Keeping a Noisy Rooster Quiet?

Question

Hi. I have a small flock of chickens (just 10) and a beautiful rooster. However he crows every morning, not normally a problem, but at 4am it's a bit much! I'm not going to kill him (as much as I'd like to sometimes) or get rid of him but does anyone have any sensible suggestions for keeping him quiet? I have heard you should raise the perch in their roost so they can't get their heads up to crow but his roost has a high ceiling and it'd be pretty impossible. Any other ideas?

Answer 1

We had bantams and one turned out to be a bantam rooster and eventually had to go off to a farm because we lived in a built up area and our neighbours did not appreciate it!
One thing that helped a bit was getting out there early before the crowing started and fulling food bowls etc then so that there is something to do to help forget about crowing. We use to put fresh corn cobs out there, did you know they love them and will peck wildly at them till all the corn is gone. Also is it possible to block off the sleeping quarters each night so they are basically shut in their bed room at night! Like a door or something. That way the cage will be in darkness and they might still think it 's night? GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

Well that is the life of the rooster. He is getting his chickens up and getting them ready for the day. The only reason a rooster is needed is if you want more chickens to be hatched. With out a rooster a chicken will still lay an egg it just won't be fertile. So you need to decide if you want one or not, because he won't stop crowing.

Answer 3

Keeping the ceiling low isn't a good idea. Their comb can get disfigure by hitting the ceiling. The best answer is to keep it dark in the chicken house till you want them to wake up. A simple solution, add $3 blinds to the chicken house windows or add shutters that you can close over the window. Close them each night before going to bed. And open them when you wake up.

At our county fair we used to do chicken crowing contests. We'd keep the chicken in the dark by putting a blanket over the cage till the contest was about to start. The rooster wouldn't hardly make a peep till the blanket was removed and he saw light.

Answer 4

You need to make the henhouse lightproof. Keep it pitch black and he shouldn't crow. Its the light in the morning that gives him the signal to start crowing. Its not guaranteed to work though. Our naieghbour had a confused rooster that would crow at 2am (and not just at a full moon).
The idea behind lowering the roof is that roosters stretch up to full height to crow. If they can't then they don't actually stop crowing. You might get a half strangled attempt or two, then they wait till they get outside. But he might also rub his comb till it bleeds.

Answer 5

IF you have them in a chicken house the trick is to keep it dark until you want them to get up.. If not, you pretty much just have to get used to it. They WILL crow in the morning and no way of stopping it.. They are way too happy for me, that early... {;-)

hugs from Texas
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Answer 6

There is a rooster where i work (long story), and he goes off at all hours of the day. He just does. I'm not there at 04:00.....but i suspect he goes off then, too. Unfortunately, i think you'll just have to get used to it.

Answer 7

why do you want him to stop crowing i think its cool and would love to hear here in the uk in the middle of a city , let him crow even at 4am its nature

Answer 8

Put some Valium in roosters food he'll sleep in a while

Answer 9

if you have the resources, change his schedule. by that i mean illuminate the coup or set him aside in another pen that is lit up at nite and reverse his crowing sessions to later in the evening.

Answer 10

A click...click and then a bang will solve all youre problems...If possible, use a sawn off 12 bore for maximum efficiency and spread.