You are right, of course. In my case, the city doesn't allow crowing, so the young cockerel in whom I've invested 3 months of time/energy/money either hits the road or stays - minus his testes, IF he survives the surgery. It's a tough decision, but he's beautiful and worth the effort. So I hope.
I live in Denver and know an excellent vet in Ft. Collins. My cockerel had been damaged previously and didn't survive the surgery, but the vet was wonderful and up front about his chances. PM me for a contact.