Why do some roosters crow only in the morning, while others crow all day long? Not everyone knows how to calm a loudmouth. The sounds that males make are very loud, their frequency approaches 90 dB. Because of this, people living next to the chicken coop have a hard time. Cock crowing disrupts morning and night sleep. It’s rare that anyone is drawn to lyricism when the booming cuckoo-cack-re-cack is heard a hundred times a day.
Why does the rooster crow
Each rooster has its own unique cuckoo, the sounds of which can be heard up to 2 km. The owner of the chicken coop publishes it first. This is out of rank for the young cockerels; they sing after him. Males at the top level of the hierarchy declare with loud crowing their territory and the presence of a subordinate harem - laying hens.
In the morning
When the rooster and hens were wild, the male would lure the female to him for mating with his booming cuckoo. In order not to be harmed by predatory animals, he did this early in the morning, when they went to rest.
With a cry, the wild kochet marked the boundaries of its territory. No other males encroached on her. Intimidation of rivals reduced the number of battles for the zone of influence, which contributed to the spread of the species. Domesticated birds continue the traditions of their wild ancestors. Their morning singing spreads far, waking up the surrounding residents.
During the day
During the day, the roosters take roll call. They announce themselves by shouting. Its duration depends on the breed. Most often it lasts 30-60 seconds. The loudest breeds:
- May Day;
- Zagorsk salmon;
- Adler silver;
- Moscow black.
The more chicken coops there are in a populated area, the more often the chickens bawl during the day. They are having a roll call. Evening crowing is calm and rare. It is a collection signal for the hens. Hearing him, they rush to roost in the chicken coop.
At night
Screaming at night is rare. The chickens are sleeping at this time, so the male has no need to declare his dominance. At night, a rooster, worried about something, sounds an alarm. It happens that it notifies about a predator that has entered the chicken coop. At 3 o’clock in the morning the “first roosters” crow loudly.
At what age does a bird begin to crow?
The first test of the voice is more like a squeak. Healthy male chicks begin to crow at the age of 2.5-3 months; most 4-5 month old males crow continuously. By 6 months everyone is crowing.
Healthy, large individuals begin to scream exactly in time earlier than sick and weaker cockerels.
How to stop a rooster from crowing?
A person cannot wean a bird from a habit that is inherent in nature. Scientists have proven that roosters have an internal circadian clock. This explains the fact that a loud cuckoo-cuckoo is heard exactly at dawn in a dark, windowless chicken coop. The owner cannot turn off the live alarm clock, but can adjust the volume and frequency of the cock's trills.
Males often bawler if they are worried about their family. This should be taken into account when choosing a location for the chicken coop. It is better to build it away from the fence, car parking, or family recreation area. Trees and shrubs planted along the perimeter of the rooster kingdom effectively reduce noise and bird calls.
In the literature there are descriptions of cruel methods of training kochets. One option is to use a special collar. It is used to regulate the volume of sounds by squeezing the larynx. The second option is to dip the cockerel's head in water. They should not be used. It's cruel and ineffective. Hens lay eggs better if the family is led by a healthy, confident male, rather than a bird that is under constant stress.
To stop the night crowing, you need to inspect the chicken coop. Plan and carry out repair work:
- seal holes;
- dig a net around the perimeter of the chicken coop;
- pour the floor with concrete.
After such reconstruction, small predators will not be able to get inside the room, the rooster will be silent at night.
If there are a lot of young roosters in the chicken coop that are constantly screaming, then it is very easy to calm them down. We need to place an alpha male with them. He must be older than the screamers and much stronger physically. In about a month, the young kochet will calm down and be cured of his annoying, stupid loudness.
Why did the rooster stop crowing?
Don't enjoy the morning silence. If the usual peek-a-boo does not spread throughout the neighborhood, the owner of the chicken coop should be wary. A rooster stops crowing for various reasons. Some require you to see a veterinarian.
Change of plumage
Poultry molts every year, and migratory birds are no exception. When changing a feather, physiological changes occur in the body. They affect the behavior of the bird. There are changes in plumage:
- natural;
- seasonal;
- juvenile
Due to molting, the rooster is not replaced. After its completion, he continues to sing and perform his functions as an alpha male.
Depressive state
Just like humans, pet birds are also susceptible to depression. A young male can fall into it if his alpha male pecks and does not allow him to sing. Signs of depression:
- change in behavior (aggression, depression);
- loss of appetite;
- doesn't crow.
Depression occurs in a cockerel if the hens do not let him near them. This happens when a new, recently purchased chicken is added to the chicken coop.
Aging and breed characteristics
The old kochet's voice is not clear. Singing is more like wheezing. By about 4 years of age, a cow of any breed is slaughtered. He becomes weaker and tramples less chickens. The eggs he fertilizes hatch into chickens. Loudness depends on the breed.The meat and egg varieties are calmer. The loudest egg breeds are the loudest.
Hormonal changes and illness
The rooster's crow cannot be heard if there is an infection in the chicken coop. The most common diseases affecting the respiratory system of poultry:
- infectious bronchitis;
- colibacillosis;
- bronchopneumonia.
| Disease | Symptoms | Treatment | Eating meat |
| Infectious bronchitis | Lack of appetite | No | Can |
| conjunctivitis | |||
| sneezing | |||
| hard breath | |||
| Colibacillosis | Heat | Yes | Yes |
| hard breath | |||
| poor appetite, constant thirst | |||
| diarrhea | |||
| Bronchopneumonia | Rapid breathing | Yes | Yes |
| wheezing | |||
| open beak | |||
| lethargy |
A sick bird can be identified by its pale comb.
It happens that the kochet, having recovered, continues to remain silent. This happens because he no longer feels like an alpha male.
The male suffered hormonal changes due to illness. He is no longer interested in the harem. He no longer protects his territory from other roosters and predators. In such cases, the owner has to think about replacing it.
To prevent infection in the chicken coop, the room is treated with a disinfectant solution (Kreolin-X) every 2-3 months, the walls are painted with lime, and the litter is changed. The bird is transferred to a balanced feed. Roosters crow especially loudly in a clean and well-maintained coop. The louder their singing, the better the chickens lay eggs.
If a young cockerel does not give a voice for a long time, he is discarded. For the laying hens, the poultry farmer leaves a cockerel, which sings louder and louder than others. The vocal male actively tramples the hens and fertilizes the eggs well. He copes well with the role of leader. He keeps order in the chicken coop and controls his territory.
