Rooster Collars to stop crowing what's your thoughts?

Mark

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Here's a new product to stop roosters from crowing called a Rooster Collar sold by City Chicks (they have exclusive rights to sell the product in Australia).

Basically, it's a velcro collar which is placed around the roosters neck and when the bird flexes its voice box and neck to let out a big crow the collar restricts the airflow consequently muffling the sound.

There are those who are totally opposed to the collar and say it's cruel to modify the natural behaviour of an animal. Also, some people believe the collar is more like a strangulation device.

However, there are others who say this product has actually saved the life of their rooster which would have otherwise been put down or slaughtered to eat! So I wonder if given the choice would the roster prefer a collar or a perceivably worse fate?

Personally, I think it's an odd solution to stop crowing but as long as the collar doesn't irritate the bird and cause a rash or other physical condition than I guess it's ok. I mean, if it's similar to a collar on a dog than I can't see big issue because we modify the natural behaviour in animals in so many different other ways anyway.

If it saves the premature death of a rooster or enables a person to keep a rooster for breeding without annoying the neighbours and it only restricts crowing but nothing else than it's probably humane I suppose?

What do you guys think?

Here's a good video showing the rooster collar in action - see for yourself?

 

Jenni

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I tend to lean towards the side of if it doesn't hurt them and they get quality of life (as well as those around them) then its probably Ok.

This is because we have to use a fence dog collar on our kelpie. We got her from the pound and she was 2 days from being put down. The reason we have to use a collar is:
1. The property isn't fenced
2. Even if we had a fence she would jump it. It is no issue for her to scale a 6 foot fence, she has done it before.

Do people hate it.. Yeah absolutely.
Does it hurt her. Absolutely not. She loves life and is such a happy dog.

Watching the video he looks like a very happy and healthy rooster.
 

Tim C

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The worst thing would be the demoralising for the rooster not getting his word out. I still reckon you could selectively breed quiet roosters, or even just breed a heap then keep the quietest crower with the best attributes.
I wish them luck making money on it, when a roll of velcro from the craft shop is about $2.
I bought the neighbours to mum 2 bark-stop collars for their dunny-brushes.$8 each. Absolutely fabulous and worked a treat. Now they just couldn't be bothered putting them on so it's yap yap yap all day again.
 

stevo

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I just saw someone mention this on FB and came to make a new thread and yours came up! I only watched half the video, laughed at the rooster crowing and felt bad for it at the same time. They're using a different name for it on FB, which may not be PG rated :eek:
 

Mark

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One of my last small batch of chicken hatchlings turned out to be a rooster and I'm fed up already watching the "games" between our main rooster and him trying to mate with the hens - the hens are totally fed up up also!

Another annoying thing is the crowing, moreover, how they crow one after the other... the old fella will go and then the new rooster will immediately follow - it's driving me crazy!
There is definately only room for ONE rooster in a backyard flock so the new guy is going to get the chop shortly and turned into coq au vin :eat:
 

Ash

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Yep. Only one rooster is needed in a flock, but that one rooster is enough to send his owner cuckoo. So I see the Velcro as a good idea and one I think I'll do now that I've seen it when I finally get a chicken coup.
 

Mark

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I have my pen down the very back of our property and it backs onto bushland (so no neighbours) otherwise I'd consider a rooster crow inhibitor also. If my pen was close to the house it would be a must to quell the crow or the other option would be to not have a rooster... I still do like having a rooster though.
 

James P

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I had one of these crow collars, it does muffle the crow slightly but not enough to be ignored. The main problem I had with it was the way my rooster kept pulling the velcro off and eventually convincing the hens to help him too which was entertaining, but because they kept pulling it off I would find it buried in mud and this eventually ruined the collar

James
 

Mark

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Cool - chickens are so smart... So they were helping their rooster out hey by removing the collar from him LOL

Well, now we have a member here who has really tried the rooster collar - seems like it's a fail so far.

Thanks for the heads up James!
 

