How To Get A Rooster To Stop Crowing

Keeping a rooster in the suburbs is problematic. All roosters crow and sometimes, they crow a lot! So how can you stop a rooster from crowing?

There are two methods for stopping a crowing rooster. You can use a no-crow collar or you can confine the rooster during the problematic period. Keeping a single rooster and minimizing flock disturbance will reduce the amount a rooster crows while insulation and sound barriers will muffle the sound.

In this article I explain how to keep a rooster and prevent it from becoming a source of family and neighborhood complaint.

What is Crowing?

Most are familiar with the cock-a-doodle-doo sound of a rooster crowing. For many it conjures fond images of picturesque farmscapes and beautiful sunrises. Some would even describe a rooster's crow as a calming and therapeutic sound. That is unless it just woke them up!

Roosters crow, it's just what they do. Put aside any notion that you can select a breed of chicken that doesn't crow, such a beast does not exist (yet). Once we admit that all roosters crow, the next thing to ask is will that be (or is it) a problem? Most crowing happens in the early morning and the average rooster crows at 90 decibels. This rivals the volume of a barking dog so it is easy to see why a crowing rooster might be problematic in suburbia. If not for you then very likely for your neighbors.

Why do Roosters Crow?

It is difficult to imagine when looking at some of the selectively bred modern chicken breeds, but the chicken actually has its roots in the jungles of Asia. It's in these dense tropical rainforests that the chicken's ancestor, the Red Jungle Fowl, originated. It can still be found in the wild there today.

In the jungle visibility is low and crowing is an important form a communication used by male jungle fowl. The dominant rooster will welcome each day with a series of crows. He will crow first and subordinates wait until the dominant rooster is done before they too will crow. To crow before the head rooster may be seen as a challenge.

The crow serves to attract mates, maintain a pecking order, keep a flock together and as a warning for competing males in the area. Most wild animals will avoid fighting unless they have to and a rival's crow gives competing males the chance to move out of the area. A good crow really is the difference between life and death for the jungle fowl.

It has been 5000 years since the red jungle fowl was first domesticated and in that time a lot has changed for the humble chicken. They are bigger, grow faster and lay more eggs than ever before. Unfortunately something that hasn't changed is the rooster's instinct to crow.

No-Crow Collars

There are various collars designed to stop a rooster from crowing at full volume. They stop the rooster from expanding its throat and expelling air from the lungs quickly, something required for a loud crow. When sized properly the collars do not impede eating or drinking.

I have never seen the collars completely prevent a rooster from crowing, but crowing that does happen is much quieter than normal. My own experience (a friends rooster) has been very positive despite my early reservations. His rooster tried to remove the collar at first but quickly got used to it. Since then that rooster is seemingly unaffected and is living a very happy life that otherwise might not have been.

No-crow rooster collar used to stop a rooster crowing.

See No-Crow Rooster Collar on Amazon

The actual No-Crow branded collars are by far the most popular and seem to be very well constructed. I suggest looking at the pictures and deciding whether you could make your own for a fraction of the price. My friend made his using a strip of Velcro and it works just fine.

Confinement

Most problematic rooster crowing occurs in the early morning. Confining a rooster overnight can completely eliminate the issue during this period. At its most basic you can bring the rooster inside each night and put him in a ventilated box. The box should be large enough to comfortably contain the rooster, but small enough that he can't stand completely upright to crow.

As a kid this was my job for a time. During that period my family had a hen house where one of the nest boxes had a closing door. This is where I would lock the problematic rooster each night. I would have to remember to let him out again each morning. It is a big commitment and I don't advise you do it unless absolutely necessary.

A more realistic approach is to have an automatically closing door on a well insulated chicken house. You still need some ventilation, but a chicken house can be made sufficiently soundproof to prevent crowing becoming an issue for neighbors.

Insulation and Sound Barriers

Having hedges, trees, walls and an insulated chicken house between a roosters crowing and any neighbors will ensure they hear much less of your rooster. On acreage this might be all you need. In the suburbs such measures would probably need to be coupled with one of the more involved solutions.

Reducing Crowing Frequency

Roosters crow for a number of reasons. If we can reduce some of these reasons, we can reduce the amount the rooster crows. One reason roosters crow is when competing with other roosters. Keeping a single rooster will result in a rooster that crows less. That is of course unless your neighbors also have roosters. If that's they case, they probably don't care much that your rooster crows anyway.

Roosters also crow if they perceive a threat to their flock. That threat may be real, or it may be the mailman. Reducing line of site from the rooster to his surrounds can reduce the amount that he crows. On the flip side of this, a rooster will tend to crow more if he can't see the entire flock so keep that in mind when designing your run.

Do I Even Need a Rooster?

Most chicken keepers in areas where a rooster might pose a problem, don't actually need one. The number one reason chickens are kept in the suburbs is for their delicious eggs. Roosters are unnecessary for egg production, hens will lay with or without a rooster. In fact some people prefer to know that the eggs they eat are unfertilized, the absence of a rooster guarantees it.

Roosters do have their benefits, especially with a free ranging flock that might be exposed to predators. A rooster will put his life on the line to protect the hens. His presence will help keep hens safe and his crowing will help keep the flock together. This is rarely the situation in the suburbs and so where rooster crowing is an issue, you probably don't need one for this purpose.

The most obvious reason for having a rooster is reproduction. If you want chicks from your hens, you will need a rooster. Consider buying in chicks and if you must have a rooster in a potential problem area, employ the methods in this article to help keep him quiet.

The simplest solution for a crow free flock is to not have a rooster. Roosters do have their upsides, but they are by no means a necessity for most chicken keepers. Think carefully about whether you can get by without a rooster and you may just solve a crowing issue before it begins.

Flock of chickens with a rooster watching over.

Know the Law

I hate to bring it up, but it would be remiss of me not to. Depending where you live, it may not even be legal to own a rooster. While I disagree with blanket local laws that control what one can and cannot do, I can sympathize with law makers. For some people, a crowing rooster is a real problem and impacts their quality of life.

I will not guess your local laws. I can barely keep up with my own and I have readers from all over the world. Just make sure you check yours so at least you know the legality of keeping a rooster in your area and can make an informed decision.

Final Thoughts

A roosters crowing is completely normal, but can lead to unhappy neighbors and some tough decisions. It pays to talk to your neighbors before doing anything, maybe they are like me and enjoy the sound? If they don't, be a good neighbor and do what you can to reduce the impact of your roosters crowing on those around you.