No crow collar

[ahenmouser]

Hello all!
I have found myself with a young cockerel and I really want to be able to keep him. I am in city limits so I have been doing research on ways to make it work with my neighbors! I came across a post about no crow collars and it was recommended that I create a thread!
Some questions that I have are:
What brands are recommended.
How exactly do they work?
How do the roosters fair with them on?
Has anyone used them long term?
If so has it had any negative effects on the rooster?

 

[CindyinSD]

From what I've read, no-crow collars are awfully hard on the birds. As I recall, they work by constricting the voice box (which must expand in order to crow.) You might possibly find someone to caponize ("fix") him, since he appears to be fairly young. It's hard to find a knowledgeable person though, and ideally that surgery should be done between 1-2 lbs unless the person is very skilled. TBH, aside from moving to the country, that's really the only good option you have with a roo, and like I said, very difficult to find anyone to do it.

You might offer him up on Craigs List... if you do, though, be prepared to ask no questions. Roos can be hard to impossible to rehome. People will sometimes take one off your hands to do you a favor, but 9 out of 10, he's headed for the stew pot.

 

[ahenmouser]

I’m in the city for school, I have about two years left then we plan to move to the country. I would prefer not using craigslist because I’ve heard that he would either be used for meat or as bait. Either option is a no go for me. He was supposed to be a hen like the other five but mistakes happen.
Thank you for the input though! Every bit of information helps!

 

[VannahBee]

I used a no crow I made once. And my silkie rooster hated it. He flopped all around the yard trying to get it off. Eventually the dogs saw him as a toy and they killed him. Sorry for the sad story. Just wanted to warn you. Some roosters may not find it comfy. But for people with close neighbors the no crow may be a good idea. I am planning on buying one just in case this one chick I have starts crowing.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

From what I've read, no-crow collars are awfully hard on the birds. As I recall, they work by constricting the voice box (which must expand in order to crow.) You might possibly find someone to caponize ("fix") him, since he appears to be fairly young. It's hard to find a knowledgeable person though, and ideally that surgery should be done between 1-2 lbs unless the person is very skilled. TBH, aside from moving to the country, that's really the only good option you have with a roo, and like I said, very difficult to find anyone to do it.

You might offer him up on Craigs List... if you do, though, be prepared to ask no questions. Roos can be hard to impossible to rehome. People will sometimes take one off your hands to do you a favor, but 9 out of 10, he's headed for the stew pot.

in my opinion, it’s not too hard to find homes for boys. i’ve found nice homes for every drake i have rehomed!

 

[CindyinSD]

in my opinion, it’s not too hard to find homes for boys. i’ve found nice homes for every drake i have rehomed!

Drakes make nice pets. They're quiet, for one thing. Roosters might, too (though not a couple of mine), but the crowing and town ordinances make it hard for most people to keep them.

 

[TexiCaliBlues]

I find myself in the same position... Took a chance on straight run LO ended up with a Roo... ALL BOY. He's so sweet and wonderful to his girls, but we are in city limits and he's starting to really gain momentum with his crow. We have fallen in love and want to exhaust or options before rehoming (we have plenty of room, but are in the city so should not technically have him) I have ordered a no crow collar that was highly rated by other consumers. I would be happy to share my experience with it here, to help out, of you'd like

 

[CindyinSD]

I'll be interested to learn how it works for you.

 

[TexiCaliBlues]

Ok, so I figured I would update y'all as I go with this. We received our collars (came in a 3 pack from a seller on Amazon) on Friday, but after reading instructions and watching videos on correct fitting, we decided to wait until morning so we could monitor him throughout the day to ensure his safety before letting him sleep in it.
Saturday morning he started what has become his usual routine ( crowing roughly once an hour from 8:30 to whenever he feels like, usually between 2-5ish) he isn't at his oldest yet, at almost 27 weeks, but his frequency has been increasing lately. After placing the collar, LOOSELY, to allow him to adjust to the feeling, he elected to not even attempt crowing for the remainder of the day. ( Note: the collar was not remotely tightened, easily could get multiple fingers under, but not loose enough for him to reach it with his foot to pull off. As instructed, we placed it under his feathers making sure everything was smooth and comfortable for him)
Sunday: this morning, Mr E (named mystery as a straight run chick ) was comfortable enough to crow again. We went in and adjusted his collar to the appropriate size. This did take a couple of tries, as we did not want to just surprise him and tighten it all the way at once. Ultimately, we ended up getting it to the recommended fit, one pinky can slide between collar and neck. Mr E seems comfortable, has taken his "crow stance" a couple times, but no crow as of now. Will update again over next couple of days, but so far so good.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I have a chick that I'm suspecting may be a roo. I'm not sure if I'm actually aloud to have him, but either way, I really don't want to give him up. I have heard of these crow collars and was wondering if they are actually safe for the rooster. I would love for you to update!