The rooster is a classic barnyard animal that often appears on wind vanes and country-themed home decor.

This regal, colorful bird stands out on any farm with his confident walk and beautiful, bushy tail. Here’s what you need to know about the rooster.

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What is a rooster?

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A rooster is a male chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). The chicken is the domesticated subspecies of the red jungle fowl. The term rooster or cock refers to an adult male bird, and the term cockerel refers to a younger male. A male that has been castrated is a capon. A hen is an adult female chicken, and a pullet is a young, sexually immature female. Some roosters who are bred for fighting are known as gamecocks.

5 Amazing Rooster Facts

• Roosters make sure their hens eat before they do.
• A rooster protects his flock and will warn other birds if he senses danger.
• Hens and roosters look identical as chicks.
• If there is no rooster in a flock, a hen will step up to take charge.
• A hen may choose to mate with a rooster if she finds his comb attractive.

Rooster Scientific Name

The rooster’s scientific name is Gallus gallus domesticus.

Rooster Appearance

Roosters stand out among hens with their bright colors and strutting attitude.

A rooster stands about 27 inches high. Some large roosters may grow 3 feet tall, but that’s as tall as they get.

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Rooster feathers come in assorted colors, including white, brown, black, and red. Some roosters are speckled or spotted. A rooster typically has large wattles and combs. The bird’s distinctive bushy tail is large and brightly colored. These feathers continue to grow and get more colorful as the rooster gets older.

A rooster’s body looks very much like that of a chicken, and it can be hard to tell them apart when they’re young. The rooster, however, has these significant differences:

• More muscular build
• Larger comb that sits high on his head
• Large wattles under his beak
• Hackles on his shoulders: Hackles are long, pointed neck feathers that run along the rooster’s back. Hens have shorter, more rounded hackles.
• Tail feathers: Curving tail feathers are a distinctive mark of roosters.
• Spurs: A rooster has spurs on his legs, and these grow throughout their lives.

Roosters in Culture

Roosters are important symbols in many cultures. A sailing tradition holds that a rooster tattoo brings good luck to sailors. The rooster is the 10th sign of the Chinese Zodiac, and people born in this year are said to be polite, punctual, and faithful.

In Celtic and Norse mythology, roosters are messengers of the underworld. They believe these birds call out the names of those who have fallen in battle.

In Greek mythology, the god Ares asked a soldier named Alectryon (Greek for rooster) to guard the room where he was meeting the goddess Aphrodite in secret. Alectryon fell asleep, and the god turned him into a red rooster as punishment. According to the myth, this is the reason the rooster never fails to wake up at dawn.

The rooster is the national animal of France, and the fighting blue hen is the state animal of Delaware. A rooster is a classic emblem used when decorating in a country or French country style.

Foghorn Leghorn was a red rooster who had his own animated cartoon show.

Rooster Behavior

The rooster’s most famous behavior is his crow, but he doesn’t just crow at sunrise. A rooster also crows to mark his territory or warn the flock about potential danger. Most roosters can crow by the time they are four months old.

Roosters are the leaders of their flocks. Their job is to protect the flock and mate with the hens. A rooster mates with as many hens as he can, and he also maintains the pecking order in the coop.

Chickens are sociable animals who enjoy living in groups. They share incubation and child-rearing duties, and they also share food and resources.

When a rooster finds food, he calls the other chickens over to eat first. The rooster may cluck loudly or pick up the food in his feet and drop it. Mother hens engage in the same behavior trying to get their chick to eat.

Rooster Habitat

Roosters live on farms and in suburban chicken coops. They primarily live with their flocks. Hens will lay eggs without a rooster, but a rooster is necessary to fertilize the eggs.

Some people raise roosters as a hobby. The Rhode Island red is a famous red rooster breed. There are other highly prized breeds, including:

• Chinese Silkie
• Buff Orpington
• Barred Plymouth Rock
• East Frisian Gull
• Old English Game
• Black Australorp
• Iowa Blue

Rooster Diet

Roosters are omnivores, and they are not fussy about what they eat. However, they have certain nutrition requirements. Most roosters prefer to be free-range and forage for their food. This is more natural for roosters and easier for people who keep them. In winter, it’s necessary to feed them a prepared diet from feeders.

Rooster diets should include the following.

• Grit: Because there are no rooster teeth, these birds need the grit to break up their food. You can buy commercially prepared grit or grind your own from rocks and bones.
• Calcium: Oyster shells are a good source of calcium. This is mostly necessary for laying hens.
• Balanced diet: Roosters need the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, starches, vitamins and minerals. Many people use commercially prepared feed or supplements to ensure their roosters are getting the right balance.

Rooster Predators and Threats

Humans are the biggest predators of roosters. They regularly slaughter them for food Some people also make them fight to the death in cockfighting matches, which are illegal in many countries.

Other predators include raccoons, coyotes, and foxes, who may try to raid chicken coops for eggs and young chicks. Roosters will protect their coops, and some roosters have been known to fight to the death trying to fend off predators.

Rooster Reproduction and Life Cycle

As the flock leader, the rooster mates with many of the hens in his harem. A rooster may use a courting dance to signal his interest in a hen. This is known as a circle dance. Once the hen responds with a cluck or call, the rooster mates with her.

The female creates or finds a nest. It is common for chickens to use nests that have been used before, and some hens lay their eggs in another hen’s nest.

Incubation lasts about 21 days. Chickens continue caring for their chicks for several weeks. At that point, they are old enough to start eating on their own.

Rooster Population

Chickens and roosters live in every part of the world. There are an estimated 23 billion chickens in the world.

Conservation Status

Roosters are not endangered. They are one of the most populous birds in the world.

Ruling the Roost

Roosters are the leaders of their flocks, and these brave birds will fight to protect their hens. These colorful birds live on farms all over the world.

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