Opinions on No Crow Rooster collars?

[cluckingheck]

https://imgur.com/a/dBkHng9

they go nonstop throughout the day

 

[aart]

they go nonstop throughout the day

They be ringing that dinner bell!

 

[cluckingheck]

Sounds like you have a 'too many cockerels' problem.
One of the hardest 'Romance meets Reality' scenarios of chickeneering.

They get real quiet when you send them to freezer camp.
Is slaughtering them for food an option?

yeah, made the mistake of buying straight runs at TSC in hopes of getting mostly hens. my mom doesn’t like brown eggs, so got leghorns so she’d have some white eggs and all of them ended up being roos lol.

as for slaughtering, that might be where they’re heading. there just isn’t a whole lot of meat on leghorns in general

 

[cluckingheck]

I don't have any roosters but I wouldn't use them. I don't want to interfere with their natural behaviors. That's why I don't provide artificial light in the winter to keep them laying.

yeah, just something about the collars makes me....feel weird. it does seem cruel

 

[cluckingheck]

It is hard, I feel your pain!

Can you put up a temporary divider in the barn just to keep the bachelor group separate? Maybe with access to a small run with electric fencing that is cheap, quick and easy to fit and easily moveable. They will be hormonal nutters right now!

Burt sounds ace btw.

My boy crows all day and half the night. Just why!!!

there’s an unused tack room attached to the barn & coop, but it gets hot in there during the day and i don’t have a run to let them out in as they are free-range. i could try to make a quick one and attach it to the tack room?

 

[Chicalina]

sounds like a good plan. Perhaps cut a couple of holes and make some airflow if that is feasible.

I use portable steel puppy pen type fencing to make temporary runs but it won't help against predators, though if yours free range anyway it won't make any difference.

 

[cluckingheck]

sounds like a good plan. Perhaps cut a couple of holes and make some airflow if that is feasible.

I use portable steel puppy pen type fencing to make temporary runs but it won't help against predators, though if yours free range anyway it won't make any difference.

well, there’s a window that can be opened but it doesn’t have any screen or anything on it to keep them from getting out. though, if i make a run for them, i can just have the fence go over the window.
so far I haven’t had any problems with predators, which is kind of surprising. i got all of my chickens in march and i haven’t had any predator related losses.

 

[aart]

as for slaughtering, that might be where they’re heading. there just isn’t a whole lot of meat on leghorns in general

Not on my layer breed cockerels either, but they are still delicious.
I slaughter by 14-16 weeks so they go on the grill for that crispy skin then grilled bones make great stock/soup.

 

[piminuse]

OK, expecting some flack from this but to each their own on what's acceptable to their flock or not.

I use them. I don't use the ones available for purchase, but made my own out of 2" velcro that I cut to size about an inch longer than my cockerel's throats and then cut little notches into for ease of resizing/removal.

I live in a unique area that allows me to have roosters, but is very much suburban and I have 5 surrounding neighbors that are all bunched up against my backyard fence line. This means that I need some way to keep my boys quiet before they go to processing (heritage meat birds). I'm lucky in that they all get it out in one go at a reasonable 6:30am, but I don't want a chorus of roosters pissing off everyone in the neighborhood, so crow collars are a must.

The thing with the collars is there is a chance of fatality. We were very cognizant of this going into it, and we aim to humanely raise our birds in relative comfort for an animal we plan on eating. This means easing them into the collar and regularly adjusting them. It's not a one time thing of slap it on and watch 'em go with no maintenance. Here's how our collar introduction/check-ins go:

1. Catch roo and get approx measurement of his neck WITHOUT feathers. Make collar to size by adding on an inch to that measurement.

2. Catch roo again and put the collar on the LOOSEST setting so they can adjust. Let 'em wear their cool new gear for a few days to acclimate.

3. Once they are used to it it's time to adjust. Remember to slide the feathers up so that you're putting the collar (soft side of velcro) against the skin. Tighten to ear you can barely fit your pinky in. This varies depending on who's testing with their finger, but I use mine which is much smaller than my husband's. It should be snug, but breathable. It should also be sitting relatively low on the neck. They hate this step and it takes them a few minutes to adjust and will back up, squat and act very dramatic, but if you know your roos and sense something is wrong IMMEDIATELY re-adjust the collar tightness. We find it easiest to do this step close to bedtime so they're less stressed and the other birds won't intervene.

4. Check the fit at least once a week. This can be as simple as sliding some feathers out and doing the pinky test again.

5. Remove once in a while. We take the collars off every few days to check the neck and fit and to let the skin breathe.

Sorry this ended up being such a long post, but I want people to understand that in some circumstance it isn't as simple as re-homing or letting them sing to their heart's desire. We may not be going as tight and may have better results in doing so, but we just want a mild deterrent and volume reducer before they're big enough for Camp Kenmore.

This option isn't for everyone, but for folks who want to try it please be cautious, RESEARCH and supervise your birds until you're both comfortable. You might lose one. It might change your opinion, or it might end up working out OK. Good luck!