Even if you did find someone that would de-crow a rooster, the mortality risk is high--something like 30%, if I remember correctly. And very expensive. If there is a veterinary school nearby, you could check with them.
The surgery involves cutting muscles instead of removing vocal cords (I don't think chickens have these, but I'm not sure). Here is something I found:
"While this sounds like a great idea, it is not a simple procedure. Dr. Bernard Wentworth, emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin, agrees. He tried some of these surgeries many years ago. The muscles that allow the syrinx to contract need to be cut. The syrinx is located at the very bottom of the trachea, where it splits and enters the lungs, so it is not easy to get to these muscles. "It's a difficult and risky surgical procedure, since you're close to some very important blood vessels," Wentworth says. Unfortunately, I don't know of any good ways to keep a rooster from crowing at this time. If you're in an area that doesn't allow them, you probably will have to stick with hens."
Stephanie
The surgery involves cutting muscles instead of removing vocal cords (I don't think chickens have these, but I'm not sure). Here is something I found:
"While this sounds like a great idea, it is not a simple procedure. Dr. Bernard Wentworth, emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin, agrees. He tried some of these surgeries many years ago. The muscles that allow the syrinx to contract need to be cut. The syrinx is located at the very bottom of the trachea, where it splits and enters the lungs, so it is not easy to get to these muscles. "It's a difficult and risky surgical procedure, since you're close to some very important blood vessels," Wentworth says. Unfortunately, I don't know of any good ways to keep a rooster from crowing at this time. If you're in an area that doesn't allow them, you probably will have to stick with hens."
Stephanie