Keeping Roosters in the city?

[JFK2684]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone could share their input on keep chicken/roosters in the city. I am very new to this backyard chicken tradition but I am loving it. I have 2 4 months old roosters about to crow soon, wondering if anyone in the same situation as I am. If anyone has a rooster in the city please share your experience. I would like get input on how you keep them quiet and your neigbours happy.


Thanks

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You can't keep them quiet. "No Crow" collars are unreliable (in tha many don't have success with them, though a few claim to) and dangerous (in that they are hard to apply correctly - particularly when the bird is still growing).

The better question is "where the heck are you"? Since your local zoning ordinances will determine whether or not you can have chickens, if roosters are allowed, how many, and under what circumstances....

 

[McChooky]

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

 

[Dinogrrl]

They won't stay quiet, and most methods I've come across to make them be quiet are imho not humane.
Anyway I have a rooster now, after almost 5 years of having just 2-3 hens in my back yard. He's been old enough to crow for a month and a half now, I've crossed paths with my neighbors multiple times since then and none have said anything to me about it. I think it helps that I'm on good terms with them all and they know I keep my chickens well, and that I started with just the hens so they kinda got used to having chickens around.
Also I know for a fact I'm not the only person in my neighborhood who has a rooster.

That being said, roosters are not allowed in city limits...however nobody seems to know whether or not I'm actually within city limits (ask me about all the time I wasted trying to figure that out 9_9). So if someone tried to get snitty I could probably make a case for myself on that point .

Anyway so yeah, that's really kinda where it's at. If roosters aren't allowed in your city, and you have one anyway, just know that it is a risk and there's always a chance animal control could get called on you.

 

[630004]

Growing up we used to put the rooster in a sound reducing box every night. Pain in the a-- but he was a pet so you do what you have to.

 

[Brooks_]

.however nobody seems to know whether or not I'm actually within city limits

Property tax bill should answer that.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

No need to wait for the bill - the property tax appraisor's office (likely online) will reveal your zoning. City/no city is a start, but w/i the county, city, or special district, the applicable zoning may still make a difference.

For instance - A particular code might have a mix of R{esidential}4, R10, R20 where lots range from a minimum of 1/4 acre to a 20 apartment/acre complex where no chickens are allowed, period. It might also have an R{ural}R{esidential}1 with a minimum 1 acre size where some small number of chickens are permitted on a non-commercial basis, an RR2 (or5) zone with larger lots of similar character that allow small-scale loosely "farming" activities including possession of roosters, and then a series of Ag{ricultural}10, Ag25, and larger properties where commercial farming and/or large flocks are permitted.

 

[Krugerrand]

Growing up we used to put the rooster in a sound reducing box every night. Pain in the a-- but he was a pet so you do what you have to.

When our silkie turned out to be a rooster we put him in the garage with the windows blocked out for 3 nights until we found him a new home.

 

[ChookieG]

Anyway so yeah, that's really kinda where it's at. If roosters aren't allowed in your city, and you have one anyway, just know that it is a risk and there's always a chance animal control could get called on you.

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.

 

[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.

That sure would be an interesting breeding project.