Need some advice on coop design

[ruriksson]

Hi, I'm building my first coop and had some questions about crow control.

First method I've read about is keeping the rooster in the dark until later in the morning so he doesn't wake up the neighborhood at 4am. What I've read says you need to black out all light sources. Is this true? Even any light that may come in through the vents? Cracks where doors are hung etc?

Second method I read about was making the roost high enough that the chickens have enough head room, but not enough room for the rooster to stretch his neck to crow. On average are chickens smart enough that the rooster will just go down to the coop floor to crow? Or will this actually work? (I would be keeping the chickens in their coop until later in the morning with this method, but allow light in the windows.)

Please let me know if you've been successful or not with these methods.

Thanks

 

[EggyErin]

Why do you need to have crow control? Keeping a rooster from crowing is like trying not to swallow. Doesn't work. However, maybe others have had some success with that. The not-swallowing part.

 

[7L Farm]

You can't keep Mr Roo from crowing.

 

[ruriksson]

i'm not trying to keep him from crowing at all. just trying to limit it to later in the day. the idea is to change their internal clocks (keeping them in the dark) so their day begins at 9 or something. so then there's only crowing after the neighborhood is up and going and drowned out by the normal city noises

the no head room concept is similiar. he can't crow when in the coop and would not be let out until later in the morning.

 

[seanb]

You probably shouldn't have a rooster if you need to worry about the noise he'll make.

I've heard mine go vocal at 1:30 in the morning with no moon light or any other sources of light.

Suppressing Mother Nature usually doens't go according to plan...

 

[HEChicken]

Its not just light that gets them going - it is sound too. Anything that is slightly alarming. If I had to let my dogs out at night (not common), it wouldn't matter what time of night it was - just hearing the back door open or me calling the dogs back in was all it took to get them going.

The limiting head room option - I had never heard that until last week when someone else asked it on another thread. I've never tried it so can't be sure, but in my opinion it wouldn't work. My guy was able to crow just sitting on the roost (i.e. when alarmed by the dog noises in para.1). His head room wasn't limited but he also wasn't standing and stretching out either - yet he was still able to make a full crow.

 

[josephrettig]

if you want to know about chicken coop design then please keep contact with me or you can visit my chick coop site.There are lots of information about it.
Thank
Joseph Rettig

 

[ThomsonCentennialFarm]

As soon as my roos hear me coming out to let them out, even before dark at 6 AM, they start crowing. So I agree with HEChicken, it's definitely stimulus, not light, that makes them crow.

 

[Pico de Gallo]

Why do you need to have crow control? Keeping a rooster from crowing is like trying not to swallow. Doesn't work. However, maybe others have had some success with that. The not-swallowing part.

I respectfully disagree. Swallow the rooster, and you'll swallow his crow.

Even if you successfully condition your own rooster, if he hears any neighboring roosters it'll set him off anyway.

 

[2hot2chicken]

OP I think I know what you are talking about and I guess maybe some of the other posters didn't?

I have a a rooster and a young cockeral and to limit the noise (AT NIGHT AND EARLY AM) I made sure that my coop was insulated and except for the couple small vents its well sealed. This helps keep the noise level down during the times my coop is closed up. My coop is about 50 feet from the corner of my house where my bedroom is and in the middle of the night once in a while I do faintly hear him going off in the coop but I figure I can barely hear him then my neighbors who are farther away can hear him even less if at all and he has never woken me up by crowing in the early am unless Im to lazy to close up their pop door at night. Then he is out at 1 am in the run crowing thanks to the street light on the side of my property. I let my birds out in the morning between 8-9am when I get up and they are healthy and happy. Also do be aware that like some others said he will go off during the day to, not just with the sunrise....
My run borders mine and my neighbors yard and my neighbor likes to go sit and watch the chickens in the bench they put on their property next to my run, (and sneak them veggy treats

). When my neighbor aproaches the fence my roo always goes off as hes waiting for the snack he takes to his favorite girl. My roo also goes off if a bird flies over the run. if a bufferfly flies by and well I think sometimes just for the fun of it he crows as loud as he can. I made sure all my surounding neighbors were ok with the noise during the day and make sure to take them eggs to keep them happy But do like I do and you should be able to at leased limit the volume of the noise during the night if you want to have a roo.
Hope this helps.