Too Good To Be True?

[dinosaw]

When my hatch produced two pullets and three cockerels I decided I would really like to keep one of the cockerels if possible. They started crowing at 6-8 weeks (pathetically) so I gave them as long as I could before deciding which one to keep. Anyway the little fellow I chose is in the photo,he's a partridge pekin. While I have good neighbours who have been very supportive of me keeping him I don't know people further out and so a week and a half ago, because of how loud, early and persistent his crowing was I put a plan into action to keep the noise down. I have built him a seperate little coop which I have put inside our brick built outside loo, blacked out the window so its very dark and every night take him up there to sleep and bring him back down in the morning. The idea was to get maybe an extra half hour before he started crowing and to muffle his noise when he did. Well it's been fantastic so far, 8am and no crowing, as soon as the toilet door opens off he goes, but until then nothing. On Sundays we have been leaving him till 8.30, I know it's probably not ideal for him but it's better than having to get rid. So I was wondering, has anyone else tried this and if so will this be the way it is from now on or will he cotton on to what is going on and start crowing earlier. I nearly didn't write this as I thought it will be sods law if he starts off at 6.15 tomorrow because I've opened my big mouth. I am hoping this is it because I will be gutted if I have to get rid of him.

 

[foxy]

If he gets used to it, and not crowing this early you should be OK. As long as it's dark and quiet and you can keep him to this routine.
He really is a striking looking boy! 08

 

[Marigold]

And as the days get shorter the flock will be getting up later anyway, and the neighbours are less likely to be sleeping with all the windows open, so the problem should to a large degree solve itself. Certainly by October you may not even have to confine him to the slammer overnight!

 

[BabyBantam]

Fingers crossed - He's stunning

 

[chrismahon]

What a lovely little chap Dinosaw. Reminds me of the Pekin we had thrown down out driveway in the first dumping. Squeaky we called him -short for Pipsqueak because we only kept large fowl at the time. Used to sit in the window of the kitchen and sunbathe making really cute noises. We found him a good home very quickly.

Problem you may have is crowing during the day. Our friends relocated their Wyandottes to us because of a complaint 6 doors down. Hope you don't have that to deal with.

 

[karminski]

hes one very cute little man i am jealous at present i have a little silver partridge cockeral and he hasnt managed a full crow yet makes me wander if he ever will but finally i have found him a home with someone from practical poultry site when i visit her at the end of the month to collect some more pekins hes coming with me funny thing was i only mentioned him as she said her little silver partridge boy has been ill and she said wow bring him with ya before i could even say anything :lol: :lol: so my neighbours will have to put up with him for a bit longer but so far no one has mentioned it and most have said they thought he was a she as in one of the big girls 05 and mine are out are 5.45 am weekdays and 6 am weekends .

 

[VALBURNHAM]

I do exactly the same as you with my boy. He has a house inside my garage which is very dark no windows and each night he goes in there until a reasonable hour. 7.30 on a a week day and the neighbours get a rest till 9 on a weekend. In the winter I'm assuming that he will be able to stay with the girls as the mornings get darker. He does not crow until its light so I guess I'm lucky. The little monkey knows I'm coming to get him and move him on a night so he hides in a different place every night hoping I won't find him.

 

[dinosaw]

Thanks so much for the nice comments about him, he really is a sweet little thing, we kept him because of the way he was with the girls, always considerate, calling them over and letting them eat the best bits of any treats we had, unlike the Welsummer who used to trample them and run off with what he wanted. I also thought it would be a bit easier on them being tread by him as he is a lost smaller than the Welsummer even though he was meant to be a bantam. I hope his crowing through the day wont be a problem as most people are out at work, but I suppose it's a case of cross that bridge when we come to it.. He doesn't hide from me(yet) the three of them are always in the same place when I go down to get him, on top of their house!, I pick him up, shoo them off and they then go in, silly birds.

 

[karminski]

i would perfer to hear a cockeral then planes and about 500 parakeets every morning leaving thier roost :lol:

 

[Sue]

There used to be two cockerels in my area, one at the top of the road and the other two doors away (they're terraced houses). The one at the top of the road was rehomed a couple of months ago and the other went (don't know how or where!) two weeks ago. They used to set each other off with their crowing during the day. It's really sad that they've both now gone and there is no sound of cockerels crowing in the countryside anymore! I don't know about the other neighbours, but I miss them!

Your boy is very handsome!