Counterproductive Crowing

[KWestVA]

I know that roosters can crow at any time for many reasons. However, crowing in my yard seems counterproductive: as my lot is just ¼ acre, distance communication to the rest of our tiny flock - which always hang together anyway - isn't really required; but as soon as the juvies were moved outside, the crowing almost immediately attracted the attention of our neighborhood's red-shouldered hawk pair and this cheeky fox that has been caught on my security cameras multiple times, despite my owning a dog. It seems to me that the crowing is just attracting predators. I don't suppose there's any way to modify this behavior?

 

[nuthatched]

Nope, sorry.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

He is not crowing just for his flock. He is crowing for other roosters and flocks in the area. Chicken version of CB radio. It lets other flocks know he owns a spot and if he gets an answer, he knows where other territories are. You are living on a 1/4 acre lot, your chickens are still living in the jungle their ancestors came from.

Best I can advise it to take measures to keep the fox out and provide shelters for them to duck under fast if a hawk appears.

 

[KWestVA]

He is not crowing just for his flock. He is crowing for other roosters and flocks in the area. Chicken version of CB radio. It lets other flocks know he owns a spot and if he gets an answer, he knows where other territories are. You are living on a 1/4 acre lot, your chickens are still living in the jungle their ancestors came from.

Best I can advise it to take measures to keep the fox out and provide shelters for them to duck under fast if a hawk appears.

There are lots of hiding places on my lot and the chickens have proven very resourceful; everyone survived unscathed when a couple of (otherwise very friendly) stray dogs ran amok in the yard.

I was just really panicking when my pullet went broody and I had to segregate her and take her outside "manually" to take care of business, and hawks were circling even though I was literally standing over her. Fortunately, the broodiness has broken and she successfully reintegrated with surprisingly minimal drama, so now she has her bodyguards again.

On a COMPLETELY different subject, my chicken's breeds are a bit of a mystery - they may just be mutts. However, one of my cockerels looks very much like your avatar, black with iridescent accents. What breed is that?

 

[Tired old Rooster]

There are lots of hiding places on my lot and the chickens have proven very resourceful; everyone survived unscathed when a couple of (otherwise very friendly) stray dogs ran amok in the yard.

I was just really panicking when my pullet went broody and I had to segregate her and take her outside "manually" to take care of business, and hawks were circling even though I was literally standing over her. Fortunately, the broodiness has broken and she successfully reintegrated with surprisingly minimal drama, so now she has her bodyguards again.

On a COMPLETELY different subject, my chicken's breeds are a bit of a mystery - they may just be mutts. However, one of my cockerels looks very much like your avatar, black with iridescent accents. What breed is that?

He is apparently a black Orpington. Galoot has turned out to be an excellent rooster.