for a couple of days and then try to tighten it a bit more. Anyone had any similar issues when they put the collar on their roo? Any suggestions??

I really want this to work so we don't have to re-home him...he's such a loving little roo.

 

[CrispFire]

I think of my chickens as dogs. My puppy had a fit when I put a collar on him. Well obviously he had to have one. I started with loose cloth and worked my way up the food chain to a collar. My point is that they can get use to it.

Back to the chickens. I had to make a few of my no crow collars because My RIR picked at her's so much that it frayed apart. It took her 6 months.

 

[CrispFire]

At Home Depot I found wide Velcro straps that I used as a no crow collar. This worked too. These are harder for Santana to pick apart. I cut the Velcro straps to the right size and rounded the edges.

 

[LilFrenchies]

So, I thought I'd give an update to those of you who gave me some excellent advice! It's been a long battle with the no crow collar here - aside from Mr. Pickle hating the darn thing, I couldn't get it tight enough, then got it too tight, then took it off because I felt bad for him, then when I went to put it back on the next day it was like starting all over again! I think I finally have it adjusted now and he doesn't seem to mind it too much, although now I still worry that it's a bit too tight. His crowing is still noisy but at about 50% volume and he's eating fine so I'm thinking it must not be too tight right???

On to the next dilema which is how to integrate my 7 little hens of only 10 weeks into the mix with Mr. Pickle and Peep who are actually 14 weeks old - how hard can that be? VERY I'm finding out! Any advice on that topic is greatly appreciated! At the moment, they've been free ranging during the day together for about 4 days and have learned to avoid the bigger ones and run for cover under a bush when they start after them. Last night I've moved the cat kennel into the coop and rigged the door so that only the smaller ones can get inside and they seemed to be ok in there. However, mornings seem to be the worst for them as Pickle and Peep like to chase them around quite a lot with a good peck on the back if they can get to them fast enough! Here's some pics of the darlings;

Mr. Pickle and Peep

Jamarla

Nipps

Cinders (black one), Noodle (smallest one) and Peewee