**HELP** with rooster box please

[motherhenfran]

Hi guys,

I am needing help /advice/expertise from all you urban rooster raisers..I have a roo..lavender orpington..rare breed so it was impossible to sex him when I got him. Raised him since he was 2 days old, obviously got attached to the guy. My area where I live is zoned to have roosters so it is LEGAL but once neighbors start to complain they come out and it all turns into a big headache and they can eventually take my boy away. I have no issue with his crowing..almost a "we're ok in here mom" type of call but as I'm sure you all know, there is always that one neighbor who has an issue. In my case its some random lady from 3 yards down and a street across pounding on my door informing me my roo is (and I quote): "ruining my life and my family's structure"

keep in mind, my nextdoor neighbors say they can't hear a thing and aren't bothered by my boy. I can barely hear him and my room is about 100 ft away from the coop..the ridiculous neighbor lives 1000ft away.

BASICALLY I really would love any help in regards to a rooster box to highly cut down on crowing noise. My boy starts at sun up...545-6 right about now..and I'd like to cut down on the sound hes making. Was going to build him a box but don't know how/what to insulate it with that will be best. I've been researching like crazy and parting with my roo is NOT an option. I have never once re-homed an animal and refuse to do so because a pesky (far away) neighbor refuses to be wrong and accept that when you live in an area zoned for animals, you are going to hear some crows and squaks every once in a while.

PS already contacted animal services to give them a heads up of the lady...they highly reccomended I file a "harassment complaint/order" against the pesky neighbor so she will stop calling me and stopping by my property (she has done both of those multiple times now -________-) If any of you have dealt with this in the past please let me know how it goes.

Thank you soo much, this is my first BYC post so I'm hoping for the best in terms of feedback

My roo

with a crow collar he's been wearing at night to cut down on crows...it isnt really helping

 

[RJSorensen]

Well, I've never had a problem like this, but somethings that might be of use to you are to insulate the walls with something like R-19. I have a roll and it says for sound and insulating walls and roofs. If you have a single pitch coop or are going to build one, put the short side toward the neighbor, let the sound go the other way. Low intake vents for your building, you will have to watch not to create a draft, and the high vents on the high side of a single slope coop. Extending the vents, making the vent(s) longer. Sound likes to travel in an unimpeded direction, so baffles, longer intakes/exhausts vents, and thick walls all will help to diminish the sound waves.

It would not be practical, but those funny looking defusers they use in recording studios, or something homemade would go a long way toward breaking up the sound. Double pane windows, anything you can think up to break up the line of sight sound. You could hang pieces of OSB or plywood up high in the coop to act as defusers, add some foam and cover them and they should adsorb some noise. Perhaps have your windows open from the bottom out, not the top out. This should help with reflection waves, down into the ground, not up into the air, and to your neighbor. Hang old rugs or remnants on the walls, change them out every so often to keep them bug free.

You may have to break some regular chicken rules to meet your goal. But if that is what it takes, lets do this. As the Home Depot guy says…

Just think out side the box on this one, anything is fair game and I am sure other will chime in on this fun thread with all sorts of ideas once we collectively get going on this.

Anyway best to you and your rooster,

RJ

Edit: BTW nice looking bird!

 

[motherhenfran]

RJ,

Your advice is appreciated and I will put that into my plan. I'm thinking simple wooden box, double paneled walls with foam insulating between. Acoustic foam on the inside walls to bounce sound off (and they're nice and dark to keep away or atleast diminish light) and a carpeted floor to help as well. With a simple door on a hinge that closes and a few vents of course. My father is the mastermind behind the building and after a long 10weeks of labor he built me basically the Buckingham Palace (or shall we say clucking-ham palace) of coops so building another one/tearing down his design is not an option and I feel bad making him do more work than necessary so keeping it simple for him is probably best. Thank you so much for your tips. And yes, I take great pride in my boy. True chicken aficionados always are in awe of his color. This is my first go around with the joyous little animals so I guess I lucked out on getting him

Thank you again,
Fran

 

[DaveOmak]

Take a child's sock, that has good elastic, and cut it off at the heel.... slide the top part over his head and down to the "shoulders"... fluff the neck feathers as you partly pull the sock up the neck.... there you go... no more crow (ing).....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=rooster+collar&=Search

 

[motherhenfran]

I have one for him..either I'm using it incorrectly or it's not working. I feel horrible putting it in him because I don't want him to choke. I read on another forum post that you should be able to barely fit a finger between the collar and your roo and that's what I've been doing. Makes him sound alittle muffled but neighbor still complained when he was wearing it. I'm afraid there's no winning with this lady -____-

 

[bigmrg74]

Why can't you just rehome the pesky neighbor?

 

[vehve]

RJ,

Your advice is appreciated and I will put that into my plan. I'm thinking simple wooden box, double paneled walls with foam insulating between. Acoustic foam on the inside walls to bounce sound off (and they're nice and dark to keep away or atleast diminish light) and a carpeted floor to help as well. With a simple door on a hinge that closes and a few vents of course. My father is the mastermind behind the building and after a long 10weeks of labor he built me basically the Buckingham Palace (or shall we say clucking-ham palace) of coops so building another one/tearing down his design is not an option and I feel bad making him do more work than necessary so keeping it simple for him is probably best. Thank you so much for your tips. And yes, I take great pride in my boy. True chicken aficionados always are in awe of his color. This is my first go around with the joyous little animals so I guess I lucked out on getting him

Thank you again,
Fran

The carpet floor will just make cleaning a nightmare. Go with a water proof floor instead, and put down some bedding.

 

[motherhenfran]

@bigmrg74 goodness I wish I could rehome her and anyone who is displeased by natural sounds of animals. If you don't like the sound of nature and Gods creatures than by yourself a high rise in the city.

@vehve ya I figured the cleaning would be a nightmare but I'd pressure wash right when he gets out (have carpet be removable) and let it dry all day. Obviously a tedious task but if it soundproof better I'm up for the extra few mins of work a day

 

[vehve]

@bigmrg74 goodness I wish I could rehome her and anyone who is displeased by natural sounds of animals. If you don't like the sound of nature and Gods creatures than by yourself a high rise in the city.

@vehve ya I figured the cleaning would be a nightmare but I'd pressure wash right when he gets out (have carpet be removable) and let it dry all day. Obviously a tedious task but if it soundproof better I'm up for the extra few mins of work a day

The hay/shavings will be a lot better insulator than any carpet will. Save yourself a lot of work and just put in a washable floor.