rooster collars??

[Lobzi]

I havent had much luck with using a strap of double-sided velcro. I did some research using links posted by others:

Fig. 1. Chicken respiratory system. Source: Public domain.
After air passes through the cranial larynx, it continues through the trachea. The trachea is made up of cartilaginous rings that keep it from collapsing due to the negative pressure present when a chicken breathes in air.
The syrinx (or caudal larynx), located near the end of the trachea, is the chicken's voice box.

So the nose comes from way deep in the chest (ref location of syrinx). Im just not sure these collar can do much as they cant get low enough on the neck.

 

[My Hens and Roo]

I soooo badly want to know more about this!! I have a friend fostering my pair of sultans because of a noise disturbance. A very long story about one neighbor, the only neighbor to complain. The neighbor who lied under oath to get her nasty way!
With that said...My normally quiet rooster does go off crowing like a mad man when a certain little boy, his name is Guialle, is outside playing. Guialle has this voice that could wake the dead! I have tried many, many different collars...they don't work well (I think), because the structure of the sultan himself. They have very short, heavily feathered necks that just don't cut it with the collars. I have even considered surgery, and when the vet explained the risk being too great she suggested a behavioral specialist that works with roosters, so I am very encouraged from tour post!! Like I said...I have a friend fostering my rooster and his mate..I really want them back. I miss them so!!!

 

[My Hens and Roo]

I would love to be able to have a roo. I got rid of mine before I knew about these collars. I see a lot of variance in widths and such. Obviously the size of each individual roo matters. So my question is, how much of the neck needs to be restricted? I wouldn't mind paying the money for the official one from mypetchicken if it meant I could have a roo. I see a lot more people having trouble with the official one than with homemade versions though. So while I wait to see what people have to say about my question, I will be researching.

I don't want to discourage you but I just couldn't get it right. I have a Sultan roo, bantam size with a very short, very heavily feathered neck. He just didn't seem to be able to tolerate the many colar versions I tried on him.
Orrr
Maybe it was I who couldn't tolerate seeing him walk backwards, slink low to the ground...hide.
It just broke my heart and I finally threw in the towel.
Some suggested he was play acting, which I know was true on some occasions but when it came down to it...in order to get it tight enough to quiet him enough, it was more than obvious that he was being deprived of air.
He is living at my friends farm with his mate. I see him often but still miss him like crazy!!
Funny thing is...We live with a train in our backyard, 4 months of road construction less then 100 yards from our backyard and a volunteer fire department with a community siren that goes off repeatedly. And the one neighbor complains about a little 3.5 pound rooster!!
Both I and all my other neighbors are less than happy with this nasty mean lady!!

 

[lizgarf]

I havent had much luck with using a strap of double-sided velcro. I did some research using links posted by others:

Fig. 1. Chicken respiratory system. Source: Public domain.
After air passes through the cranial larynx, it continues through the trachea. The trachea is made up of cartilaginous rings that keep it from collapsing due to the negative pressure present when a chicken breathes in air.
The syrinx (or caudal larynx), located near the end of the trachea, is the chicken's voice box.

So the nose comes from way deep in the chest (ref location of syrinx). Im just not sure these collar can do much as they cant get low enough on the neck.

Thanks for posting this! I hadn't realized the most important area was so low in the throat.

The collars have helped somewhat with my BCM roo, Desi, but mostly I've just been lucky with neighbors not minding and by keeping him in a mancave overnight. I have to get the collar quite tight for it to reduce his crow volume substantially, and recently this was causing him some pretty serious problems with staggering, which had me worried about his health and welfare. I removed the homemade collar I had on him and found some broken feathers and dandruff and nits, and I think the broken feathers may have been poking his neck. I put the purchased collar on him instead, which is more breathable than the collar I made for him, and he's not staggering anymore, but it is not as effective in controlling his volume. I feel bad for him, and I'm honestly not sure if he'd rather go to another home or stay here with his family, but with the collar and the mancave. If I found a good home for him where he can roam and crow to his heart's delight, I'd consider moving him to it.

 

[dikbiscuit]

Quote:

I hope it isn't because he finds it uncomfortable. I really like the idea of these, but I'm still on the fence about them.

 

[Lobzi]

I hope it isn't because he finds it uncomfortable. I really like the idea of these, but I'm still on the fence about them.

I finally had to remove a collar from one of my young roos. He was just too bothered by it. I will rehome him rather than torture him with the collar. He sounds like a squeaker toy when he crows so its not very loud yet. Ill give him a little time to mature and may try the collar again later. I think it just depends on the roo. My two other roos dont seem to be bothered by their collars.

 

[dikbiscuit]

I finally had to remove a collar from one of my young roos. He was just too bothered by it. I will rehome him rather than torture him with the collar. He sounds like a squeaker toy when he crows so its not very loud yet. Ill give him a little time to mature and may try the collar again later. I think it just depends on the roo. My two other roos dont seem to be bothered by their collars.

Another issue I'm concerned with is when pin feathers come through. If you live in an urban area and rely on something like a collar to quieten down your roosters and have to take them off for whatever reason, if they crow just once with it off I can see it not ending well.

 

[lizgarf]

Another issue I'm concerned with is when pin feathers come through. If you live in an urban area and rely on something like a collar to quieten down your roosters and have to take them off for whatever reason, if they crow just once with it off I can see it not ending well.

Yes, I think it's important to remove the collar once in awhile during molt season, to make sure the feathers are growing in ok. A couple months ago, my rooster was definitely having trouble with the collar - he was staggering quite a bit, and I removed the collar and saw that some of the feathers had broken and may have been piercing into his neck. I put the commercial collar on him at that point, because it is more breathable, and just put up with him being louder for a few days. He's now back in the home-made collar and is doing fine, though he still crows more loudly than I would like, and I'm sure he doesn't crow as loudly as he would like!

For your other point, I don't think you can sneak a rooster into a hostile community, relying just on the collar. It's just not quiet or consistent enough. When I decided to keep Desi, I put a flyer in my neighbors' mail boxes telling them about it and inviting them to contact me if they were bothered by him, and no one has said they are bothered. Between the collar and having him sleep in a mancave, I think it has worked out well enough for my neighbors, but it's not a perfect solution for me or for Desi. I'm always considering trying to find him a new home, and I probably will, once I find homes for all the cockerels he made a couple months ago!

 

[Sabrit]

Check out My pet Chicken I think

 

[Sustained]

I'm interested in anyone else who has an update on their Rooster Collar use. I have 2 silkie chicks that I'm becoming very attached to and I'd like the option of keeping them even if one (or both) turn out to be roos. There's no city ordinances against chickens (nope not even roos!) but I've got unfriendly neighbors that I try to keep the peace with when possible. As long as my roosters aren't much louder than my hens I don't think I will have too many issues.