If I get rid of my rooster(s), how will the hens behave?

[BigBernice]

I have 2 roosters, one loud mouth, one quiet one. The loud rooster crows all hours of the day and night and has woken up my neighbor several times...needless to say, I have to either quiet him down or get rid of both roosters. I figure that the loud rooster is probably dominant over the other and thats why the other is quiet. I fear if I get rid of the loud roo then the quiet one will become loud; hence, I will probably get rid of both.

If the girls are used to having the loud roo around, how will they act once he is gone? Any chance a hen will try and become dominant over the flock and become noisy?

Also, before I give the roos away, is there anything I can try to keep them a little less noisy....especially at night?

Thanks for all suggestions!!!

 

[scooter147]

The hens will be hens with the roos gone. They will go about their day scratching, dusting, laying, lounging etc. One hen will become the dominant hen but no excess noise will come out of her. IMHO hens are happier without a roo harrassing them all day long.
Does you coop have windows? if so you may try black out curtains so that no light from a porch light, street light, cars etc. can enter the coop after dark. This will occasionally work to quiet a roo who cannot sleep through the night.

 

[pkeeler]

You are probably right about why the other is quiet. But you never know. The hens might be very skittish for awhile if they are free ranging. They will get over it. I'd be careful about hawks.

I've heard (never tried) that you can put them in a box they barely can stand in. They won't crow if they can't extend their necks.

 

[Mahonri]

Once when I got rid of a roo, I had an alpha hen that started crowing during the day and I had to rehome her. Wasn't a regular crow, but it was loud and bothersome.

 

[joebryant]

Like a woman without a man, a hen without a rooster is like a fish without a bicycle.

 

[FrizzlesRule]

If the roosters are pets and you want to keep them, take them in at night. I know that may sound strange but I have two roosters that are house pets, but they are bantams, so they aren't very big. Yes SPIKE and SPUD both crow their heads off, but no one can hear them but me.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:

The girls should be fine.


I've had pet roos crow on their backs, held upside down, inside boxes, inside moving cars, and even while I was playing with their throat area to turn the crow sound on and off. Some roosters like to crow.