Trying to keep a rooster in the city

[ondreeuh]

Our city does not prohibit roosters, but the lady I talked to at city hall said no one has been successful because of the noise ordinance. Dh and I decided to give it a try. Oh lordy, we did not know what we were in for!

We found a 5 month old EE roo that was raised as a pet and not aggressive which we thought was perfect. We took him into the backyard at dusk and he managed to get free. He had no idea where he was, no loyalty to us, and we only have a 4' fence. I chased him with a pitchfork to try to push him towards my husband, who was ready with a dropcloth. He made it over the fence and luckily (for us, not him) got caught in some blackberries so we were able to catch him.

We have a large coop/run with 8 pullets (14 weeks old) and a separate little Garden Ark with two mature hens that are being kept separate due to quarantine and the fact that they're older than the pullets. Given that he mates & is new, we put him in with the two hens. They froze like statues but we figured they would be able to hold their own against him, assuming he would be dominant. We put him in at night and covered the coop in tarps to block the light. He started crowing at 5 a.m.

We talked to the neighbors today and they all heard him, so we assured them we would try something else to keep him quiet at night.

Meanwhile, the hens got over their initial fright and turned into absolute bullies! I found him cowering in the corner with his head tucked between his knees while they pecked his back. They didn't even stop when I poked them with a stick. Dh rescued him and we decided to try him in with the pullets, as he had nowhere else to go. I know we broke the quarantine rule but he would have been eaten alive in the quarantine coop.

He is a total sweetheart and gentleman

. He has tried to mate with a couple pullets (they were NOT interested!) but has otherwise left them alone. He even seemed to let them eat first when I spread out some oats. He has crowed intermittently throughout the day, and I am crossing my fingers that since there are no other roosters around, he won't feel too much need to defend his territory.

The traffic does a good job of muting the sound. The plan tonight is to grab him off the roost and put him in a cat carrier in the garage. Since it's only a foot high, I'm hoping he won't crow. If that works we can just put him in the cat carrier and keep it in the coop overnight. I figure 9 a.m. is a decent time to let him out (as far as keeping the neighbors happy) but I don't know if that's too late for a chicken to start the day and eat. We also have the option of building a cupboard in the coop that has room for food & water. Any wisdom on that is appreciated.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

no wisdom... but what a beautiful boy!

 

[LyonFuzz]

Once the neighbors see what a beautiful gentleman he is and they get a dozen fresh eggs from you, I'm sure they will appreciate him

 

[write2caroline]

My rooster crows all day and early most mornings. He is pretty loud.

With traffic - I bet his crow would seem louder to you than anyone else. We used to hear a train when we first moved to Brentwood years ago and with in a couple of weeks, we never lost sleep over it.

Roosters do crow. I am not sure you can stop him from crowing or train him not to crow. Maybe you can feed him early and engage him in eating but crowing is like breathing to a roo.

You could build him a totally tricked out Roo pad with sound absorbing material on the walls and ceilings- Call it the Studio and name him Elvis. I am wondering if that would help?
Caroline

 

[sheila3935]

My neighbor has a bantam EE roo I love his crow. He sounds like a peacock. I have baby roos 8 weeks old that one tries desperatly to answer him. My hubby is worried when they get bigger we will get complaints. Same law here. But I figure if no one has complained about my neighbor maybe they wont complain about me.

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

I feel your pain. After a year and half of chicken keeping, I'm trying to keep roosters. I have a little Serama that doesn't make much noise at all, compared to the fire station next door. I have a young Ameraucana rooster as well, and I'm hoping the little one somehow puts the big boy in his place, and keeps him from crowing too much.

Either way, they will sleep in the dark shed, and only be let out after 9 or 10 in the morning, to help keep neighborhood peace. It may not work out, but I have friends in the nearby country who will take him if I run into problems.

Handsome boy you have there!

 

[ondreeuh]

Last night a couple neighbors came over to meet him and they said they loved the sound of a rooster, and it sure beats the construction on the block. We put him in a cat carrier (big enough for him to turn around in, but short enough he can't stretch his neck) and put that in the garage. He started crowing at 6:30, which is a lot better than 5. I went outside and it really wasn't loud at all; I think you'd have to be walking by our house to hear it. I put food and water in the carrier and put a towel over it to block out the light but he's still crowing. I'll let him out at 8 and check with the neighbors next door to make sure they weren't bothered.

This weekend we are going to the beach, and we've decided to take the roo with us.

He can sleep in the garage there, and hang out in a play yard during the day. Wish us luck with that!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
OMG!!

The beach? Really? Better bring back pics. I empathize with you. I'm envious of everyone that can keep roosters and yours looks like a fella worth fightin' for. Keep us updated with what happens.

 

[SportChick]

We took our chicks on 2 vacations with us! One just to visit family, and the little cousins loved them and one on a pretty long drive to a lake in Alabama. They did great! I thought we were the only crazy people who took our chickens on vacation with us. I love that other people do it too.

 

[4urbanchicks]

That is one beautiful rooster! I have an Ameraucana hen (my second, when my first was killed) and I have found them to be the sweetest birds! Good luck with yours!