Does anyone know how to make a roo crow less???

[Lisa202]

I don't know what to do. He crows for about an hour to an hour 1/2 every morning, and he's really loud. I'm not allowed to have a rooster (he was supposed to be a girl) but I love him and for sure someone is bound to complain and then I'm in trouble. I'm only allowed 8 chickens and I have 15 and I don't want to get rid of any. I had another rooster that one of the hens hatched and did notice less crowing when I rehomed him, but it seems to have picked up again.

So... does anyone have any tricks to quite a rooster down? I was thinking a radio in the coop on a timer to turn on at 5am (to distract him?) or maybe dark out shades on the windows (but then there's light coming in through the vents).

facts:
he's almost a year old
he's a bantam brahma
he's the only rooster, but my "across the street" neighbor has one (but his doesn't crow nearly this much)

Seriously, I'll try anything...I'm desperate.

 

[RHRanch]

You can keep him in a coop where the light doesn't come in until you let them out - that will cut down on nightime crowing, but there is no way to get him to stop entirely. Some people construct a box for thier roos to sleep in inside thier garages.

 

[Katy]

He's just being a rooster.....some crow more than others. Some people have a rooster box that they shut them every night that blocks out the light.

 

[HHandbasket]

Hook him up with some carrots, celery, and dumplings for Sunday dinner.

 

[Papa Rooster]

Ummm FLick his adams apple?

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Just where would the Adam's apple be located on a rooster?

Aside from that bad joke/piece of advice, I agree with the others. My first option would be rehoming. Second would be total darkness until you are ready to hear him crow.

Since you are not allowed to have roosters, I really encourage the rehoming.

 

[Lisa202]

I think I'll try flicking his adam's apple and hope for the best.

 

[Nicole01]

I honestly would not take the chance to keep him, especially if you are 7 over your limit. It's much easier to home 1 rather then 7. I know it's hard, but your taking a huge risk keeping him. Find him a nice home where he can watch over a flock of ladies.

 

[chickens_in_the_ghetto]

The roo across the way is probably making him even crowy-ier, sadly, but if you're attatched and don't wanna go the dumplings route, definetly rehome him somewhere. Try posting ads at the feed store, or even craigslist.
Aku, our "keeper" roo, crows every morning, starting like clockwork at 4:30 am. I think he starts so early because the city is not very dark, even at night, and he's used to that "country darkness."-- the city lights have him a little puzzled as to when the sun is really coming up. Lights in your house will have the same effect on a rooster. He also "talks back"-- a lot of the time, sometimes if a roo can hear another roo crowing, he'll crow back, and the other will answer, so on and so on. Aku and the neighbor's Dominique do this all the time. It's like they're yelling back and forth:
"Hey you! I got nine foxy ladies all to myself! What do you got?"
"I got three, but I bet they're way sexier'n yours!"
"Bull crap!"
"Yeah right?! You wanna go, mothaclucker?"
"Yeah I wanna go! If I could fly this fence I'd run over there and whip your ugly feathers off!"
"You couldn't fight your way out of an onion sack, old man!"

Seriously, though. Rehoming's prolly your best option, sad as it is.

 

[buffbrahmamama]

I just got a beautiful, young rooster. He's in with 5 hens and they get along just fine. But he's very, very noisy, excessively so. We're zoned agriculture, so there's no problem with having a rooster, but I do worry about the neighbors getting irritated. I'm hoping he'll stop his excessive crowing once he's established his turf and has settled in more. Does anyone know if this is likely to happen, or is he just going to be Mr. Big Mouth? Thanks.