But those straight run silkies always get me and I pick up a few and I always end up with a rooster. And this last time I'm pretty sure I got two incorrectly sexed chicks even from the vent sexed crew. But they're just too cute to cull and it hard to get rid of Roos, even cute ones. So we have tried the No Crow Collar a few times now and I have to say it works great.
The instructions are a little vague and not very detailed. They say to leave a pinkie width under the collars. Nope. That is way too loose. I do that the first day now so they can get used to it (they freak out and flip around and try to back out of it all day long the first day. By day 2 they seem ok with it. So I keep pushing more feathers away from the neck one day 2 and keep tightening, watching (even at the perfect tightness there won't be any signs of distress, so if they look choked or something that's too tight) and tightening again as I hear them crow. If it is almost tight enough it will sound about 75% as loud, but placed right and tight enough they are about 10% as loud and very neighbor-friendly.
After the first day the boys don't seem to mind. I check every week of so for mites or issues. I think the actual collar vs Velcro seems more comfortable, because it has webbing and moves. But Velcro might work and would likely be cheaper.
Anyway, people always ask, so I thought I would post my thoughts here. I know some people think it's mean to not let them freely crow loudly, but in my area it's a choice between wearing the collar and staying with their chicken-y friends or not wearing it and possibly being sent to freezer camp. So I'm comfortable with this as a responsible rooster option.
Re: training. The chicks are out in the coop now but come every morning I am right there before our Roo crows and as soon as he does I take him out of coop and bring inside house and put him in the puppy pen for a couple of hours and then bring him back outside to be with the girls. We are going on day 3 now. I am hoping that eventually he will not crow because he doesnt want to be away from the ladies. I battled w/ this decision off and on because I would be taking away his joy crowing and well thats what roo's do but well its better than the dinner table.
good im glad u had luck with it. im going to keep trying to train him but after a week if i see that it def wont work then i will order the collar. i just have to figure out the size :/
