Can I have a ROO??

[Suburban Sprouts]

The chicken yard - 15' x 25'

The flock - 3 EE, 1 Aussie, 2 RIR, 3 Silkies, 1 SLW, 1 Wheaten Maran, 1 Cuckoo Maran

The environment - SUBURBIA

I have one baby Roo - 2 month old who I would LOVE to keep... he's a sweetheart and is so perty. I would love to hatch out my own eggs next year...

Is it remotely possible to keep a Roo in a suburban environment? If I kept his coop very dark in the early morning hours would it keep him from waking the neighbors?

I want a roo for my flock!

 

[dsqard]

Check your city ordinances about it. Roos can crow any time not just when the sun is coming up. If you have neighbors real close, and you are allowed by law to have a roo, you might want to let them know before he starts crowing. Personally, I like the sound. I don't have a roo but the neighbors do and I like hearing him crow. It probably helps that their coop is not real close to my house though.

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

Yeah, I know they can crow at other times of day, but I don't think people would be bothered by a crow at noon, etc. I only see complaints happening for early morning noises...

My city allows roosters, BUT my city always sides with "the people" if it came down to a noise complaint.

 

[swordgeek]

Definitely ask every neighbor anywhere near you before bringing home a rooster. Sound carries oddly in some areas, and some people have far less tolerance than others. Bear in mind that it's not necessarily daybreak that starts him crowing. As soon as the sky starts to lighten (which is just after 4:30 here in summer), my crazy bird starts making noise. A LOT of noise. I'm so glad my neighbors are tolerant of it - or at least, the few are that I visited when I discovered he was a roo...

I used to hate being woken up on weekends by somebody mowing the lawn at 8 AM. I'll never begrudge anyone that noise again. I haven't been allowed to sleep past 6 in two years, at any time of year.

 

[swordgeek]

Incidentally, you might still see some resistance from people about the crowing at other times of the day. In my case, it's from my husband, who often telecommutes. Drives him nuts to be on a conference call and have a rooster crowing in the background. The coop and run are not far below his home office windows, and it does get loud. I remind him it's his choice to work from home, but your neighbors may be less inclined to see things your way.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Or it can start crowing at 2:30 AM when the guy down the street comes home. Or 3:30AM when the neighbor down the other way leaves for work. Roosters crow when ever they feel like it and at anything that disturbs him. Day or Night.

Mine crows when I can't sleep and come out to the living room and turn the TV on in the middle of the night. I have to keep the lights off to shut him up.

Better check your laws first, then check with your neighbors.

 

[Suburban Sprouts]

I think I'm convinced that it just wasn't meant to be... Oh, how I would love to keep him! Oh, how I would LOVE to hatch my own eggs! But... Alas... It seems he will be better suited away from my stuffy community...

 

[swordgeek]

Poor guy! Give it a chance. Talk to the neighbors first and see what they say before making a final decision.

I felt that showing up with a batch of fresh eggs (and anything else I had in my garden at the time) really softened the blow, even if it was only in my own mind. Non-chicken-owning people really love fresh eggs, if only for the novelty. And if they come to expect little gifts from time to time, it's a good excuse to increase your flock size.

 

[Lofty Dreams]

roos crow for their territoty
what type is he
I like
Silkie
Cochin
Small usually quite

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Staple egg cartons on the coop walls. The shape of them helps deflect sound, & when he crows, it shouldn't be too loud on the outside of the coop.