What the heck do roosters, generators, candles and smoke have to do with each other? In our current daily lives not a whole lot. In the future, after the stuff hits the fan, they have one thing in common for sure and its not good.
Many preppers have generators and plan to use them as part of their survival plans. In a short term power outage there is usually no problem with that but in a long term societal breakdown they become dangerous. Even if you had access to vast amounts of fuel to run them they will become a beacon which will attract people to your place. The same can be said for many of the other things we plan to rely on for survival.
If you have ever gone outside late at night when things are quieter you will notice that sound travels for long distances. If you went out after a power outage you would notice the quiet more then ever. Any noise is more noticeable. Lights shine for great distances. Smells and movement are more apparent. Right now we hardly notice the sounds and smells around us because they blend into the total community of noises around us. Cut off all the power and a single candle in the darkness can be seen for miles. A sound like a gunshot can travel for miles as well.
Now just suppose that the stuff has hit the fan and you are the neighbor of someone who is a prepper. What do you notice when you are hungry and cold? You notice that the neighbors have a generator because you can hear it. You notice they have plenty of good food and heat because you smell the food and the smoke. You see their lights in the windows. You hear their rooster so you know there are chickens in the back. Eventually, as your meager store of food runs out you start to believe that the neighbors with so much can afford to share. When you get together with the other hungry neighbors you begin to talk and decide that you will just go up and ask the neighbor to share. When they refuse then you decide that you can form a group and just take what you want so then it begins.
Now, consider that the gang of neighbors is really a gang of outsiders and you have just become their target. These people are organized and out to take anything they can find. Now your generator is not an asset but a true liability. It draws all those who can hear it. The same problem is created by lights even if they are from a single candle.
If you are truly planning to survive then it is time to look at survival with your eyes wide open. You simply can't plan on running the generator until your stockpiles of gas run out. You may be able to run it at first to keep your food from spoiling but you will need to make some plans to can or dehydrate that food as soon as possible and turn the generator OFF. That's not to say you can never use it but be aware that even brief spurts of use when you NEED it are times when you are jeopardizing your security. So the use of the generator will have to be short and for only when you absolutely have to use it.
Lights will have to be blocked at night and kept to a minimum as well. Even a single candle will draw outsiders. Lights peeking around the edge of the curtains WILL show. You can't expect to sit inside by a cozy lamp and not be seen so their use will have to be kept to a minimum and blocked to outside eyes.
Cooking may have to be done outdoors but remember that smells travel and smoke will be visible. Fires at night will also show up. The smell of food will attract the hungry scavengers so cooking will have to be done quickly and efficiently. Huge gourmet meals will smell more savory then a pot of beans but even those beans and cornbread will smell good if someone is starving.
Hunting is going to happen but be aware that even a .22 rifle is loud in the right circumstances. When its in a clearing with nothing to block the traveling sounds or when its cold and damp a single gunshot is a dead giveaway which can be heard for many miles. If it takes you several shots then every extra shot makes it easier to pinpoint your position not to mention a waste of ammo. A bow on the other hand is almost silent and you can get in and out without anyone knowing you were there.
If you plan to have animals as part of your survival plan then they will make noise. One of the worst offenders is the rooster. A rooster will crow if it hears another rooster or if it sees a light at night. It will seldom crow in the dark. You could just keep hens but then when they get older they will stop laying. You can eat the hens for meat but you would have no way of replacing your flock. So, you NEED a rooster for long term survival if chickens are part of the plan. There are some roosters that crow less then others which would make a better choice. The smaller bantam roosters also don't crow as loud. A rooster can be kept in complete darkness for most of the time and his crowing will be kept to a minimum. It may seem cruel but he can be allowed his free time with supervision and then placed back in the coop for his and everybody else's security. He can also be kept inside the house for part of the time where his crows will be more muffled. He may be the noisiest but he's not the only animal that makes noise on the farm. All animal noises will have to be considered and plans will have to be created to keep them to a minimum. Their smells are also something to consider. Pens will have to be kept clean or their smells will travel.
Simply put we have to look at our survival plans with an honest eye and plan realistically. Forget the plans to plug up the generator for months on end and continue life as though you are on an island. Remember that sights, sounds and smells are going to be more apparent and plan to keep them to a minimum. Of course, you will have to cook and heat your home as well as see at night but be prepared to do it smarter rather than attract the wrong people through carelessness. It can't be business as usual and it won't be easy but if you plan ahead and think about the reality of the situation then your chances of surviving are better.
Southern Wood Elf