Bill47

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Hello all.
I have just signed up and discovered this old post when reading through the forum.
I, like James P, bought one of those collars as my young rooster was getting to be a bit enthusiastic with his crowing (sometimes at 3-30am!!!). The collar consisted of an elastic type cloth strip about 30mm wide with velcro stitched on each end. They were available in different lengths for different size chooks but sadly, I did not find the collar was particularly effective at quietening him enough. It did however give me a few ideas about making my own.
I bought a length of 20mm wide black elastic and cut off two lengths about 150mm long ----- I stitched these together every 12mm, side by side ----- this allowed the now 40mm elastic to fold easily along the middle as the rooster bent his neck. Then I stitched a piece of velcro on each end. Getting the collar just right involves a little trial and error. Put it on the rooster with a finger between the collar and his neck (just below his collar feathers) and adjust from there ---- tighten the collar just a little each time till you get it just right and he is still comfortable. My rooster makes all the chook sounds, clucking, sounding warnings etc, but when it comes to a crow it comes out as if he has a hoarse throat ---- it is a crow but a very, very subdued one. He is alive and quite happy and seems to think he is crowing.
Bill
 

James P

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Hello all.
I have just signed up and discovered this old post when reading through the forum.
I, like James P, bought one of those collars as my young rooster was getting to be a bit enthusiastic with his crowing (sometimes at 3-30am!!!). The collar consisted of an elastic type cloth strip about 30mm wide with velcro stitched on each end. They were available in different lengths for different size chooks but sadly, I did not find the collar was particularly effective at quietening him enough. It did however give me a few ideas about making my own.
I bought a length of 20mm wide black elastic and cut off two lengths about 150mm long ----- I stitched these together every 12mm, side by side ----- this allowed the now 40mm elastic to fold easily along the middle as the rooster bent his neck. Then I stitched a piece of velcro on each end. Getting the collar just right involves a little trial and error. Put it on the rooster with a finger between the collar and his neck (just below his collar feathers) and adjust from there ---- tighten the collar just a little each time till you get it just right and he is still comfortable. My rooster makes all the chook sounds, clucking, sounding warnings etc, but when it comes to a crow it comes out as if he has a hoarse throat ---- it is a crow but a very, very subdued one. He is alive and quite happy and seems to think he is crowing.
Bill

Wow, thanks Bill, thats great! I have tried a lot of things since the collar like sound proof mud houses for the rooster of a night time, and this worked for the first few days but he eventually figured that out too. Im really interested in the design you're describing but I was just wondering what you meant when you said "I stitched these together every 12mm", do you mean every 12 mm in length or width on each?.
 

Mark

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Sounds like a good fix Bill and welcome to SSC by the way :)

It'd be great if you could post a pic or diagram of the collar with the adjustments?
 

Bill47

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Thank you for the warm welcome.
I have attached a pic of the parts of the collar. I like to use two narrower pieces of elastic rather than one wide one as the collar is a somewhat more flexible when the rooster bends his neck. Colour of course does not matter. Looking at the drawing it might seem as though the velcro stitches to the side of the elastic ---- that is my crook drawing technique --- the velcro stitches directly on top of the elastic. The intermittent stitches along the length of the elastic maintains the "bendability" of the collar.
As I indicated before, the best fit is by trial and error (without choking the chook). Raise up the rooster's stiffer collar feathers and place the elastic collar under them above the crop, with a finger between the collar and the roosters neck. If he is still too loud, note where the velcro overlaps and tighten it just that bit extra, little by little till he has a fairly quiet, albeit hoarse crow.. He may not like it at first but rapidly gets used to the feeling (much like wearing a tie)
 

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Mark

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That's a great demo and explanation of a DIY rooster collar Bill!

Is that the name you'll be marketing the collar under when you get into full commercial production - "Shush Chook?" :D
 

Bill47

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;) Ho! Ho. Perhaps a "Shush Chooky" has a distinctive and user friendly ring to it.
When I bought the commercial one you would not believe what was on my credit card. Had the charge on the monthly credit card statement been shown as "Cockerel Collar" it would have been self explanatory, but unfortunately the first word was somewhat abreviated. I tripped over my tongue explaining to the wife just what I had purchased. I think the sellers may have been having a little fun.
 

James P

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Thanks for the great diagram Bill, and the laughs too! :nearlygotme:
 

Chris n Jen

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Yeah we brought a no crow collar for our Eddie as we live in residential area.
At first it was as he would run around backwards for the first half hour trying to pull his head out, then he would be quite for a week and then back in to crowing no matter how tight the collar was.
Such a beautiful rooster was a shame we had to sell him.
 

ClissAT

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I've heard about no crow collars not working before too.

I have neighbours about 100m away & they apparently have barnevelders including some roosters.
I have not heard them at all. So perhaps the barnevelders have a softer voice?
 

Helen Auriga

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We have 3 roosters, had 4 till recently. Yes they're noisy. Yes they start up at 4.30 am. But... we do get fertile eggs and we don't get visitors wanting to stay the night...bonus!
 

ClissAT

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Crowing roosters are fine so long as it is only the owners who are subject to the noise.
It is up there with incessant barking dogs, relentless chainsawing & grass trimming or motorbike riding on small acreages.
 
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