MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

which he would not have had the chance to enjoy without you.

That's a good point. Thanks RC.

 

[Shadrach]

I assume there's a surgery for cockerels that removes their voice. Is that more cruel than an early death?

Also, it would lead to dozens of future cockerels. So it seems to create problems rather than solve them.

I read that the surgery was often unsuccessfull, whatever that means. There were some medical reasons given in one of the links but I can't remember what they were.

 

[Shadrach]

What can I do for penance?

I'm not sure penance is the right word but when I've had birds put down by a vet I've held the bird on my lap until it died. I was able to do this with Gloria in Catalonia, I've not had to find out if it's possible here in Bristol.
I can't say that it makes a difference to the bird but for those who came to sit by me or under my chair for their last moments seemed content.

It happened a few times early on in Catalonia. A bird would get injured from a predator attack and I would try and save it. It takes a while to learn what can and can't be done and still have the bird recover enough to have a near normal life. I got it wrong a few times and they were euthanized at the vets.
I haven't changed my view with the chickens at the field; I like to be there when they die. It can be an incredibly peacful and moving experience. It's very difficult to put into words.

 

[MaryJanet]

I read that the surgery was often unsuccessfull, whatever that means. There were some medical reasons given in one of the links but I can't remember what they were.

The vet said there's an implant for cockerels and roosters that makes them infertile but there's no guarantee it stops them crowing.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm not sure penance is the right word but when I've had birds put down by a vet I've held the bird on my lap until it died. I was able to do this with Gloria in Catalonia, I've not had to find out if it's possible here in Bristol.
I can't say that it makes a difference to the bird but for those who came to sit by me or under my chair for their last moments seemed content.

It happened a few times early on in Catalonia. A bird would get injured from a predator attack and I would try and save it. It takes a while to learn what can and can't be done and still have the bird recover enough to have a near normal life. I got it wrong a few times and they were euthanized at the vets.
I haven't changed my view with the chickens at the field; I like to be there when they die. It can be an incredibly peacful and moving experience. It's very difficult to put into words.

That's a nice way to do it. Very cathartic.

 

[BDutch]

Spoiler: temper the hormones of your proud rooster?

Beestig veterinarian Tom Verbeek of Veterinary Center Trigenio is asked weekly to castrate a rooster. However, this requires a delicate operation with little chance of success. Is there nothing you can do to temper the hormones of your proud rooster?

It is not the case that roosters are never neutered or 'capponed' at all. In the meat industry, capons - roosters without testicles - are coveted poultry because they become very large and produce tender meat. However, the surgical technique needed to capitulate a rooster is not without risk. Of the tiny roosters subjected to it, a large part does not survive the procedure. That is why the castration of roosters (and other male birds) is prohibited by law in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Why is it so difficult to castrate a rooster?

Unlike dogs, cats, horses, and many other pets, a bird's testicles are located inside the body. That makes it much harder to reach them. In addition, they are in a well-hidden place, high against the spine and close to the kidneys. Because there are also important, large blood vessels near the testicles, the chance of complications is very high. If you still want to operate on an adult rooster, the chance of success is less than 50% - the other half literally bleeds to death.

Why do people want to castrate their rooster?

The fact that castration is impossible is a hard damper for many chicken owners who have a good relationship with their rooster. They love their colorful pet and take his cray for granted, but the neighbors are less big fans of his ballads. As a last resort, they hope that the removal of his noble parts will bring their rooster to reason.

Another important reason to intervene in a rooster's hormone balance is man's seemingly inexhaustible urges. If your toom chickens visibly suffer from the presence of a rooster that takes fertilizing very seriously, you have to intervene. With his sharp spurs (long nails at the back of the leg) he can do a lot of damage when he climbs the same chicken too often. And also a large rooster that regularly mates with krill chickens should be brought to a change of mind for the well-being of your hens.

Finally, there are also roosters who are aggressive towards anyone who enters their chicken coop - even their well-intentioned owner. A rooster that defends its hens - especially if it is a large breed - can come out impressively from the corner and is also able to injure people with its sharp mouth, claws and spurs.

Chemical castration in the rooster can help

A surgical procedure is not done, but you can 'help' a rooster with a hormone implant. That is a dose of testosterone inhibitors that is applied under the skin using a hollow needle. The hormone implant has been developed for use in dogs, but also leads to some results in roosters. However, it loses its effect after about nine months, after which the chemical castration must be renewed.

Yet this is also not a miracle cure. You can only find out what influence a chemical castration has on your rooster by trying it out. Roughly in 70 to 80% of cases, the rooster becomes less aggressive and its mating urge decreases sensitively. However, his crowing behavior will never (completely) disappear, so your neighbors will continue to be annoyed by his noise pollution.

Can you make a rooster stop crowing in other ways?

First and foremost, you have to ask yourself whether it is desirable to expect a rooster to no longer crow. For us, his constant kukeleku is perhaps a source of annoyance, for him (and for your chickens) the perfectly normal behavior that is just part of being a rooster. If you don't want a rooster in your garden, only buy adult chickens whose sex is known with certainty. Stay away from so-called 'Easper chicks', because they are usually roosters that have little value in the poultry industry.

