@JaneBrook . I do understand your position. It is difficult having to deal with roosters.
With my first rooster I put a blanket over the coop to make it dark and muffle the sound. But it didn’t work well and it was bad for ventilation. The coop started to smell.
I considered building a rooster-coop (dark coffin) or trying a no-crow collar too. But finally choose to give mine away.
This is my rooster story:
I got my first chicks 6 weeks old and made an arrangement with the seller (hobby farmer) that I could bring the cockerels back. I returned 3 and kept 1. Grew up to be beautiful rooster. In spring he crowed earlier every day. So he had to go too. The hobby farmer suggested to keep the rooster for offspring and bring the rooster after a broody hen stayed on the nest (since I wanted more hens).
The hobby farmer has sexed hybrid chicks every spring and summer. If someone comes to buy hybrid chickens he always askes if they want a small and beautifull rooster to alarm the hens. He never has a problem to give them away for free.
That spring I had 3 pullets and 3 cockerels. These cockerels went to the hobbyfarmer too. And now I had enough ladies.
After a few years my hens started to lay less. Last year I bought eggs for breeding (broody hen). And got 3 chicks. I was lucky and got 2 hens and 1 rooster. He could stay as long as he was calm. This meant he had to go too last spring. I lost contact with the hobby farmer. Now I tried to find someone who wanted to breed with this cockerel because it was a beautifull millefleur de tournaisis. We have a sell/buy platform here and it took only 3 days before a hobby breeder came to collect my rooster. In the meanwile I had gathered eggs and had two broody hens who settled in one nest. This spring I was not so lucky. The chicks became 4 cockerels and only one pullet. I sold 1 mother hen with 2 cockerels. And a few weeks later I gave away the other two.
With these experience I am confident that if you have to give away you’re rooster it will be no real problem.
With my first rooster I put a blanket over the coop to make it dark and muffle the sound. But it didn’t work well and it was bad for ventilation. The coop started to smell.
I considered building a rooster-coop (dark coffin) or trying a no-crow collar too. But finally choose to give mine away.
This is my rooster story:
I got my first chicks 6 weeks old and made an arrangement with the seller (hobby farmer) that I could bring the cockerels back. I returned 3 and kept 1. Grew up to be beautiful rooster. In spring he crowed earlier every day. So he had to go too. The hobby farmer suggested to keep the rooster for offspring and bring the rooster after a broody hen stayed on the nest (since I wanted more hens).
The hobby farmer has sexed hybrid chicks every spring and summer. If someone comes to buy hybrid chickens he always askes if they want a small and beautifull rooster to alarm the hens. He never has a problem to give them away for free.
That spring I had 3 pullets and 3 cockerels. These cockerels went to the hobbyfarmer too. And now I had enough ladies.
After a few years my hens started to lay less. Last year I bought eggs for breeding (broody hen). And got 3 chicks. I was lucky and got 2 hens and 1 rooster. He could stay as long as he was calm. This meant he had to go too last spring. I lost contact with the hobby farmer. Now I tried to find someone who wanted to breed with this cockerel because it was a beautifull millefleur de tournaisis. We have a sell/buy platform here and it took only 3 days before a hobby breeder came to collect my rooster. In the meanwile I had gathered eggs and had two broody hens who settled in one nest. This spring I was not so lucky. The chicks became 4 cockerels and only one pullet. I sold 1 mother hen with 2 cockerels. And a few weeks later I gave away the other two.
With these experience I am confident that if you have to give away you’re rooster it will be no real problem.