Keep rooster in suburbs

[romanerin2011]

I've been wanting to add a rooster to my flock for a year now. Problem is I live in suburbs and our neighbors are very close. Although I do live in the only area of the city that is legal to keep farm animals, I don't want to draw attention to myself and make my neighbors mad. I've heard of the rooster boxes but I can't do that as I go to work at 630am. So my idea was to keep him in the box until I leave for work and then let him roam in the shed until I get home at 345pm. Is that a bad idea?

 

[donrae]

Personally, I don't think it sounds like a good situation for a roo. Don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but here's what I see....

The rooster gets to be with the hens at 4pm or so....depending on what you need to do on the way home. Since he's been isolated all day, first thing he's going to want to do is jump every hen, probably multiple times. Hens don't usually like that, they want a little bit of courtship

I don't know your situation/how many birds, etc....but fighting in a flock is often caused by overcrowding. If that's the cause here, adding another bird isn't going to help.

Something to keep in mind about hatching chicks, half of them are roosters. You'll need to have a plan to manage them, also.


All that said, imo if roosters are legal where you live, get one and let him live his rooster life with the hens like he's supposed to. If you're legal, the neighbors just need to deal with it, or move to the city to be awoken by garbage trucks instead of crowing roosters.

 

[shmccarthy]

Out of respect for your neighbors, I would disregard the idea of getting a rooster.
Yes it is your property and while you may be entitled to your rooster, it is not fair if the neighbors have to unwillingly deal with it.
I live way out in the sticks where there's only a few houses per square mile. More people raise livestock than not out here. According to where I live I could have 300 roosters if I really wanted to (not that I ever would! Hehe).
What you must know is that roosters will just as readily crow in tha dark and at night time, as they will in the daytime. The time a rooster crows is not dependant solely on light, but on the individual rooster's internal clock. Rico, my Sebright rooster, thought the best time to crow was at 2am, every single morning. My neighbors could hear it..I could hear it and I even keep all my windows shut. My other sebrights would start around 4am to 5am. My neighbors brought it up a few times and I got what they were respectfully trying to say. I rehomed all the early crowers and now my earliest crows don't happen until 6 or 7am.
Second, if you want to hatch, you obviously are aware that you will most certainly get cockerel chicks. You need to have a solid plan for them. Some of my young cockerels have started crowing at 6 weeks! Before we could even tell for a fact they were boys...you will have to be able to rehome them or be willing to eat them. Depending on where you live and with demand, you may have a hard time or an easy time rehoming them. This is very important to keep in mind. I would save yourself the hassle personally, and not get a rooster.

 

[donrae]

Why are you wanting a rooster?

What does "roam in the shed" mean? Is it being with the flock? If yes, probably okay. If not, then why have him if he's not with the hens?

Do you think your neighbors will be okay with crowing at 6 am when you leave for work?

I don't know about rooster boxes, but I do know my birds start crowing around 4am. they also crow on and off all night during a full moon, or if car headlights hit the coop, or the dogs get after something outside. They're an animal that by their very nature draws attention to themselves, they're really not very stealthy.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Roosters will also crow if they hear you in the house, such as if you turn the water on and they hear it, or you go out on your deck and they hear it. So they are the alert for the flock and they take that job seriously. A lot of cocks will give their lives for their hens, and they will sound the alert. This isn't what the neighbors will want to hear if they are very close by. Hope this helps.

 

[romanerin2011]

No he would be in the shed by himself and then when i get put him in with the hens. I want a rooster so it can protect the hens and maybe stop the fighting between my barred rocks and rir. I also want to hatch my own eggs as well, lastly I think they're pretty and have always wanted one. Not sure if my neighbors would care. The two beside me said they wouldn't care but not sure about the rest.

 

[Folly's place]

No chicken should live along, as they are social flock animals. He needs to live with the hens,not be in solitary confinement. Talk to the neighbors first and see what they think. Roosters crowing are less difficult than barking dogs, IMO. Mary

 

[romanerin2011]

I'm trying to find the law that states it is legal. My real estate agent called me and she told me she found a document that states my neighborhood is the only one in my city where livestock is legal. Which makes sense cause the people on the next street down have horses and cows. I might just take a walk around the neighborhood and ask everyone on my street if they mind.

 

[aart]

I'm trying to find the law that states it is legal. My real estate agent called me and she told me she found a document that states my neighborhood is the only one in my city where livestock is legal. Which makes sense cause the people on the next street down have horses and cows. I might just take a walk around the neighborhood and ask everyone on my street if they mind.

I'd ask for forgiveness rather than permission...lol. People don't always tell the truth up front so as to to avoid conflict.
Get him in the winter when everyone's windows are closed, not sure where you're located tho, then they can get used to the crowing at a lower level.

 

[sbhkma]

People don't always tell the truth up front so as to to avoid conflict.
Get him in the winter when everyone's windows are closed, not sure where you're located tho, then they can get used to the crowing at a lower level.

The other aspect is that many people really have NO idea how loud and obnoxious a rooster can be until they've listened to him at all hours of the day and night.
If you're going to get a rooster, he needs to be with the flock, not just allowed with them for a couple hours a day. Keeping him separated for most of the day isn't going to accomplish anything except make him frustrated and lonely. As others have pointed out, if you have flock fighting, it could very likely be due to crowding and adding another bird is not going to help that. You might be better off taking your most aggressive hen and re-homing her instead. As for hatching eggs, if you have a broody hen you can always buy fertilized eggs and put them under her.