It is sometimes asked to cut the 'voinal cords' of a rooster to silence it forever. Apart from the fact that the wilfully deprived of normal behavior falls under the heading of 'animal abuse', it is also technically impossible ... because a rooster has no vocal cords! Birds make sound in a very different way than mammals, namely with the help of a 'syrinx' - a tuning device consisting of cartilage and membranes, which is located at the junction of the trachea.

If you want to silence your rooster until a certain time in the morning, lock him up at night (along with your chickens) in a pitch-dark loft. Although it may be that even then he regularly opens his throat, for example when he wants to let crowing neighbors know that he also has a very nice territory. So often there will be no choice but to put up with the situation - or you have to look for a new home outside the farm for your sweet, little testosterone bomb.

Translated article about changing your rooster/hormones from a Belgian animal site.
Summary: Implants are no garantee he stops crowing at all and last max 9 months.
https://www.beestig.be/een-haan-castreren-kan-dat

 

[MaryJanet]

Spoiler: temper the hormones of your proud rooster?

Beestig veterinarian Tom Verbeek of Veterinary Center Trigenio is asked weekly to castrate a rooster. However, this requires a delicate operation with little chance of success. Is there nothing you can do to temper the hormones of your proud rooster?

It is not the case that roosters are never neutered or 'capponed' at all. In the meat industry, capons - roosters without testicles - are coveted poultry because they become very large and produce tender meat. However, the surgical technique needed to capitulate a rooster is not without risk. Of the tiny roosters subjected to it, a large part does not survive the procedure. That is why the castration of roosters (and other male birds) is prohibited by law in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Why is it so difficult to castrate a rooster?

Unlike dogs, cats, horses, and many other pets, a bird's testicles are located inside the body. That makes it much harder to reach them. In addition, they are in a well-hidden place, high against the spine and close to the kidneys. Because there are also important, large blood vessels near the testicles, the chance of complications is very high. If you still want to operate on an adult rooster, the chance of success is less than 50% - the other half literally bleeds to death.

Why do people want to castrate their rooster?

The fact that castration is impossible is a hard damper for many chicken owners who have a good relationship with their rooster. They love their colorful pet and take his cray for granted, but the neighbors are less big fans of his ballads. As a last resort, they hope that the removal of his noble parts will bring their rooster to reason.

Another important reason to intervene in a rooster's hormone balance is man's seemingly inexhaustible urges. If your toom chickens visibly suffer from the presence of a rooster that takes fertilizing very seriously, you have to intervene. With his sharp spurs (long nails at the back of the leg) he can do a lot of damage when he climbs the same chicken too often. And also a large rooster that regularly mates with krill chickens should be brought to a change of mind for the well-being of your hens.

Finally, there are also roosters who are aggressive towards anyone who enters their chicken coop - even their well-intentioned owner. A rooster that defends its hens - especially if it is a large breed - can come out impressively from the corner and is also able to injure people with its sharp mouth, claws and spurs.

Chemical castration in the rooster can help

A surgical procedure is not done, but you can 'help' a rooster with a hormone implant. That is a dose of testosterone inhibitors that is applied under the skin using a hollow needle. The hormone implant has been developed for use in dogs, but also leads to some results in roosters. However, it loses its effect after about nine months, after which the chemical castration must be renewed.

Yet this is also not a miracle cure. You can only find out what influence a chemical castration has on your rooster by trying it out. Roughly in 70 to 80% of cases, the rooster becomes less aggressive and its mating urge decreases sensitively. However, his crowing behavior will never (completely) disappear, so your neighbors will continue to be annoyed by his noise pollution.

Can you make a rooster stop crowing in other ways?

First and foremost, you have to ask yourself whether it is desirable to expect a rooster to no longer crow. For us, his constant kukeleku is perhaps a source of annoyance, for him (and for your chickens) the perfectly normal behavior that is just part of being a rooster. If you don't want a rooster in your garden, only buy adult chickens whose sex is known with certainty. Stay away from so-called 'Easper chicks', because they are usually roosters that have little value in the poultry industry.

It is sometimes asked to cut the 'voinal cords' of a rooster to silence it forever. Apart from the fact that the wilfully deprived of normal behavior falls under the heading of 'animal abuse', it is also technically impossible ... because a rooster has no vocal cords! Birds make sound in a very different way than mammals, namely with the help of a 'syrinx' - a tuning device consisting of cartilage and membranes, which is located at the junction of the trachea.

If you want to silence your rooster until a certain time in the morning, lock him up at night (along with your chickens) in a pitch-dark loft. Although it may be that even then he regularly opens his throat, for example when he wants to let crowing neighbors know that he also has a very nice territory. So often there will be no choice but to put up with the situation - or you have to look for a new home outside the farm for your sweet, little testosterone bomb.

Translated article about changing your rooster/hormones from a Belgian animal site.
Summary: Implants are no garantee he stops crowing at all and last max 9 months.
https://www.beestig.be/een-haan-castreren-kan-dat

Very interesting, thanks.

 

[RoyalChick]

How are you doing MJ?

 

[MaryJanet]

How are you doing MJ?

Thanks for checking RC, I'm grateful.

I feel like a traitor. I'll have to do it again when The Vulture starts expressing himself. But there won't be a next time.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks for checking RC, I'm grateful.

I feel like a traitor. I'll have to do it again when The Vulture starts expressing himself. But there won't be a next time.

I’m sorry.