Keeping a rooster quiet?

[bobbi-j]

First of all, is it legal to keep roosters where you live? If not, I would suggest you don’t. If is legal, read on. Roosters crow and they can be loud. Keeping the coop dark will be helpful. There isn’t much you can do about daytime crowing.

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

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.

My roos don't crow at night, they crow at 3-5 am though lol!

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

First of all, is it legal to keep roosters where you live? If not, I would suggest you don’t. If is legal, read on. Roosters crow and they can be loud. Keeping the coop dark will be helpful. There isn’t much you can do about daytime crowing.

Pretty EE roo in your profile, I had one similar to that.

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

View attachment 2440749
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.
View attachment 2440750

SO BEAUTIFUL!

 

[Pullet Press]

First of all, is it legal to keep roosters where you live? If not, I would suggest you don’t. If is legal, read on. Roosters crow and they can be loud. Keeping the coop dark will be helpful. There isn’t much you can do about daytime crowing.

(sorry for not getting to you sooner)
Yes, it is legal. My city has no laws concerning livestock excepting pigs (public decency, I'd assume), and my neighbors have told me they wouldn't mind.
(Thanks for replying)

 

[bobbi-j]

Pretty EE roo in your profile, I had one similar to that.

Thanks! He was an EE/Brahma cross. Nice boy.

 

[MarkJr]

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.

LOL they do have unique crows. The RIR had the long drawn out Cock-a-doodle-doooooo that is textbook crowing.
My young Sussex has forgotten the doodle. Just as long, but Cock-a-dooooooooooooo!!!!

I sure hope he matures out of it. It’s rather pathetic.

I have been through 6 Roos/cockerels in just shy of two years. My original RIR was my buddy. Not aggressive. Content to hang around arms length from me and a violent protector from threats. I had to put him down due to injuries sustained. The 5 since have been little buggers that decided I was a big chicken that should listen to them. Seven, my Sussex, has the temperament of my original RIR. Hopefully the kids calling him Lucky is foreshadowing. He’s 6 months old and pretty darn good so far.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

There are things you can do to minimize the sound, but as many have stated, it really depends on the rooster. In my experience, the more docile breeds of rooster are quieter, BUT just like any other quality, exceptions exist. You tend to have to go through a few before you find one that suits your needs in areas such as temperament(how he treats non chickens), flock management style (how he treats chickens), and territoriality (the crowing/posturing amount)

I've read all sorts of strategies but I'm relatively new to keeping chickens in an urban environment so I haven't had the chance to try them all, and honestly some might work for some roosters and not at all for others. You said you wouldn't try a no-crow collar--I get it, but I'll go over them as I've tried them myself: there are multiple designs and it's possible to make your own out of double sided velcro or even trying a small infant sock (obviously cut off the toe bit or your rooster will just be super confused). I've played around with them a bit, and it seems to me that the most important thing is that it has to be at least 2" wide where it sits on the air sac, or it won't have any kind of effect. They don't stop them from crowing either, they just make it where they can't fully expand the air sac they use to crow. I've never had a rooster injure themselves with them, but I've been super cautious...watching them for at least 30 minutes the first time it's on/anytime it's adjusted, and tightening it slowly (only once a day) until it affects the crow, so that they have time to get used to it.

Otherwise, you can put them in a restrictive cage/box when you don't want them to be crowing, basically large enough for them to comfortably sit but not stand up fully and extend their neck to crow. This solution might be the best for you since you don't care about day time crowing.

I've read also that having a high hen to rooster ratio (over the 10:1) will keep him too busy to crow. I've had mixed results with this. It seems that if the hens are bossy, it works, but if they aren't, it doesn't...so if you have docile breeds this probably isn't a good strategy.

Since you haven't built your coop yet, you can try insulating it, or at least putting a void space in the walls (like how drywall is in a house, but with plywood or whatever) to muffle crowing sounds. Baffle walls/fences and shrub screens around the chicken run/coop will also have a similar effect, but can be expensive or take a while to become effective.

 

[3KillerBs]

IMO, the rooster's individual voice matters.

I had a Light Brahma rooster in my in-town flock and no one nearby minded him because he had a pleasant, deep-toned crow.

Of course what your neighbors are like matters too. One of mine grew up on a farm and liked hearing a rooster. The other figured that if we didn't mind their muscle car they didn't mind our rooster.

When I add roosters to my flock next year I'll use tone of crowing voice as part of my selection process. I couldn't bear a shrill or squeaky voice (past the adolescent stage).

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

Thanks! He was an EE/Brahma cross. Nice boy.

Nice!