Is it possible to delay a roosters crow in the early morning by altering it's environment, (keeping it in a darkened coop past sunrise)?

-- Melody McCulloch So. Calif. (mlmccull@uci.edu), October 09, 2001

Answers

Sorry to discourage you Melody, but we have roosters that crow anytime they feel like it, day or night. They crow during the night when there is lightening, fireworks, beam from car headlights, you name it. Maybe someone else can answer the question better.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 09, 2001.

Some roosters seem to have a better schedule than others, but most are pretty unpredictable. Mine is pretty set on 5:30....which isn't my 16 year olds favorite thing since his bedroom window is closest to the chicken pen....but you do sort of get used to it. I have never found a way to change it. Sure would like to hear if someone else has though!

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), October 09, 2001.

Alter his environment to a roasting pan.

Alternatively, I've heard that you can make a light-tight coop, and the rooster will snooze on in there for several hours past normal waking time, until you let light in on him (as you said). My understanding is that this doesn't last forever, though - they will eventually wake up, light or no.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 09, 2001.

I put my coop farther away from the house and lock the rooster, hens and all up until I'm ready to get up. Sometimes I can hear him but it is usually faint, and not right next to my window, which he does if I forget to lock them up. They have food and water in the coop, so they are not hungry. They free range the rest of the time. Makes them more tired?

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), October 09, 2001.

No matter what I do, my rooster(s) all start crowing at around 4 am, regardless of weather, temperature, season, or environment. We just live with it.

I do like Don's idea of altering their environment to a roasting pan, though...mmmmm? Now, if Don can tell me how to eat a rooster that has a pet name given to it by my three kids, then maybe we're in business.

Russ

-- Russ (rwhitworth@sprint.ca), October 09, 2001.

We have a one crow policy here. One crow and it's off with his head. By the way, my roosters were crowing that at butchering time this year. As I was preparing to butcher, they were yelling "Off- with-my-head!" over and over again. I can take a hint. They're very quiet in their new white pen in the basement...and very tasty!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), October 09, 2001.

My roosters crow around the clock. Guess they don't need much sleep! -G- They stop for a couple of hours during the night. At night, it's pitch black out there.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), October 10, 2001.

Sorry Russ, can't help you with your current problem. Next time, though, I'd suggest that you implement a "food naming policy", and use it from the very beginning. Possibly even offer a prize for the best name, in line with policy that male animals are for eating. Examples of acceptable names are "Dumplings", "Cacciatore", "Drumsticks", "Stew", "Casserole", "Pap rika", "Saijanunyuns", and so forth.

As a comment, adolescent roosters seem to be as bad as any other adolescent male. A young rooster will crow at a full moon, or a half- moon, or a new-moon, or if you have a non-smoking house and a smoking visitor steps outsides and strikes a match. If you can wait them out, eventually they'll slow down to the stage that their crowing is only a damn nuisance, and not totally insufferable.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 10, 2001.

Oh this thread is so funny. I think you truly have to be on the receiving end of the crowing to understand the misery of it all. I love to hear them crow during the day. I will be on the phone when one will let out a gusty crow. The people on the other end of the line just laugh and say "do you have a rooster?" duh.......yes, I say. Then our children have overnight guest and they all look forward to hearing the rooster at 4:30am and think my boys are soooo......lucky to have that. My boys look at them blankly. I guess I am used to it. It happens really hot and heavey for about an hour in the wee hours then it slacks off for about another hour, I think they get tired (we have 4). I sure would. But you know, some people never have this opprotunity, I have tried to find joy in it lately. It works best if I cover my head with the pillow. ~Karole

-- Karole (Biz3boymom@aol.com), October 10, 2001.