Rooster crowing

[GIO22]

I took the advice to keep as dark as possible and it kinda works. But when my son pulls up with the car late at night with his music or free speaker the roosters start to crow because of the noise. I just purchased the collar and I will try if it works. I don't care during the day but at night .
Be patient

 

[ShrekDawg]

I took the advice to keep as dark as possible and it kinda works. But when my son pulls up with the car late at night with his music or free speaker the roosters start to crow because of the noise. I just purchased the collar and I will try if it works. I don't care during the day but at night .
Be patient

Thank you! The coop is already pretty dark, especially with the door shut, and no light or anything shining on them so not sure what else to try I will try the collar though. And I do wonder if me turning my bedroom light on at night possibly triggers them? Idk if they can even see it though since it’s not very bright, second floor, and curtains etc but maybe will try leaving it off. Though their crowing seems rather random so idk. We are kind of set back in the woods so maybe they hear an animal?? Might try that collar but I was worried about it choking them but I guess it’s worth a shot if it keeps them alive.

 

[GIO22]

Thank you! The coop is already pretty dark, especially with the door shut, and no light or anything shining on them so not sure what else to try I will try the collar though. And I do wonder if me turning my bedroom light on at night possibly triggers them? Idk if they can even see it though since it’s not very bright, second floor, and curtains etc but maybe will try leaving it off. Though their crowing seems rather random so idk. We are kind of set back in the woods so maybe they hear an animal?? Might try that collar but I was worried about it choking them but I guess it’s worth a shot if it keeps them alive.

It can be they hear movement. That's they alarm

 

[ShrekDawg]

It can be they hear movement. That's they alarm

If that’s the case I wonder if they will keep it up permanently or? Their coop does set right up against the woods on one side but we actually build them a new coop in a different spot so I wonder if that would be better.

 

[NatJ]

After last night and the crow off just now, I am ready to butcher him TODAY but I also don’t want to butcher out of anger and if there is a chance to fix it or that it might stop on its own (I read sometimes it’s just adolescent hormones?) then I’ll take it but they are on very very thin ice.

I might butcher the loudest one and keep his brother.

If you're willing to butcher and eat chickens, then that is a very effective way to solve the noise issue.

I wouldn't worry much about whether you're angry-- if you have thought about reasons that you might want to keep those birds, and have decided that the crowing isn't worth it, then just go ahead. (How you feel has no effect on the bird, as long as you kill it the same humane way in any case.)

If you're still not sure: think about what your long-term goals are, and how these cockerels do or do not help that. If you want a coop full of roosters, or you want to breed specifically from them, you make one decision. If you want quiet backyard pets, you might make a different decision. More than a certain number of roosters can sometimes be hard on the hens, too, so you could consider how many hens you have.

And butchering the louder one while keeping the other one is also a perfectly reasonable solution.

Which is all a long way to say that there are many good answers, and I don't know which is best for you

 

[ShrekDawg]

If you're willing to butcher and eat chickens, then that is a very effective way to solve the noise issue.

I wouldn't worry much about whether you're angry-- if you have thought about reasons that you might want to keep those birds, and have decided that the crowing isn't worth it, then just go ahead. (How you feel has no effect on the bird, as long as you kill it the same humane way in any case.)

If you're still not sure: think about what your long-term goals are, and how these cockerels do or do not help that. If you want a coop full of roosters, or you want to breed specifically from them, you make one decision. If you want quiet backyard pets, you might make a different decision. More than a certain number of roosters can sometimes be hard on the hens, too, so you could consider how many hens you have.

And butchering the louder one while keeping the other one is also a perfectly reasonable solution.

Which is all a long way to say that there are many good answers, and I don't know which is best for you

Thank you! This is very helpful! I mostly just have pets and never thought I would have a rooster but I hatched for the first time last year and got a bunch and kept some, got really attached to one in particular, and then this summer I had a hen go broody so I let her hatch some eggs. Ended up with 4 chicks, 2 boys and 2 girls. They are the first birds I’ve had entirely from my own flocks including my own hens. And my rooster ended up dying unexpectedly 2 weeks after they hatched. So I am very attached to them which is why culling them is so hard. That and the fact that they are gorgeous. BUT. The crowing is out of control so I am willing to cull if necessary. I would keep their sisters so I’d still have my boy’s offspring.

That said though, I was kind of hoping to possibly breed from them eventually and they are HUGE so would produce good offspring for meat purposes I think and I’m curious what colors I would get but I have more than enough chickens atm so I can’t breed them anyway and my birds also are not laying atm and I don’t think I can wait all the way until spring. Plus I will still have their sisters if I change my mind eventually.

The other problem though I am not sure who is crowing at night. I know Freddy is during the day but unsure for night so butchering Freddy may not solve the problem. But maybe it would help. I have 3 cockerels atm which I really think is too many. They are always having crow offs or bugging each other.

 

[NatJ]

The other problem though I am not sure who is crowing at night. I know Freddy is during the day but unsure for night so butchering Freddy may not solve the problem. But maybe it would help. I have 3 cockerels atm which I really think is too many. They are always having crow offs or bugging each other.

You could put Freddy somewhere else for a night or two, and see if it helps figure it out.

"Somewhere else" might be in the garage in a cage, in the basement under a laundry basket, in the bathroom inside a cardboard box with ventilation holes, or any other place that keeps him safe but lets you easily tell which crow comes from which rooster (different direction, or louder because one's inside.)

 

[ShrekDawg]

You could put Freddy somewhere else for a night or two, and see if it helps figure it out.

"Somewhere else" might be in the garage in a cage, in the basement under a laundry basket, in the bathroom inside a cardboard box with ventilation holes, or any other place that keeps him safe but lets you easily tell which crow comes from which rooster (different direction, or louder because one's inside.)

That’s a great idea!! Thanks! Think I will try that!