Keeping a rooster quiet?

[Pullet Press]

So, I've been wanting a rooster for a while now, but noise is a factor (not for me, but my family), and I don't want my neighbors demanding my rooster be killed, so I need to plan this all out in advance.

I'd like to figure out how to reduce the crow volume (at least at night). I'd lock him in a coop at night that would be totally dark (I can't get pics of either the roo or the coop because they are currently nonexistent). I really only want him quiet during the night, and will gladly let him crow in the day.

Oh, and he's probably going to be a Heritage RIR, if that makes any difference. I'm also going to be getting some Cochin and Silkie bantams (straight run , but will they be loud if any are roos?), which could possibly be roosters (like I said, straight run).

Does anyone have tips on how to keep a rooster's volume reduced at nighttime? I'm not going to be using anything like a no-crow collar.

 

[JaeG]

Our large breed rooster sounds like a trumpeting elephant - he is really loud. In comparison our Old English Game bantam rooster sounds like a dog's squeaky toy. So much quieter but more high pitched. I much prefer our bantam boy's crow. It makes me laugh.

It depends on the rooster as to whether he will crow during the night. Our big boy waits until 5am to start. Our little guy likes to sleep in.

 

[MarkJr]

This guy could be heard 1/2 mile away. Same with my Sussex pictured below. I agree fully with large fowl volume. They’re amazing. But very loud.

 

[Pullet Press]

Well then, are there any quiet-ish full-size rooster breeds?
(Seriously, bantam half-breeds *sorry* aren't the best meat birds...)

 

[MarkJr]

Quietest full size roo ive had was a CM.

 

[MarkJr]

And still audible 1/4 mile away.

 

[Pullet Press]

And still audible 1/4 mile away.

Yikes...

 

[MarkJr]

Big birds have big lungs.
I don’t mind it at all. My current cockerel fires off 2-3 times around 430 am. Then starts at daylight for about 20 minutes. Hear him 5-6 times throughout the day and quiet at roost time.

 

[gimmie birdies]

What bothers neighbors is mostly in the morning. At night I put my rooster in a sleepy box (like a nest box with a door on it.) The rooster is more quiet, may still crow, but not as much. Keep him in there from bed time, until 9-10 am. Also a crow collar helps.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Yes, I would tend to agree that neighbors are bothered in the morning (think typical sunrise crowing). Almost everyone in my neighborhood though has roosters, so that is generally not a problem.

My RIR is louder than my other boys, and he likes to crow at night also. He does not usually crow outside which I find interesting - I think it's because my other rooster (who is quieter) keeps him in line. Bantams are squeaky - you will find that they do not sound like the ideal rooster crow at all. I kept my Dominique rooster with a crow collar for a while, and it worked for the most part. I took it off after he was about nine months old and it's fine, he doesn't crow very loud or very much at all, maybe several times a day and that's all. In fact, I almost like his crows now.

Every rooster is different, you will find some that spend all their time crowing and others that hardly crow at all. Some are raspy, some have long crows, other short. I don't know how far you are from your neighbors or what the area is like - we are in the countryside so no one cares.

Either way, I wish you luck with your new chickens! I cannot imagine my flock without a rooster now, and I think you will enjoy yours as well.