Does Your Rooster Do This?

[gritsar]

Another thought that comes to mind based on 77horses' post. What are you using for roosts? Is it possible that your roo can't get a good steady roosting position going? They will flap their wings to maintain their balance, if they are trying to hang on and not fall off the roost.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine only crows for about an hour in the morning. (right now that's from 6-7am) Occasionally he'll let out a crow or 2 during the day, but not often. No nighttime crowing here.

 

[tdgill]

sounds like you guys are on to something....

roost related? how about a nite light?

 

[rdl]

Thanks for your answers. There definitely is room to roost, and I've seen the rooster flap his wings. There doesn't seem to be any mice or anything that would disturb him. The roosts seem to be sturdy, but perhaps he is trying to gain his balance.

This is the dominant rooster in my flock and is always extremely active. When I peek into the coop at night, he immediately stands up on the roost. I am glad to hear that others have roosters that crow constantly. I doesn't bother me really, but I am amazed at how often he crows. If I wake up at 3 AM or so, I hear him crowing. He crows during the day almost nonstop, as well.

 

[gritsar]

Something that I didn't learn until after I got chickens - chickens don't like to sleep on round roosts (if that's what you're using). A round roost requires that they keep their feet clamped around it all night, which can lead to foot problems in the long run. 2 x 4s or similiar with the wider part up work better for chickens. They will climb up on it, gain their balance, release their feet and rest on their keel bone. This also helps to keep their feet warm.

 

[Plucking farm]

Our rooster has crowed due to an owl hanging around there coop. I walked out there one night and just saw it flying over the light we had out there. He has also yelled when a huge rat was in there coop!!

 

[Nahnah]

I realize that crowing is just part of the deal with having a rooster but is it possible to distract them somehow, I have made a few late evening (so far no night crowing, fingers crossed) thinking the dogs are bothering only to find my bantam pheonix rooster looking at me like, "just seeing if you would come check". While I enjoy waking up to him first thing in the morning the all day crowing is getting a little old. He also does the wing flapping thing, amazing that such a little bird can make so much noise. Has anyone had any luck with keeping them occupied and if so how?