No Crow Rooster collar

[SageB]

@NewlyHatchedEgg thank you for your sentiment. I'm sorry to hear about Uncle Sam too. I know I treat my chickens more like pets too, but my kids and even my husband have started to really warm up to the idea. I'm still not sure if I had the collar too tight on Danny, he seemed fine up until I found him dead. I think another possibility is a neighbor tired of the crowing (I couldn't get the collar to work most of the time) may have quieted him for good, but that's just an assumption and I try not to go there in my mind. Still I have added a lock to the coop door.

 

[kittybethaustin]

My silkie is still crowing but it's much quieter now. And he doesn't crow as often. The neighbor behind me who could hear him very clearly no longer hears him at all. I've found it hard to tighten the collar to just a pinkie of space. Feathers get in the way. Plus his neck is short for the two inches of height of the collar. I may order a smaller collar for him. I could do a home-made version but the "official" one isn't solid velcro. It has three rows of velcro sewn together with two rows of mesh. I think this helps it be more comfortable to the rooster because it bends better as he moves his neck around.

 

[sunnyfishy]

I'm interested in this product--we just got our new little Plymouth Rock roo and he is a crowing fiend. It's honestly hilarious because two neighbors on our street/neighborhood have roosters, so if you hear either of their roos our new roo goes off. No one seems to mind the crowing, probably because almost every home in the area also has the barkiest dog in the universe. No one wants to complain about each others' pets I guess.

 

[mommak]

Has anyone tried this on a bantam? I have 7 week old silkies and one of them just started trying to crow- go figure I'm super attached.
My neighborhood doesn't allow chickens at all and my husband wants me to get rid of him so we don't get in trouble.
But if this really works and doesn't make him miserable I'll order one ASAP

 

[kittybethaustin]

Yes, look two posts up. I'm using it on a silkie

 

[mommak]

Yes, look two posts up.  I'm using it on a silkie

Oh duh! Should I wait until he's older? He's so young - these are also my first birds... I'm just nervous

 

[kittybethaustin]

The research on the collars that I did suggested that using them the earlier, the better. Keep in mind that it doesn't totally prevent them from crowing. It just lowers the volume and frequency, so neighbors may still hear him.

 

[mommak]

The research on the collars that I did suggested that using them the earlier, the better.  Keep in mind that it doesn't totally prevent them from crowing.  It just lowers the volume and frequency, so neighbors may still hear him.   

What size do you recommend?

 

[ErniesFlock]

Once fitted properly the No Crow Collar works as advertised.
There was a bit of stress for both me and my poor rooster, with many attempts at adjusting the collars fit, but now he has adjusted to the collar quite well.
The volume and quantity of crowing has been reduced, which is the whole point, so hooray for that! However, this is not an idiot proof process and it's quite an adjustment for a rooster to adapt to.
Here's hoping the neighbors calm the **** down now! One neighbor is over sensitive to sound and another works late so needs to sleep in. I still lock the rooster in the garage at night so that there is no possibility of his disturbing the neighbors while a local sound ordinance is in effect. The collar does not keep him from crowing.
I had been less than happy about my initial experience and contacted MyPetChicken.com (the people I bought the collar from) with a list of grievances, feature requests, & possible solutions. They responded well and they've even edited the instructions to include a bit more detail in fitting the collar, which was one of my requests.
I'm really hoping they eventually post more detailed videos for fitting the collars on various breeds to help others get the best outcome with these things.

Our experience too was less than satisfactory however we have managed to get our rooster volume down to about a 2 out of 10. I readjusted it to a different location on his throat and bam. He now sounds like a zombie rooster when he crows. Kinda sounds like he is burping or something. We are going to post a video to demonstrate.

 

[kittybethaustin]

• Mommak, I would measure your rooster's neck and add an inch or so for overlap. I ended up making one from industrial velcro this week because the one I bought was too tall on my little roo's neck. I bought 2 inch wide and trimmed about a half inch off. Without it being so bulky I was better able to adjust it so that I haven't heard any crows at all for the last day or so. He's running around like usual, courting the ladies but no crowing.