Tricks to curtail crowing?

[PatS]

I know. . . Roosters will be roosters. But is there a trick to get them to realize "enough is enough" come 5 in the morning?

We're in a rural area on two acres, and allowed to keep chickens, but don't think my next door neighbors are as enthusiastic about my flock as they were a couple of months ago, before my two b.o. roos hit adolescence. (They are 21 weeks old.) One crows his head off, the other just chimes in occasionally. They don't stop after a few minutes, either, they go on and on and on. (And there have been no eggs so far, with which to placate the neighbors.)

Will they calm down when more of the hens are cooperative and they get some satisfaction? Or will it continue at this same level?

Will turning a light on in their coop when they start, get them to quiet down a bit??? ("Look, Sweetie -- you got the sun to rise. Good for you!")

I like my roos and would love to keep one or both of them, but I'm paranoid the animal police will be paying me a visit if I can't keep the noise down to a reasonable time period. Too bad they don't seem to come with snooze alarms. (I'm really not as bad a chicken-mom as I must sound right now.)

Thanks for any words of wisdom.

 

[Country Living Farm]

an axe.....

Ok. I have about 20 roosters at my house in the same setting as you. I am just waiting for the comp. It has been about 2 years. The roosters come and go. If they do not go fast enough, to the freezer. I have 8 ready to go the freezer Sunday if they do not sell.

 

[PatS]

Thank you, but I am hoping there are other ideas as well. Chopping off their heads is not something I want to do just yet.

 

[ErieSpurs]

They may quiet down eventually, or they may not.

If it were my decision, I would give them a little while before doing anything drastic. I would first get rid of the rooster who crows constantly, and keep the one who chimes in every once in a while.

That sad part is some roosters just like to crow. Perhaps you can make sure there is no light at all in the coop until you open the doors to let them out. It starts to brighten slightly outside as morning comes, so that could be triggering them to start crowing. Good luck.

 

[koifarm]

If you confine the roo in a small cat carrier they won't crow...they have to literally raise up their head and body to crow. If they don't have room to do that, they can't crow....IE/ low headroom...prevents them from raising up. Worked for us until I gave them away...one of them would crow all night long....

 

[Rennie]

Quote:
Thats what i plan on doing if my roo gets out of control ...

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Quote:
I tried that with my 9 month old cockerel, but it didn't work. Didn't take him long to figure out that all he had to do was to lay down on his side and crow. He actually crowed more in the box than he did in the run.

Marty

 

[PatS]

He actually crowed more in the box than he did in the run.

I can just see my Joe doing that, too.

Thank you, Koifarm, I might just give it a try and see.​