De-crowing a Rooster!

[Billy Bob Neck]

I’m trying to come up with something to stop my crow from interrupting my sleep especially since its makin’ me nod off in Church. Can a vet decrow him? If y’all got something that works fer ya, lemme know!

 

[ehurt]

I read you could have their vocal cords removed or something? I guess like getting a dog "whispered"? I'm kind of against that... Also read that if you put them in a small cage where they can't stretch out at night then they can't crow. I don't know how humane that is either. Maybe put him in a soundproof coop?

 

[MissPrissy]

A rooster is programed by nature to crow. Altering him could cost him his life as the surgery is dangerous.

 

[silkiechicken]

Try putting him in a darker coop or in the garage till you get up. De crowing does exist, but I believe there is a high mortality to it if you can even get anyone to do it. Problem is, if you de crow, I don't think the roo can't talk with the hens and so you basically make him mute.

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Yea...Id try the putting him somewhere dark at night...although I'd be bothered by keeping him away from the girls as I KNOW my roos are what keeps my girls safe from preds at night sometimes...
p.s. welcome to byc!

 

[earthnut]

Yes it's possible, but it's expensive, and hard to find a vet that will do it because it's considered cruel by many people. (Which doesn't make sense to me if the alternative is the stewpot - I'd choose to be mute over being dead!) It also has a high failure rate. The roo will NOT in permanent pain after the procedure.

As for doing it yourself, I've looked up the specific ways of doing it - PM me if you want references to the scientific literature - you can go to the local university and copy the articles. It is not recommended to do it yourself because it requires some knowledge of anatomy and sometimes anesthetic (depending on the technique). Also, amateurs have a higher chance of killing the bird in the process.

I looked up all this stuff because I had a cockerel and would've tried decrowing him if I hadn't found a home for him. If you can't have him crowing and you don't need fertile eggs, try to give him away first. If you need him, try keeping him in a dark place for the night so you can control when he gets light in the morning. If you can't do that, then you might look into decrowing, but it's something that should be a last resort.

 

[Billy Bob Neck]

earthnut I aint go no PM programs. They seem ta slow my computer down. You can email me tho... [email protected]

God bless y'all and thanx fer your support...

 

[ehurt]

I think they meant PM from this site. See up there it says

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[CUDA]

I wouldn't feel right without a bunch of crowing going on! I love to hear it, and have no problem sleeping with them going like gangbusters. BTW, I have lots of brood pens, so I have darn near as many roosters as hens!

 

[longshot farm]

After having to board over our coop window (due to a hen breaking it- and no, she didn't get hurt, and yes, I am replacing it with plexiglass), our rooster only crows when he hears us outside the coop. I guess he thinks that it's still night until the door opens.

Last year I raised 15 barred rock roos to try them as meat birds. By the time I took them to the butcher shop at 16 weeks old, I think that I heard the neighbors breath a sigh of relief.