Rooster Collars

[VsVariations]

Hello all!

I bought my first house about four years ago, and just realized earlier this year I could raise chickens if I wanted. So, off I went to buy four awesome pullets to start my flock!

Fast forward 12 weeks, and here I am - with three hens, and one roo.

Now, my city ordinance doesn't say I can't have a rooster, but it does state a very, VERY strict noise code.

I live in a very typical neighborhood, it's definitely the suburbs out here. And I desperately want to keep my absolute favorite chicken that was once my most beautiful hen!

So, google search after google search, I came across something called the rooster collar.

I posted about it in a FB group that is for raising chickens, and oh man - you would think I was talking about doing my own at-home surgery to remove its parts to de-crow it.

Being a newb at this whole chicken business, I did talk to my exotics vet, along with learning all about chicken anatomy and how the crow works in the first place, to determine I wouldn't be causing it harm, or depression, or whatever else I may be doing that would ruin its roo-ness.

And now, I'm reaching out to this new website I found, to see how all of you - which are way, way bigger then the FB group - know about rooster collars, whom may have tried it, whom may hate it, and whom may love it.

(I tried posting the link, but it says I'm too new here to do that haha! So, in order to find it, just google rooster collar, and you'll see a person's FB who makes and sells them, and even posted videos of roosters wearing it and trying to crow lol)

So - any of you research this rooster collar business? Or by chance, use one before?

I also saw one person who used a childs sock for the same basic effect.

 

[chooks4life]

Just did a little research, sounds interesting. Some of the knee jerk responses are interesting too.

I didn't find the lady in particular who makes them, though I did find some quotes of hers, but did find a bunch of poultry sites trialling them. Results vary according to the rooster involved, it seems. Myself, I'd rather cull a non-stop or nocturnal crower, because it breeds on. I culled excessively noisy birds out the flock until I had a quiet flock, not that they didn't crow, but despite having an average of 50 roosters at any time you could have been fooled into thinking there was only one, due to the lack of noise. Apparently crowing is generally a privilege reserved for the top 3 alpha males or so. The rest didn't bother and didn't miss it either, not being 'frustrated' like some folks said the collar would make them (LOL).... It's not like they were attacked for crowing, just didn't seem to feel a need.

If I had an especial pet rooster I might try a collar in future. I'd love to find some way to breed or train crowing straight out of them, though, as inadvisable as that may be. Apparently the collar won't stop them all.

I had one rooster I tried everything with who just would not stop crowing all night every night. Culled him. No way that's breeding on. This rooster could crow with his neck stretched until his beak was touching his vent. He would put his neck alongside or under his whole body to get the length needed, but I also saw him crowing with his head hunched into his shoulders, because for a while I tried the whole 'put them in a box so they can't stretch out their necks' thing. Failed; he didn't need to stretch out at all. If you've got an incorrigible crower you'd need that surgery to stop him, or an axe.

Best wishes, will be keen to hear how you go.

 

[centrarchid]

Mechanical devices I can envision are likely to be more stressful than the surgical method of "de-crowing". The term "de-crowing" may better be replaced by "surgical muting" since the entire vocabulary of such modified birds is affected.

 

[chooks4life]

Mechanical devices I can envision are likely to be more stressful than the surgical method of "de-crowing". The term "de-crowing" may better be replaced by "surgical muting" since the entire vocabulary of such modified birds is affected.

This is a bigger concern to me, and makes me think a collar would be less stressful to most roosters than surgery, since normal instinctive roosters require their full vocabulary to communicate normally within the flock. Using surgery to mute him from those vocalizations, and repeating that with his male descendants for a few generations, could potentially aid in breeding out some positive social behaviors.

Of course, there's always those animals that won't tolerate a collar of any sort, but they're a minority.

Best wishes.

 

[Blammmo]

I just let mine crow away, I actually enjoy the sound of a rooster crowing even at 4am. I'm also fortunate enough to live without noise restrictions though..