Managing a rooster with neighbors

[Tatortotchicks]

Hi I have a flock of 6 and recently found out my one silkie chicken is a rooster. The rest were able to be sexed as chicks and are all hens. However I have neighbors and I am new to the neighborhood and am doing my best to be a good neighbor but he crows so early in the morning. Do handle it I have been bringing him in nightly and putting him back outside in the mornings. That works fine for nights that I am home but I travel about every other week and am gone for 3 days in a row. I was thinking I could pop out the doggie fence and set him up in the garage when I travel. Will that negatively affect him in any way? I was thinking of bringing in one of the hens with him to keep him company during my work trips but wasn’t sure how that would affect that hen and the pecking order. Should I choose the chicken who is already at the bottom of the rank? Any advice would help!

 

[ShannonR]

Good luck with this!! I have tried it all, dark box for the rooster, putting roosters inside at night, none of it proved very practical or effective. Let us know how it turns out though.

 

[leighks]

I have found from experience that roosters will crow no matter what. Mine starts around 4:30, well before dawn, and crows throughout the day.

Are you able to keep roosters where you are?

Separating him with a hen may subject that hen to constant breeding attempts and no option to get away from him if it gets to be too much. Plus sometimes you do have to worry about effecting the pecking order on a regular basis by adding and removing hens regularly.

If you are allowed to have roosters, give the neighbors eggs occasionally and hopefully they understand. If you can’t have roosters, it may be in the best interest of the rooster to rehome him. Crowing is a natural behavior and he’s gonna do it for years to come. Good luck!

 

[FortCluck]

Are you allowed to have roosters in your location? If they are allowed, I wouldn't even worry about the noise. I just think that locking up a rooster negatively affects them and their overall health. My rooster's crow from 4:30 a.m. all the way until 9:00 p.m. and they do it as a form of communication towards everything. Mine crow when the neighbors come home, they crow in the neighbor's dogs bark, they crow in the neighbor's kids get home, they crow when they hear me cooking in the kitchen, they crow when they see me walking out on the porch... you can't stop a rooster from crowing, even if you put him in the garage he's still going to do it. I feel like if he is a good rooster right now, locking him up in a garage that has no grass or anything, it could make him aggressive and change his temperament.

If you are not allowed to have roosters, please find him a home where he's able to be a rooster.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi I have a flock of 6 and recently found out my one silkie chicken is a rooster. The rest were able to be sexed as chicks and are all hens. However I have neighbors and I am new to the neighborhood and am doing my best to be a good neighbor but he crows so early in the morning. Do handle it I have been bringing him in nightly and putting him back outside in the mornings. That works fine for nights that I am home but I travel about every other week and am gone for 3 days in a row. I was thinking I could pop out the doggie fence and set him up in the garage when I travel. Will that negatively affect him in any way? I was thinking of bringing in one of the hens with him to keep him company during my work trips but wasn’t sure how that would affect that hen and the pecking order. Should I choose the chicken who is already at the bottom of the rank? Any advice would help!

I assume if you have only just found out that you have a male he isn't a rooster, he's a cockerel and that makes a lot of difference.
He is likely to crow less once he matures.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Lemme tell you I have a grandfathered rooster. When I have tried to separate him even with another bird he gets MORE noisy not less. The garage may muffle the sound but then it will be constant instead. He KNOWS there be other hens and he will absolutely call for them. If you're allowed to have roosters, find the legal clauses for your city and state that allow it and feel free to refer complaints to the official ordinance number TBH. Some people will be fine with the rooster and some wont and I've never been able to change any minds in my neighborhood with mine. Not with bribery or being nice or anything else.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! If roosters are allowed where you live, he's fine where he is. If you can't have them, rehome ASAP. I agree with everyone else who's posted on this.
You can mitigate the noise a bit by insulating the coop wall facing your neighbor's house, but otherwise enjoy him!
Crowing is much less annoying than most barking dogs, IMO!
Mary

 

[room onthebroom]

The biggest question is, are you legally allowed to have him?

Either way, I would not isolate him in the garage. Its very unnatural & not fair to the bird. He needs to be out scratching in the sun and protecting his flock. I agree that it will cause him to crow more, not less.

If he is legal in your area, I would buy an automatic pop door. You can set the times for it to open and close which is a life saver when you're out of town. Just make sure you install it a few days before you leave so you know its working & that you set the time correctly.

 

[Tatortotchicks]

I am legally allowed to have a rooster, I just want to be respectful to my neighbors at the same time. I have not received any complaints yet but he is loud enough where I have been woken up before so I wouldn’t be surprised if it has affected my neighbors the same.

I just ordered an automatic chicken door last week. Maybe I will do that and add some adjustments to the coop to help muffle the noise in the morning until the door opens.

Thanks everyone for the advice! This is my first time having chickens and it has been such a joy. These threads have been so helpful.

 

[room onthebroom]

I am legally allowed to have a rooster, I just want to be respectful to my neighbors at the same time. I have not received any complaints yet but he is loud enough where I have been woken up before so I wouldn’t be surprised if it has affected my neighbors the same.

I just ordered an automatic chicken door last week. Maybe I will do that and add some adjustments to the coop to help muffle the noise in the morning until the door opens.

Thanks everyone for the advice! This is my first time having chickens and it has been such a joy. These threads have been so helpful.

You are lucky you can keep him & your neighbors are lucky to have such a good neighbor. Let us know which pop door you decided to buy & how you like it.