Keeping Roosters in the city?

[Krugerrand]

Down under here we're not allowed roos in residential areas so even though our town is zoned Rural, if you live in an urban area, you're not allowed roos which is terribly disappointing.

Yeah you're taking a risk if someone complains about your roo so you can keep him as long as there isn't any complains from either your neighbours or your local government. Roosters can really be loud and I think rather annoying if they crow the whole day. Yeah unfortunately Roo collars are really iffy and will really depend on the roo itself. If you're lucky to get a whisperer or one that rarely crows that's the best you can do for now until someone decides to breed one that doesn't crow then everyone will be happy and perhaps ordinances may change then.

Looks like it works with quail!

I'll never understand why cities don't allow roosters, my neighbor's dog is ten times louder than any cockerel I've ever had. My solution is just to bring in my boy in at night, he sleeps in a crate with a blackout parrot cover. I put him out after all the neighbors go to work. He crows once or twice around 5 p.m (right before the neighbors get home from work) and that's it, of he crows any other time I certainly can't hear it from inside. Don't know if it's luck or he just doesn't feel like there's competition or danger about, or whatever it is boys crow about.

I have tried the water pistol method unsuccessfully when I had a pen full of noisy male quail trying to out do each other, but I just bred quiet males and solved that problem through genetics, they literally don't call at all after two years of breeding specifically for calm and quiet temperaments.

 

[ChookieG]

Looks like it works with quail!

Awesome! I have a friend who has a OESB with a bad temper and a whispering crow. He refuses to breed him for future cockerels as he doesn't think it'll be worth the time and effort stating that it takes thousands of chicks to select for the ideal trait/s. I refuse to believe him and we had a very heated argument over it. It's his choice in the end anyway but I think it's a real pity. I'm hoping we can get hold of more empirical evidence that this trait is heritable and quite easily bred into future generations.

@MadamContrary, have you kept any of the sons from your 5pm Crowing-Roo? Was wondering whether they inherited the same behaviour? Also, did you just happen to chance upon a quiet male quail that you decided to breed? And how many generations did you have to go through before you got quiet quails?

It'll be interesting to gather some info as to whether their babies inherit the same crowing/non-crowing trait as their daddies.

 

[MROO]

The time to fight city hall is before you move to the city or before you get chickens. I'm trying to get the city to allow me to have chickens on an acre of land at the end of a city street on top of a mountain with nothing but woods behind me.(They own the raw land behind me)My closest neighbor is 200-300 ft away but the city ordinance says I need permission from the majority of my neighbors if my chickens are within 500 ft from their house.The city has land that adjoins mine so I'm trying to buy enough that I don't need anyone's permission .The city says they can't sell land to me without offering it to the public. They are considering rezoning my land. I will build a house on the land only if they fix this problem because I want chickens.Otherwise I will stay where I am at.I live in a city that officially won't let you have chickens but won't say anything as long as you keep them up and they don't get complaints Surprisingly people raised on farms are sometimes the ones who fight us the hardest

For inspiration and a generous precedent, look into the ordinances in Baltimore City (Maryland.) They allow four hens on minimal property (more with certain, livable conditions) and it's working very well.

 

[Tmartin7711]

I'm a little late but I hope I can help. I originally wanted 4 chickens and now have over 20. In my area I'm only allowed 5. I live fairly close too the city. In honestly surprised my neighbors still like me being that in the crazy chicken lady. During my journey on chicken keeping I of course got about 10 roosters. I rehomed all of them except for my paint silkie roo. He is the QUIETEST rooster I have ever known. Only crows maybe once a day, and when he has crowing fits I put him in the garage till he stops. He is perfectly healthy and happy. He even won at the state fair. I now breed him and sell his babies. He loves his hens and his yard. Roosters are incredibly smart they can learn what they can and can't do, and my roo has learned the rules. If you have a rooster that is quiet and low maintenance I'd say keep him if you have nice neighbors.

 

[SeaCity]

I'm a little late but I hope I can help. I originally wanted 4 chickens and now have over 20. In my area I'm only allowed 5. I live fairly close too the city. In honestly surprised my neighbors still like me being that in the crazy chicken lady. During my journey on chicken keeping I of course got about 10 roosters. I rehomed all of them except for my paint silkie roo. He is the QUIETEST rooster I have ever known. Only crows maybe once a day, and when he has crowing fits I put him in the garage till he stops. He is perfectly healthy and happy. He even won at the state fair. I now breed him and sell his babies. He loves his hens and his yard. Roosters are incredibly smart they can learn what they can and can't do, and my roo has learned the rules. If you have a rooster that is quiet and low maintenance I'd say keep him if you have nice neighbors.

I'm going to try the next time I have a roo!

 

[630004]

I'm going to try the next time I have a roo!

We have 25 hens and are down to one roo (Vincenzo). We recently sent out other six Roos to freezer camp.

Vinnie is a pet and we will not cull him. With that being said he is pretty vocal and crows a lot (we love it). Our neighbors are ok with it (we give them eggs every week). We do have a fairly sound proof coop with an automatic door that is SR t to only open around 8:00 AM