Crowing

[Wiccan chicken]

I have a homemade no crow collar for my now 5 month old Delaware Hybrid rooster. It worked for about 3 weeks but he started crowing again like the collar was never put on him. I’ve tried tightening and placing it on different sections of his neck but nothing is working. My hens are in complete distress without him (I tried separating him for short periods of time before the collar) and he’s one of the nicest chickens in my flock, the last thing I want is for him to be gone. This is my first flock and it’s really scary to think that I can’t help him.

 

[sourland]

Crowing is a natural instinct that is nearly impossible to control.

 

[bobbi-j]

Are you not allowed to have roosters?

 

[BunnyEberhart]

I have tried all sorts of no crow collars. So far no success. My chickens all live at my boyfriend's house so I can see them everyday. I can't have roos at my house either. So letting my boyfriend care for our flock was the last option for me. Im sorry. I wish i had better advice. :/

 

[aart]

This is my first flock and it’s really scary to think that I can’t help him.

They often don't work well @Wiccan chicken
Why does he need this 'help'?

 

[Wiccan chicken]

Because if he won’t stop crowing we’ll have to get rid of him, if we do that there’s a high chance he’ll be slaughtered.

 

[Wiccan chicken]

Are you not allowed to have roosters?

I’m not unfortunately, I live in the city.

 

[Wiccan chicken]

I have tried all sorts of no crow collars. So far no success. My chickens all live at my boyfriend's house so I can see them everyday. I can't have roos at my house either. So letting my boyfriend care for our flock was the last option for me. Im sorry. I wish i had better advice. :/

We’ll probably have to give him to the person who we got him from.

 

[aart]

I’m not unfortunately, I live in the city.

We’ll probably have to give him to the person who we got him from.

If you can do this, I'd go for it asap.
Don't want to lose your, and others', ability to keep chickens at all.

 

[piminuse]

I'm lucky enough to live in a weird pocket of the city where roosters are legal, and while I do own them I understand that not all my neighbors are super jazzed about the 6:30 alarm symphony. I've found that quick communication, sincerity and free eggs are good ways to buy time while you come up with solutions such as re-homing or dispatching. As @aart said you don't want some salty neighbor to make it illegal for you and anyone else to keep chickens at all due to one rogue rooster.

That said, I do use crow collars to mitigate the volume of their crows, but not frequency. Crowing is part of their biology and charm, and to my knowledge no one has figured out a 100% way to stifle it. I make mine out of velcro that's been cut to size and "notched" for easy removal as I give them breathers from wearing the collars during part of the day. They're tighter than the "fit one pinky in" recommendation, but I've tested and checked and this is what works for me and my birds and so far I've not lost one, but I'm also home to monitor them frequently.

Again, I have the luxury of weird zoning ordinances that allow me to keep roosters, but in your case I would speak to neighbors and let them know you're looking for solutions before you're reported. I would suggest rehoming him somewhere he can crow to his little heart's desire. His girls will be lost for a minute, but a head hen will step up and become the de facto leader and things will settle into normalcy.

Sorry you're having this issue and good luck!