How To Handle Getting Rooster Instead Of Hen In City (Portland, OR)

[Jiodi]

Hey gang, so heartbreakingly enough, thanks to these forums, we found out our youngest chicken is actually a roo. We've spent so much time with her and she's (he, i suppose. sigh) a close pet and part of the family more than anything else and pretty tightly bonded with my wife and our other birbs. I know roosters are illegal, and I know even if they weren't having a rooster in the middle of a neighborhood is a dick move, but there has to be some recourse here where we can keep our baby, minimize the noise/effects of the noise, and not have to perform some kind of horrible castration or make her (him. dang) where some collar that could kill em.

It seems like we are completely stuck and have to find a farm or sanctuary, but it's going to be hard. I'm reaching out in hopes that I overlooked something doing my research and there's something that can be done.

Photo attached to pull your heartstrings, too.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Welcome neighbor. I'm in Beaverton. While roosters are "legal" at my location (thank you Mr. Nike for keeping my real estate unincorporated Washington County to prevent city tax on Nike), I like to respect my neighbors as I am in suburbia (though we've all got lots of land around us).

I have 2 very sweet roosters with "No Crow Collars" that I get from My Pet Chicken (I'll link below). While there are other collars on the market, and you can make your own out of velcro strip, I find My Pet Chicken's collars to be the kindest and best working.

As soon as junior begins to make crowing sounds (which sound like tortured gargled dinosaur sounds when they first start to crow), place a No Crow Collar.

You have to take several days of gently tightening and fiddling to get them on the "sweet spot" to stop crowing but allow eating, drinking, and a happy life.

They act like a dog collar that stops the expansion of the loose skin at the base of the neck. That loose skin is like the bag on a bag pipe...it expands and then expels the air for volume. Prevent that expansion...and voila...you get small little gurgling noises (which my next door neighbor finds hilarious but non annoying).

Do a weekly check to make sure the collar is not causing irritation under the collar or blockage in the crop. I do find once you have it set in the right spot, it is best to leave it alone. Mine have happily worn collars for years (I'm on my 3rd generation of rooster....grandpa rooster lived a happy life and died of old age...I now have a son and grandson living the life with collars).

That's what I've done. Not saying someone won't turn you in for code violation due to "having" a rooster, but with the collar set correctly, you won't be disturbing anyone to cause them to want to turn you in.

One caveat...make sure this sweety stays sweet when he hits teenhood and the hormones surge. Be prepared he may have a personality change...although i find sweethearts are hatched that way and stay that way through adulthood.

Good luck.

LofMc
https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalo...vwl_ttOFRIdwdFKi0KNaotVl_rlw3MQ8aAty5EALw_wcB

 

[nuthatched]

I wouldn't worry about what to do to keep him (it's nice to be prepared and hope for the best!) Until after hormones hit, to see if he retains his nice personality.

 

[Jiodi]

I wouldn't worry about what to do to keep him (it's nice to be prepared and hope for the best!) Until after hormones hit, to see if he retains his nice personality.

He's still extra sweet and snuggly but yeah, now that he's crowing we have no idea what's going to happen.

It looks like we have to give him up.