Neighbor complaining about roosters crowing

[NatJ]

They make no crow collars for roosters. You can buy them on Amazon among other places. They work by not allowing the rooster to fill with air before he crows so thus reducing noise produced. The rooster can still make all his other noises and breath fine just reduced crow volume. We have used these with success in the past. You can also YouTube it to see it work. It's just an option in case.

You say that a rooster with a no-crow collar can "breath just fine," but that is not always true. I've read quite a few stories of roosters that died because of no crow collars.

Apparently, there is a very fine line between "tight enough to make them crow quieter" and "so tight they cannot breathe." Some people and some roosters have good results, some others do not.

(I have no personal experience, so I'm going by what I've read, mostly on these forums. There are quite a few anecdotes on all sides of the matter-- works great for some, kills rooster for some, doesn't work but doesn't kill rooster for others.)

 

[Folly's place]

x2. Seems like a bad idea to me.
Mary

 

[RaulandJeanette]

You say that a rooster with a no-crow collar can "breath just fine," but that is not always true. I've read quite a few stories of roosters that died because of no crow collars.

Apparently, there is a very fine line between "tight enough to make them crow quieter" and "so tight they cannot breathe." Some people and some roosters have good results, some others do not.

(I have no personal experience, so I'm going by what I've read, mostly on these forums. There are quite a few anecdotes on all sides of the matter-- works great for some, kills rooster for some, doesn't work but doesn't kill rooster for others.)

I can only speak from my actual experience and say that I do have experience using them and they have worked. Can't speak to what others have done. You do have an adjustment period in the beginning. I have always erred on the side of to loose out of caution. You usually start loose and adjust by small increments over a few days until you reach volume goal. I'm not in any way saying this is the way to go. I'm just simply offering an alternative idea.

 

[3KillerBs]

They make no crow collars for roosters.

I've read too many stories about roosters dying from these collars.

I can't consider constant partial strangulation humane.

This sign is on my 'get' list. Love it to pieces.

LOVE THAT!

Do they make one for airports too? People constantly move in next to farms, airports, factories, etc. and then start complaining about noise, etc.

My own SIL is sometimes guilty of it. She knew perfectly well that there was a small sawmill 3 (rural) doors down the road -- which we can barely hear on a still day.

 

[Apprentice_egger]

I don't know why this particular post caught my eye, or flared up my temper, but we had problems with our neighbors as well. (long time ago) They kept using a noise ordinance, that shouldn't apply outside of the town, but they kept dragging us through PD visit after PD visit and finally court. We certainly don't have the money for decent lawyers so we gave up the roosters and moved the flock behind the house so that the girls couldn't bother them, but the PD made one last visit and told the neighbors enough is enough. They couldn't tell we had chickens from the front of the house and we didn't have a rooster. We then had a problem with a weasel and that was the last straw.

Now, our new neighbors behind us have free ranging chickens and had up to 6 Guineafowl at the beginning. about 3 guineas disappeared quickly (animals?) Then the remaining guineas would cruise our yard sometimes telling us to check them out from under our bedroom window whenever they wanted. Get a guineafowl and you'll understand what noise is.

I don't complain, and because one of the former neighbors who complained about our roosters\chickens died they haven't had to put up with the PD banging on their door. Not that they ever would have.

You will probably need to get some kind of official decision to have the neighbor understand your rights if they're determined to screw with you. I grew up with animals, so It's just part of the territory for me. The funny thing is there's only one guinea left next door and it's lonely so it's hard to watch, but not so hard on the ears.

 

[cynesthesia]

I was up at 3:30 AM one morning to let the dogs out and was amazed that every rooster within hearing range including my own were crowing their little one celled brains out. The symphony was pretty impressive.

But we live in a deep rural setting in the middle of Amish farm country so animal noises are expected and mostly enjoyed. After all, it's part of living in the country.

This sign is on my 'get' list. Love it to pieces.
View attachment 3229462
Maybe buy one and hang it so the complaining neighbor can read it clearly?

Technically, the houses here are zoned residential, although the small town is not an incorporated area. Compared to the area's proximity to the city, it's definitely more country. It's more like a bunch of hobby and mini farms. A lot of people here own livestock guardian dogs (like my Great Pyrenees), chickens, horses, goats, etc.

I put a tarp over the Eglu coop. Hopefully, it would deter my rooster from at least crowing during the night, even though I still haven't heard him specifically. Today, during the late morning, he crowed more than usual. He makes less noise than my Easter Egger hen who really wants out of the coop in the mornings.

This is him staring at one of his kids. He is a deadbeat dad.

 

[TimonHens]

Sigh.
We have a right to farm, but honestly with 5 bantam cockerels I am embarrassed on my own behalf. They're are closer to our bedrooms then any neighboring housing, but the woods seem to amplify.


The eggers really wind each other up and the most social of them has a crow like a woman being strangled.

I had originally thought I would select my keepers by plumage but now leaning towards least obnoxious crow.

And still my husband says I'm not allowed to let them range because it will only give the foxes the wrong impression. He's not...wrong.

But getting a complaint when I don't even have egg bribes would be really disheartening.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Has anyone been to Kauai?! I can't walk 10 feet w/o hitting a wild rooster with a stick lol. Yes, sometimes they crow all hours, usually the moon, car lights, a leaf dropping... intestinal gas, bad dreams... I can hear their grid pattern crows and my boys almost always join in. It is a beautifully haunting thing IMO.
I also hear my neighbors loud cars and anxiety dog barking which I find more unnatural and bothersome.

I have a gal pal with a "sensitive" neighbor and she has a "crow box" or a more sound proof sleeping quarters for her boy and that seems to have done the trick for her neighbor. Sometimes people just need to see you make an effort on their behalf and that smooths things over. Sometimes not... I hope your laws and bylaws favor your flock.

 

[cynesthesia]

Has anyone been to Kauai?! I can't walk 10 feet w/o hitting a wild rooster with a stick lol. Yes, sometimes they crow all hours, usually the moon, car lights, a leaf dropping... intestinal gas, bad dreams... I can hear their grid pattern crows and my boys almost always join in. It is a beautifully haunting thing IMO.
I also hear my neighbors loud cars and anxiety dog barking which I find more unnatural and bothersome.

I have a gal pal with a "sensitive" neighbor and she has a "crow box" or a more sound proof sleeping quarters for her boy and that seems to have done the trick for her neighbor. Sometimes people just need to see you make an effort on their behalf and that smooths things over. Sometimes not... I hope your laws and bylaws favor your flock.

There's nothing much I can do about the day crowing, although hopefully he will crow less once he's integrated with the standard hens. He has 7 two month old kids, so we'll likely have too many roosters anyway. It's hard to rehome, and putting him in a shelter is a guaranteed euthanasia. My mom used to be a farmer, and I would rather have him processed and eaten over euthanasia so at least he gets to be honored. He's kinda mean to people, too, lol.

And yes, we did offer to redo the wooden fence or add any other noise deadening things on our property

 

[Coops Dad]

I read that a rooster can't crow if he can't stand up in his extended height and, if he was kept in a kennel that had a roof low enough to keep him from stretching into his "crow posture", he would keep quiet until his owner released him at an appropriate time.