Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Roosters, or cocks, are male chickens. Young roosters are called cockerels, and castrated
roosters are called capons. You will need to have one rooster to fertilize your hen's eggs.
Roosters can have an aggressive nature, especially if you own more than one. The chicken's
innate need to fulfill the pecking order can cause them to fight, even to the death, for domin-
ance. If you plan to have more than one rooster, you may need to separate them from each
other, but keep them with several hens. Chickens are social creatures that need to interact with
other birds or people for their overall well-being.
Roosters are known for their crowing. Typically, roosters crow at the crack of dawn, but they
can crow at any hour, even in the middle of the night. They usually do not do this; often it is
triggered by a noise that startles the bird.
Roosters are also the more colorful gender. Their markings are brighter and more intense than
most of their female counterparts' markings. They also care for their hens and chicks. If a
rooster finds food, he will call out to the rest of the flock and indicate by the tone in his voice
that food is available. A rooster also may pick a favorite among the flock to mate with. He
will save the best food for her and is gentler with her during mating. Roosters are known to
guide their little chicks when walking around the yard, and they will fight to the death to pro-
tect their flock from predators. They are loyal to their families.
Taming a mean rooster
Mean roosters have turned many people off from raising chickens. With their well-developed
spurs, rooters can inflict serious wounds when they see you as a threat to their flock domin-
ance. Each time you enter the coop, you will have to remind your rooster you are the top dog
of the flock by following the steps given in this section.
An alpha rooster usually dominates the pecking order of a flock by getting first dibs at food,
water, and hens. The hens also have an alpha hen that is the boss. Unlike the roosters, hen so-
cial order is harder to see, but it is there. The alpha rooster asserts his dominance constantly. If
another chicken attempts to eat first or another rooster tries to mate a hen, the alpha male will
rush over and administer a good peck or even pummel the out-of-bounds interloper with beak,
claws, and wings.
Your job is to make sure you are not the victim of such an attack. Starting when the chickens
are small, take a few minutes each day to observe their behavior. When the chicks start to
fight (or spar), break them apart by gently pushing them back with your fingers. Each fight
