Has anyone trained a rooster to not crow?

[Clash]

The way I see it I have a few options...
1. Eat him (It's my pet, I don't eat pets, plus he's my favorite!)
2. Give him away. (Someone else will eat him and I don't have my favorite pet anymore)
3. Find a sanctuary for him. (They are all full, because city ordinances are forcing people to get rid of surprise roosters)
4. Move.
5. Ask the city if they will grant me an exception as long as I have a collar on him or have him surgically altered so he can never crow again.

I'm currently looking into moving and using a collar to buy myself time before neighbors complain. If I move to where I'm allowed to have roosters, I can remove the collar. And still have the option to put it back on or have surgery done.

 

[Clash]

The collar isn't working nearly as well as I had hoped. The crowing is very stifled. But not nearly enough to make it so it won't wake me up or the neighbors. Maybe it's because it's only 1" wide and I need to make one wider... Anyways. Day #2. Looking for a surgeon, because there's no way I'll be able to move fast enough. I feel bad to take away his crowing permanently... but he's not going to survive any other way. (I have since decided this is not really an option right now. Can't find one in the area and everyone I've talked to is against it.)

 

[BethLouMcCormick]

The collar isn't working nearly as well as I had hoped. The crowing is very stifled. But not nearly enough to make it so it won't wake me up or the neighbors. Maybe it's because it's only 1" wide and I need to make one wider... Anyways. Day #2. Looking for a surgeon, because there's no way I'll be able to move fast enough. I feel bad to take away his crowing permanently... but he's not going to survive any other way.

can you actually have a surgery to stop them crowing ??

 

[BethLouMcCormick]

Maybe talk with your neighbours and explain the situation, but as for the crowing I know people that black out box them over night so they wont know when it morning, it worked for some but others as with one person I know the cockerel was older and was used to the times it was light, not something iv done or would do but some people do it.
The anti-crow collar iv used them and have worked well up until now fingers crossed, mine are actual crowing collars mind not just Velcro, I found the crow had changed to a lot quitter and began to reduce a lot in frequency.

 

[Clash]

Well, my rooster is either too dang determined or just plain smart... or maybe one of the other hens helped him... but he's taken the new collar off twice now. At first I thought it must have been one of my kids thinking he didn't like it, so they took it off... but he's getting it off by himself... So, here I am, crazy chicken guy now... I have him shut up in the bathroom in the tub with the curtains closed. It's late, and I just checked on him and his collar was off. I'm working with a realtor already to sell my house and buy a new house where I can have a rooster. But I can't risk him crowing and alerting the neighbors and the city. He's down stairs, bathroom door closed, basement door closed. I'll have to close my windows tonight just in case he starts crowing.

 

[Clash]

can you actually have a surgery to stop them crowing ??

I spoke with a nice lady who runs a sanctuary for wild life... She said that the surgery is risky and their policy is against it because they see it as de-barking a dog. She says Roosters actually do well if you bring them inside and let them out in the morning. Making it an indoor, outdoor chicken... she said they have "flight" suits or bird diapers and harnesses with diapers that you can buy so they don't leave droppings in the house. Either way, I can't have him in this city so, I'm going to move. I just need time to work it out.

 

[BethLouMcCormick]

Well, my rooster is either too dang determined or just plain smart... or maybe one of the other hens helped him... but he's taken the new collar off twice now. At first I thought it must have been one of my kids thinking he didn't like it, so they took it off... but he's getting it off by himself... So, here I am, crazy chicken guy now... I have him shut up in the bathroom in the tub with the curtains closed. It's late, and I just checked on him and his collar was off. I'm working with a realtor already to sell my house and buy a new house where I can have a rooster. But I can't risk him crowing and alerting the neighbors and the city. He's down stairs, bathroom door closed, basement door closed. I'll have to close my windows tonight just in case he starts crowing.

is the collar flat to his skin with all the feathers over mine got them off once of twice lol the little buggers, but just keep putting it back on and make sure its tight enough.

 

[Clash]

is the collar flat to his skin with all the feathers over mine got them off once of twice lol the little buggers, but just keep putting it back on and make sure its tight enough.

I may need to make the collar longer so more velcro sticks. He wouldn't stop playing with it. I tried putting it under the feathers. maybe over the feathers would be better, less irritating for him. I have more velcro. It's soft to touch on the one side and that the side I put next to his feathers/skin. It's supposed to be industrial strength (10 lbs). I'm trying to order him a diaper harness, in case I have to do the indoor/outdoor thing for a while.

 

[abraga]

It's sweet/admirable u love ur roo so much u are willing to relocate for him. I have to many roos to..crowing ain't my issue though...its finding them loving homes! I think at this point..ur only options based on ur attachment/commitment to him is to keep him inside and put him out late morning(if possible)after neighbors r awake/left for work, then bring him back in at night. And keep the collar on him to stifle his crow somewhat. I realize people have negative views on the collar, however, it seems to me a preferable option to others, and it's a temporary fix to buy u time. There is one other option, which is sterilization. There are videos on utube that shows the procedure that gives u an idea on how its done. U may have more luck finding an avian vet to sterilize him other than de-crowing him.

 

[Clash]

There is one other option, which is sterilization. There are videos on utube that shows the procedure that gives u an idea on how its done. U may have more luck finding an avian vet to sterilize him other than de-crowing him.

Are you saying that if I sterilize him, he won't crow? Is the procedure dangerous. If I do that, would he grow even bigger?

Technically, it doesn't matter whether he crows or not, if a neighbor complains and alerts the city that I have a rooster, they will likely fine me and make me get rid of him. So, I'm actually in the works of putting forth the effort of buying a home where I'm allowed to have a rooster. I still will do my best to be a good neighbor and keep him quiet. As the city I'm moving to has a nuisance ordinance, and although only 1 neighbor complaining won't violate that, multiple neighbors complaining could cause issues.

On a side note, I made a longer collar and it's staying on now. I also put it in over the feathers rather than raising some up and putting it under like last time. He appears to be much more comfortable with that method. He's not trying to play with it anymore. He's untucked a few feathers by himself so he's in control of which feathers are under the collar.

I brought him in last night and waited until 9am to let him out today. Yesterday, I let him out at 7 and he didn't have a collar on; he started crowing at 7:30 am, which although is after the noise ordinance curfew of 7am, still bothered some neighbors trying to sleep. And being that it's is 3rd of 4th day of knowing how to crow, he's getting louder.

I do not believe he tried to crow having brought him out at 9am. However, at 7am all the hens seemed distressed that he was not there. They were clucking and bawking a lot. I'm not sure what had them spooked (I'm assuming they were missing their rooster friend). But when I went out, all the hens were in the pen, which is unusual for them. I looked up in the sky and didn't see any hawks. They generally ignore the neighborhood cat that sometime wanders into my yard and he wasn't around, that I could see.

I put out some feed and they slowly came out to eat. Then at 9am, when I let Samwise (the Light Brahma rooster) out to play, he seemed agitated and chased a few of the hens around until he found the feed and started eating. The funniest thing is that Delilah (my Delaware) seems to be able to keep Samwise in check. He runs from her. LOL It's hilarius to see him dominating all the other hens and then skittishly avoiding Delilah.

I've ordered a diaper harness for Samwise so I can bring him into the house without needing to put an old towel in the bathtub to deal with his droppings. When he's bigger I'll make a video of me taking him for a walk around the neighborhood.

New Flash: Crazy Chicken Guy walks his Rooster on a Leash (Neighborhood Dogs Terrified of Giant Rooster!)