If I give my rooster away before it starts crowing, is it still unlawful?

[rosemarythyme]

Wow, I live in the UK and have never heard of this - It sounds a bit harsh not to be able to have a rooster AT All anywhere in Seattle? surely there must be less densely populated areas of the city just like anywhere else that it's far enough away from other people to not be a problem.

At least chickens are legal in Seattle. Many bigger cities have an outright ban. The city itself is pretty packed, yards are narrow. Once you get outside of the city then it's lots of suburbia, some of which is even more chicken restrictive than Seattle.