How Humane Are No-Crow Rooster Collars?

[The Moonshiner]

What if someone told you from now on when you talk it has to be in a whisper.
It's either that or you will be put to death. I'm sure that kinda life wouldn't kill you and wouldn't cause you any pain but is it a life you want to live?
That will be your roosters best case scenario.
Truth is collars do restrict air flow. To much restriction and they die. To little restriction and it does nothing to lessen the volume. Just right and it restricts enough to quiet the crow but not enough to kill them.
Then you have the concern of the chock hazard. Being caught or hung on something or trying to swallow something to large.
If you read their sites you will see how much emphasis is put on correctly fitting the collar and most have a warning against feeding pellet style food. When the manufacturer puts that information out there doesn't that make you think there's some serious risks involved?
I'm sure the majority of people that use them and follow the fitting instructions correctly will never end up with a dead rooster but then there are cases where that's exactly what they end up with. How you gonna feel if you end up the unlucky one?
I was half joking about the living life with only being able to whisper but what if that was your life but then you discovered if I move down the road I'll be able to talk normally again. Would you head down the road or say na no big deal I'll stay here?
Let your rooster move down the road. There are cases where a rooster can be rehomed and not eatened.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Here's a bit about the respiratory system of a chicken. It's not rocket science to see how the collars reduce the volume of crowing. Expelling air is used for crowing. Limiting how much air they can expel limits the volume of the crowing.
This will explain and show how it all works. You can decide for yourself what effects limiting that air flow is having on a bird and what else it may be effecting then make your own choice on whether it's worth it to you.

The main job of the respiratory system of birds is to absorb oxygen and rid the body of carbon dioxide. In addition, the respiratory system also gets rid of excess heat, detoxifies some of the waste products of the body, and makes noise — most noticeably, crowing noise, much to the annoyance of our neighbors.

Like humans, birds have a windpipe and two lungs, but from there, birds are distinctly unlike mammals. Air flows into a bird’s lungs during the intake of breath, it continues through the lungs into nine air sacks and then it goes back out through the lungs again.

Birds get two doses of oxygen for the price of one breath! The air sacs are arranged around the inside of the chest and abdominal cavity, and they connect with some of the bones of the skeleton.

Humans breathe with the help of the diaphragm muscle, which divides the chest and abdominal cavities. Birds don’t have a working diaphragm; instead, a bird moves its rib cage and keel (breastbone) to draw air into the lungs and force it back out.

 

[gimmie birdies]

And still the phararoh was hardened. You didn't read mine, and I didn't read yours.

 

[Ratchnick]

I think most chicken keepers can look at their birds and tell if they are happy or not. It won't instantly kill him so why don't you try it and see how he tolerates it.


If you start a thread about rooster collars or forcing your hens to lay in winter with artificial lighting your going to get bunch of haters, that's just the way it is. The fact is that most people who are against it have no experience using one. Just because something is unnatural does not make it inhumane. How many people feed their chickens pellets? That's certainly not natural, most feed, even organic non pelleted has things like fish meal and oyster shell. These are certainly not natural for a chicken to eat.

Inhuman means without regard for suffering, I think you can see for yourself if he is suffering or not.

 

[HannahL]

I think most chicken keepers can look at their birds and tell if they are happy or not. It won't instantly kill him so why don't you try it and see how he tolerates it.

If you start a thread about rooster collars or forcing your hens to lay in winter with artificial lighting your going to get bunch of haters, that's just the way it is. The fact is that most people who are against it have no experience using one. Just because something is unnatural does not make it inhumane. How many people feed their chickens pellets? That's certainly not natural, most feed, even organic non pelleted has things like fish meal and oyster shell. These are certainly not natural for a chicken to eat.

Inhuman means without regard for suffering, I think you can see for yourself if he is suffering or not.

Thanks for your reply! I think that I’m gonna try the blackout curtains first and then try out the collar. He doesn’t seem too bothered by it right now. I appreciate you saying that I wasn’t like a horrible person or anything for wanting to use one. I really love this rooster and I thought I was doing something good by rescuing him, even if it meant he wouldn’t be able to crow at full volume. The comparison to the chicken pellets was a good one! I’m gonna try out the curtains but use the collar if they don’t work. I’ll make sure that I don’t tighten it up too much so it doesn’t hurt him, but I don’t think it’s particularly cruel. I mean, it’s not hurting him right? And it’s definitely better than becoming someone’s meal! Thanks so much for replying!

 

[Chicken101-07]

It's like stopping a child from trying to learn how to walk.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I think they’re really humane. If one doesn’t work you could always try putting two on him.

 

[DiYMama540]

I remember that thread @ChickNanny13 . The only problem I could see coming across would be the rooster getting hung up on something accidentally.

I've also read a thread or two about blackout curtains and what not in the coop so the rooster doesn't realize the sun has risen.

 

[HannahL]

Thanks so much for all the replies. I realize that roosters crow and I knew that going into it. However, in this case getting the rooster was quite unexpected. He was at a kill shelter and I managed to nab him before he was sent to become soup. I figured that a collar was better than being killed for him. I realize that it is preventing the rooster from doing what is natural for him. I more meant, is it going to hurt him? If it’s just a bit embarrassing for him, I can live with that. If it actually hurts him, that’s a different story. And if anyone has any other ideas of preventing crowing besides a collar that’d be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[HannahL]

I remember that thread @ChickNanny13 . The only problem I could see coming across would be the rooster getting hung up on something accidentally.

I've also read a thread or two about blackout curtains and what not in the coop so the rooster doesn't realize the sun has risen.

What if someone told you from now on when you talk it has to be in a whisper.
It's either that or you will be put to death. I'm sure that kinda life wouldn't kill you and wouldn't cause you any pain but is it a life you want to live?
That will be your roosters best case scenario.
Truth is collars do restrict air flow. To much restriction and they die. To little restriction and it does nothing to lessen the volume. Just right and it restricts enough to quiet the crow but not enough to kill them.
Then you have the concern of the chock hazard. Being caught or hung on something or trying to swallow something to large.
If you read their sites you will see how much emphasis is put on correctly fitting the collar and most have a warning against feeding pellet style food. When the manufacturer puts that information out there doesn't that make you think there's some serious risks involved?
I'm sure the majority of people that use them and follow the fitting instructions correctly will never end up with a dead rooster but then there are cases where that's exactly what they end up with. How you gonna feel if you end up the unlucky one?
I was half joking about the living life with only being able to whisper but what if that was your life but then you discovered if I move down the road I'll be able to talk normally again. Would you head down the road or say na no big deal I'll stay here?
Let your rooster move down the road. There are cases where a rooster can be rehomed and not eatened.

Thank you so much for replying! I found your diagram to be super helpful. Who knew that they got two breaths for the price of one? Pretty cool! Unfortunately, I live in an area that doesn’t have a particular love of roosters. (I’ll never understand why. I think that roosters get a bad rap.) I can’t find many shelters around me that don’t end up sending their roosters to slaughter if they don’t get adopted and I really don’t want that for this guy. He’s so sweet. Do you think it’d be okay if I only kept the collar on at night? He’s remarkably quiet during the rest of the day so he really would only need it on for those first couple early hours of the morning. I’m gonna try blackout curtains in the coop and see if that helps since it seems like the light triggers his crowing. But if the curtains don’t work, do you think that just having it on for a little while in the morning is an okay option? I would hate to give him up if I can prevent it, but I also don’t want to put his safety in danger. Thanks again for your reply!