Ok to separate birds at night?

[jamie78]

I have a rooster and live in the city. I've read that people put their rooster in a pen in the garage at night to help conceal the early morning noise and pacify neighbors. Would it be ok for me to do that with mine now that winter is here? I plan only to let him out when I let all my birds out to free range and confine him to the pen at all other times. With the winter weather, my birds might spend less time than usual free ranging. Would he be cold and lonely if I did this? I'm thinking my only other option is to find him a new country home, and I hate to have to get rid of him. He is a silkie, and my garage is not heated. Advice?

 

[purosaviparos]

I cage my roosters when they are going to death row and they stay there for about 3-4 days to get rid of food in their systems. THey never stop crowing even in the cages, i dont think this would help you in your cityness. Maybe put a dark cloth over them in the cage and see if that helps. Lonely? I would say yes, i would feel lonely if you stopped letting me mate with several women a day, i have caged them alot in this way and without knowing for certain i would say that yes they get a little lonely. COld? Unless it is really cold a full grown rooster / chicken has a sufficient amount of feathers to keep it warm evne in the snow. I live in a hot climate but used to live where it got down to about 28 - 30 °F, they were just fine caged or uncaged. In conclusion, i say he will be just fine in your unheated garage, coldness will not be an issue unless you live in sub-zero climates, put a light bulb right next to the cage with a timer or thermostat to aid him if necessary, i have also done this. Lonlieness - THink of this time as a reflection-fattening period for him, and how much he will appreciate his freedom when spring comes and he is on the "other side".

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have some of the same issues. No light can penetrate, even a crack or they'll start to crow. Lightning at night will get them crowing.
Adding light for egg laying I have to add light at the end of day for flocks with roos, start early for flocks without.

 

[jamie78]

{THink of this time as a reflection-fattening period for him, and how much he will appreciate his freedom when spring comes and he is on the "other side".}

Ha ha. Thanks! He's really bothering one of my hens and I want to separate them for at least some portion of each day. I figure that since I only have three hens, they'll get some relief from him if they aren't confined in the same space. He'll just be lonely at night or on days that I don't let them free range, which isn't often, but this is my first winter with chickens. So we'll see how the snow affects them (we had it one day and they were so confused! lol). Also, would it help if he had "people-company?"No complaints yet from any neighbors on his crowing. The neighbors who I've talked to all say they don't mind, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
3 or 4 days with no food. Aren't they dead when you dispatch. If should only take 12 to 24 hours to rid food from their systems.

 

[purosaviparos]

Quote:
3 or 4 days with no food. Aren't they dead when you dispatch. If should only take 12 to 24 hours to rid food from their systems.

No, there not dead, and often i do kill them after 1 or 2 days, but 3-4 is the far end of the spectrum. Sometimes i can't time my meals to a 12 o 24 hour period so they have to hang out a bit longer. I cage them when they show signs of being a rooster and this keeps them from eating the costly feed i have for the rest of the group. But yeah after 12 - 24 hours they should be food ridden. Peep.

 

[sourland]

Quote:
3 or 4 days with no food. Aren't they dead when you dispatch. If should only take 12 to 24 hours to rid food from their systems.

Just an opinion, but I think that providing no food for 3 or 4 days is somewhat extreme. It's a practice that I have never heard of in 70 years of poultry raising.

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
3 or 4 days with no food. Aren't they dead when you dispatch. If should only take 12 to 24 hours to rid food from their systems.

Just an opinion, but I think that providing no food for 3 or 4 days is somewhat extreme. It's a practice that I have never heard of in 70 years of poultry raising.

Amen

 

[ChickenMack]

Have you talked to your neighbors? Do they really mind the crowing? Maybe bake some cookies, wrap them up and take them to the neighbors and talk to them about it. They may not mind the crowing, maybe they don't even notice it with all of the other city noises. Consider this before locking up your roo.

 

[jamie78]

I have spoken to most of them and none have said that they mind thus far. He's not too bad in my opinion, he doesn't necessarily crow every single morning, or at first light, or all day long. Just when he feels like it.

I was thinking of separating him just because he has a tendency to go after my leghorn hen. He isn't pulling out feathers or drawing blood, but it is an annoyance to her to say the least. I'm also thinking that keeping him in the garage isn't feasible (hubby says no chickens in his garage! lol)

So it looks like he has to behave himself better or it's off to the farm with him!