Cock-a-Doodle Don't

As mentioned in a previous post, Chimples is undoubtedly a rooster, not a hen. (Mr. Chicken is LOOKS like a rooster, but spends all "his" time hanging out with the lady hens, resting and chasing bugs, and never seems to have any interest at all in protecting them, herding them, or leading them--or in crowing in the early hours.) Along with being twice their size, Chimples has also developed the rather unpleasant habit of crowing at the crack of dawn--and throughout the day. So I went online and found that there are solutions--the No Crow Collar stood out from the rest. I ordered one and it arrived none too soon. Here are the directions, which make clear that the collar will not be appreciated by the rooster. It needs to be placed around the neck, under the feathers, loosely, until he no longer objects. After a few weeks or so, feathers don't grow in where the collar rests, and so the collar can be tightened--but not too tight as, since the rooster is growing, his neck will grow too. It's all very stressful. To makes things more bearable for Chimples, I selected the optional bow tie attachment.Doesn't he look dapper? That's Mr. McChimples to you.So far it has made a slight difference, but not enough. Simon says we need to tighten the collar a LOT. If only Chimples wasn't the most cheerful and good natured of the chickens, we'd just drop him off at a nearby farm. But he really is a pleasant chap to have follow you around while you work in the yard. And he does love to sit on one's lap and enjoy watching the sun set while enjoying a fine cup of tea.