Anti Barking Devices For Rooster Crowing

[JPenny]

My hunt is over concerning an antibiotic barking device to stop a rooster from crowing. In a nut shell It did work to disrupt a crow. But I made some interesting observations and learned more about roosters in general.

To start the study I brought the roosters inside, kept them in a kiddy pool cage and then took advantage of sound bites from YouTube anytime they would crow. Every htz I could think of was at my disposal. For hours and days I waited to hit play. It was a long process but at the same time I enjoyed just watching them.

One morning as I sat by our roosters one started to stretch out his neck to crow and someone farted in the nearby bedroom. To my surprise the roosters neck went back down and he did not crow. What, really, a fart? So I headed to my child's room to get her fart machine to try again with that type of sound.

After many attempts I conclude that the noise has to come right at the exact moment, as he begins to stretch his neck out to crow. I tried other noises and they all worked, if they where sounded at just the right moment.

I took to the Internet to see why sound worked before a crow and not during. Come to find out when a rooster stretches his neck all the way, his ears close off partly to protect his own hearing from his own crow. I also found that all chickens of all ages regrow damaged ear hairs quickly (their ear hairs get damaged from a crow). So don't worry about your pullets, roos, and hens near a crowing rooster, they will be fine.

I want to thank everyone for their input on this matter.

So were you playing the sound before they crow? It sounds like once they crow its too late for any device to work, because they won't hear the device if they close their ears. I thought the devices worked by emitting a sound as the crow or bark took place, and trained the pet to stop because whenever the pet makes a sound, the device makes a sound.

 

[K0k0shka]

So were you playing the sound before they crow? It sounds like once they crow its too late for any device to work, because they won't hear the device if they close their ears. I thought the devices worked by emitting a sound as the crow or bark took place, and trained the pet to stop because whenever the pet makes a sound, the device makes a sound.

This thread is 3 years old, and OP hasn't visited BYC in over a year. So they may not see any further discussion.

This device was meant for dogs, and dogs don't block their own hearing while they bark. So it would work on a dog, as the dog will be able to hear the sound, but it won't work on a rooster, because the rooster is temporarily partly deaf during the crow and won't hear the sound.

My kids and I also discovered what OP discovered about the interrupted crowing. Our favorite chicken from last year's hatch ended up a male, and we were having neighbor problems, so the kids were worried about him crowing while we looked for a new home for him. They'd see him start to stretch his neck and then yell at him "No!! Don't do it!" and he'd stop before even starting. The kids were very surprised and impressed that he "listened". We proceeded to do this over and over and over for about an hour. Poor dude kept trying, but he never managed to do a single crow! It doesn't seem to be something they can get used to and stop responding to ("extinction"). It's probably similar to a startle effect. Even if you're not afraid of the sound or person startling you, you still react.

This all works if you're right there, but it's not practical for early mornings, nighttime, or any time you don't want to stand around on crow duty.

 

[JPenny]

I have a chicken who sings very loudly, and I am wondering if I can train her to limit or quiet her singing. Sometimes she starts off all the dogs in the neighborhood and I don't want to be "that person". If its just a couple times that's ok... but she's the only one that does it. They are all young so maybe it will decrease eventually, I don't know. I just don't want to make anyone angry. Most of them are very quiet and totally not any louder than your average dog people leave outside all day... except her. She's a banshee... and I think she might be doing it to spite me. I've thought about rehoming her even... but I don't want her to have a hard time adjusting by herself to another flock.

 

[K0k0shka]

I have a chicken who sings very loudly, and I am wondering if I can train her to limit or quiet her singing. Sometimes she starts off all the dogs in the neighborhood and I don't want to be "that person". If its just a couple times that's ok... but she's the only one that does it. They are all young so maybe it will decrease eventually, I don't know. I just don't want to make anyone angry. Most of them are very quiet and totally not any louder than your average dog people leave outside all day... except her. She's a banshee... and I think she might be doing it to spite me. I've thought about rehoming her even... but I don't want her to have a hard time adjusting by herself to another flock.

Don’t read too much into it, she’s not doing it to spite you. Chickens don’t have that kind of resentful forethought. Some individuals are just noisier than others, unfortunately.

 

[JPenny]

haahahaha but her suspicious little face! It figures right... she's the one I wanted so bad I went back a second time to get because they gave me the wrong chick. I end up loving the wrong one the most and having more issues with the one I made a special trip for. Live and learn...

 

[K0k0shka]

haahahaha but her suspicious little face! It figures right... she's the one I wanted so bad I went back a second time to get because they gave me the wrong chick. I end up loving the wrong one the most and having more issues with the one I made a special trip for. Live and learn...

Haha. I have a complicated relationship with my favorite one, too. She’s the only one that intentionally bites me, but I love her anyway. She bonded to me as a chick and had issues letting go whenever I left the room, and grew into a very jealous hen who bites me if I have another chicken in my lap… She has drawn blood, too. But I keep making excuses for her because it seems very context-specific, not an overall mean streak. So now we’re working on proper manners