The rooster seems to be proclaiming his toughness, but he also conveys something more fundamental. Henry David Thoreau said the bird’s high-spirited strain expresses the “effervescence of life.”
Riley - photo by Jean Rhode
People are increasingly raising backyard chickens. They enjoy the
animals and their eggs. During the pandemic, caring for chickens has
provided a gratifying home-based activity.
But municipal governments don’t welcome all chickens. Many allow
hens but not roosters. Roosters provoke complaints about crowing.
Bans on roosters, which are prevalent across the country, have
created a huge problem. Our farm sanctuary hears about it several
times a week. People call to explain that they ordered only female
chicks from a company, but one or two grew into roosters. (This
outcome is common because hatcheries have difficulty distinguishing
between the males and females when they are young.) The callers say
they would be happy to keep the roosters, but their local
governments insist they get rid of them. They don’t want to simply
dump the birds in a park or along a roadside, and they fear that if
they return them to the seller, they will be killed. They hope we
will adopt them.
Big Red
But our farm sanctuary, like the others we know, has taken in all
the roosters we can care for. We have recently built additional
space for them, but the problem is far too vast for sanctuaries to
handle.
The local bans have added to grim fate of roosters in general. Those
born into the U.S. meat industry typically spend their lives crowded
together in huge windowless sheds, just like the hens. Baby roosters
in the egg industry aren’t permitted to live at all. Because they
don’t lay eggs, they are killed within a day after hatching.
I believe that the more that people learn about the animals, the
more they will appreciate them and want them to have full and happy
lives. They will even develop positive attitudes toward roosters and
their crowing.
My knowledge of roosters has primarily come from working at our
sanctuary, which my wife Ellen and I founded in 2008. Since then,
our rescued farm animals have included over 30 roosters. We have
typically cared for about 10 at a time.
Roosters are tough fellows. A few of ours have fought each other so
fiercely that they have drawn blood. We had to build separate
aviaries for them, placing each with a separate group of hens. Over
the years, three of our roosters even attacked us and our staff
members. They ploughed into us like football defensive backs making
tackles.
Although the bird’s fighting temperament causes problems, it also
serves to protect the flock. I recently witnessed a stirring example
of this.
While driving my car, I saw a large pen with chickens inside. To my
surprise, there was a raccoon inside as well! The hens were all
huddled against the back fence. Then the rooster stepped up to the
raccoon and the two stood face-to-face. It was as if the rooster was
saying, “If you think you’re going to get those hens, you have to go
through me.” A rooster is no match for a raccoon, but this one’s
bravery was something to behold.
This face-off continued long enough for me to get out of my car and
throw a pebble toward the raccoon, which scared him away. I then
informed the owner so he could buttress the pen against predators.
Neighboring farmers have told me of similar incidents. As a fox,
raccoon, or other predator approached the hens, the rooster
intervened. He lost the battle and died, but while the fight took
place, the hens had time to escape.
Like brave medieval knights, roosters are chivalrous. When they spot
something good to eat, they call the hens to it, and they don’t
partake until the hens are finished. When their group ventures into
an outdoor pasture, they stand guard while the hens eagerly forage.
Then, when he feels it is time, he directs the hens back to the
safety of the aviary.
The rooster’s crow, which is biggest problem for many people, is
part of the animal’s bold nature. It is never half-hearted. The bird
rises up, flaps his wings, and calls out with all his might.
Children who visit our farm are thrilled by it. Many try to imitate
it.
Our roosters crow at dawn and throughout the day. When Ellen and I
opened our farm, we expected to be disturbed by it. And our roosters
did wake us up earlier than we wished. But this only happened the
first two mornings.
Moreover, we soon began to feel that the crowing is somehow
uplifting--a feeling shared by all those who have worked with us.
The rooster seems to be proclaiming his toughness, but he also
conveys something more fundamental. Henry David Thoreau said the
bird’s high-spirited strain expresses the “effervescence of life.”
I suspect that people who favor town bans on roosters have endured
many noxious mechanical sounds, like lawn mowers and leaf blowers,
and they don’t want to be disturbed by roosters as well. But the
rooster’s crow isn’t part of the mechanical world. It comes from
nature. The rooster is nature’s trumpeter, sounding out nature’s
force and vitality. He calls attention to the miraculous world of
living things. I hope people who have supported bans on roosters
will reconsider.
Safe Haven Farm Sanctuary is located in Poughquag,
New York.