To de-crow or not to de-crow....?

I've had my heart broken too many times when my darling babies turned into loud crowing roos that I cannot keep. A friend who is a vet offered to try to de-crow two of mine. She had never done it before and studied up. It seems the operation is not on the "voice box" but two large muscles deep in the chest. We had both heard that the operation is not always completely successful. It is also very expensive--usually $200-$300. A lot to spend when it might not even work.

She operated on two--after three weeks both were crowing again. One as loudly as before--the other a bit less loud.

I'm not sure if we are going to try it again. She said when you cut the muscles they snap apart and couldn't possibly re-connect. So why can they crow? She doesn't know.

Oh that sounds just awful
I have 2 girls, one of whom I am terrified is a rooster. I love them both so much. They both love to just fly up and sit on my lap, and go to sleep. I thought about having "Alice" turned into a capon, if she does turn out to be a boy, but I decided I just couldn't do that. I will just fight to keep them here, and if that doesn't work out, I will do my best to find them a safe home somewhere else, where people don't hate roosters.

I think I'd ask for a refund.....

I always found the loudest dog were the ones that were debarked, they made this raspy squeaky sound that was just pitiful.
I also found the declawed cat, put into a fight or flight situation was the first to bite. They learn to rely on what they have left.

I am not against anything, especially if it will keep a pet in a good forever home... all I am saying is:

Be careful what you wish for!

You can NEVER take away a behavior, only replace it.

yep, I'd want a refund too!

No refund needed this time. My friend did is as a favour and to learn how to do it. But I think my experience is a good warning not to invest in it, unless you have a lot of money and won't be devastated when it doesn't work.

I was over at ZZ's last night. She has some new Duttch Bantam hatchlings--just a day old. We were sitting admiring them, when we heard the weird "infant roo" crow. This is the second time in two weeks that she has hatched a roo that started crowing immediately. It is very distinctive when you know what you are listening for. The little chick stands very still, stretches out its neck and goes--well it is difficult to describe what it sounds like--but it is not a normal peep--almost more of a raspy whistle. Once you've heard it you know it immediately.

Crowing is certainly very deeply ingrained in a rooster's genetic make up and I would never even think of depriving them of it--unless it is a question of life and death. By why, if they can breed "long crowing" roosters, does no one breed for a "short" or "soft" crowing chicken?

LOL and we could call it the sush chicken.. what colors would it be cat?

I have a dozen week old americaunas and I could swear one is "trying" to crow, and has been all week. It is the oddest sound, at first I thought it was a hungry/thirsty chirpy cry.. then I saw him standing at the front window of the brooder standing as tall as an inch worm..

I laughed and said look he's crowing, but knew better... hmm did I?

Oh no Fran.. you were NOT wrong! The lil DB that crowed yesterday with me and Catscan sitting there is only 36 hours old.. LOL Serious! We were talking and then squeeeeeeek! Cutest thing ever!
I've had them do the "pre crow chirp" which is more of a chatter.. and was totally different.

About de-crowing? I'm still a little on the fence... I understand the need for it, but it's OUR need.. not the bird's.
I guess after reading it here...... my thoughts are..
Adjust your environment to fit the bird... Not adjust the bird to fit your environment. I understand that thinking may be a "perfect world" and doesn't exist in reality.

Catscan, I appreciate your efforts to keep your favorite roo/roos.. I know you have spared no expense and no amount of effort to keep him/them... in the end, I think we have to think of them, not our breaking hearts.

Sadly, adjusting my environment would mean burning down my neighbors' houses......hmmmm....I'll be back in few minutes:0)

frans--I think the colors should be grey, green, khaki and brown in a broken pattern....cryptic coloration designed to hide your illegal chickens from the city council.

You are too funny Catscan! That was a good one!!!!

That was funny.. well worth cleaning the coffee off my monitor

I'm still giggling.... and see my neighbor's house in a whole new light.. LOL Light.. get it? LMHO

Funny you should mention colors of a coop. We are building our coop, and I was thinking of painting it lemon yellow, or painting a quilt on the side. Anyway, is there any reason to make it a quieter color? You know, so predators have a harder time finding it? Is this just wishful thinking? (or maybe painting really big eyes on the side, so the predators will think something is looking at it???

If your neighbors can stand it.. a blinking red light keeps the preditors away..

Oh yea.. it doesn't have to be a spotlight.. I just get carried away sometimes.. tool-time use to be my favorite show.. go big or stay home! lol

I drilled the eyes out of an owl decoy and put a solar light in the back of it's head (a flickering one from a fake tiki torch). It looks just like a live owl with glowing eyes and I can move it around to diffrent spots in my chicken pasture (unlike last years electric one). It works perfect as a preditor guard and cost me a total of about 8 bucks.

I remember that Jyl.. I was thinking a giant spotlight might be cooler in the neighborhood though!

Just kidding.. I think the owl is perfect.

Thanks, I like the idea of the owl. I found one with a, sort of bobble head. I am going to try to put the lights in the eyes. We live in a mountain area, and we can have a flashing light, no one would see it. It is because we live in a mountain area that I am worried about predators! The chickens will have a big coop, but will not be able to run around the property, due to the predators.

How does the blinking light work? One gigantic light? (so the neighbors think we are having a disco) Or I was thinking of a string of red blinking christmas lights around the bottom of the coop. Would that work?

Catscan!! You hve to be more careful of what you post. My wife and I were reading about the vet de-crowing your rooster, my wife picked up the phone and started dialing, I said what are you doing? She said Cat has given me a great idea! I calling the local vet to see if I can have you de-crowed? Thats not funny.

FRAN!! Your a woman after my own heart. I love tool time. Hay

LMBO, thanks for the giggles this morning. *as I glance at the nieghbors house* hehehe
I am sorry you have ordinances about roosters. Thats a tough situation. It was nice of your friend to at least try for you. Cant fight nature I guess. Even a femal can learn or try to crow. LOL

If we have a dog that can't bark (the Basenji: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/basenji.htm ), and we have long-crowing roosters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqFkLvSoGto & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY40Btzs0RQ ) you would think that someone could come up with a rooster that can't crow!! lol

~:> Glenda

The blinking light is very small and mimics a preditors eyes. The theory is that a preditor won't hunt when annother preditor is already there.