What are “Roosters”?

An adult male chicken is called a rooster. They are usually larger than hens (female chickens) and have a significantly different appearance. Roosters have another name, cock, so that when the sun rises and a threat is approaching, they can make the sound of crowing. These birds also have wattles, which are two fleshy flaps that hang down from their chins. Moreover, other times, roosters might have longer tail feathers with more grace and elegance, as well as being more colourful than hens.

Among them, one may ask why roosters crow just in the morning while it is still dark outside. In this case, these cocks are responsible for keeping peace within their company and ensuring their safety from invasion by enemies, as they also protect the rest of the hens.

Types of Roosters

Roosters are naturally raucous and captivating animals; they are also protective. This is because their own special sirens act as a warning system for approaching danger. Some others will also protect their hens at all costs from marauders, even if it means risking their lives! These funny, adorable birds come in different attractive shades and patterns, each with its own specific characteristics and traits. Let’s now discover some types of roosters and what sets them apart!

01 Rhode Island Red Rooster

Rhode Island Red Chickens are a breed of domesticated chicken created in the USA and serve as the official state bird of Rhode Island. They lay 200–300 brown eggs per year, which is an additional source of meat. These beautiful birds have rich red plumages ranging from dark red-brown to nearly black. The main difference between Rhode Island Red roosters and hens with regard to their colour is that males have large black tail feathers. Their wattles, earlobes, and combs are brilliant crimson in colour, and they weigh approximately 8.6 lbs.

02 Silkie Rooster

Silkies, the cutest, really do live up to their name because they have smooth, silky feathers. Silkie roosters only weigh between two and three pounds and have a round body structure that is complex in its own way. However, unlike most breeds, which only have four toes, silkies are highly unusual, having five toes. They also possess black internal bones along with flesh and skin. These silkies are often raised for meat as well as eggs, and hens lay about 100 to 120 eggs annually. For this reason, these amusing roosters make good pets and ‘lap chickens’ with very kind and loving personal dispositions.

03 Plymouth Rock Rooster

Plymouth rock roosters are highly sought-after and popular because of their impressive looks and the fact that they have a calm, trustworthy disposition. These birds look very wonderful with those black and white feathers, which give them a beautiful speckled appearance, and they weigh around 7.5 lbs. They also possess a magnificent long tail, bright red wattles, and combs. Plymouth Rock roosters take pride in being flock protectors who look after the entrusted hens carefully. They are mostly preferred among farmers since they are composed and usually behave well towards humans.

04 Polish Roosters

According to Polish roosters, their heads are crowned with amazing spiky feathers that can equal the most extravagant of hairstyles, thereby making them rock stars in the poultry world. Remarkably, they are also far less able to see because of these fantastic head feathers, which makes them more vulnerable to predators. Although not aggressive, five and a half-pound birds will at once give an alarm that is long and loud once there is an incoming predator. Some hens may even be more dominant than the roosters themselves because Polish roosters can be so timid and cautious!

05 Cochin Roosters

The Cochin chicken, which is amazingly beautiful, is generally reared for display purposes and not for its meat or eggs. There are many elegant-coloured large cochin roosters that weigh 8–13 pounds. Their legs are covered in feathers all the way down to their feet, until it looks like they have flared bell bottoms on! Generally, cochin cocks are docile and not good watchdogs. Some can even be so gentle as to sit on your lap with a child.

06 Sebright Rooster

This modest and endearing fowl, one of the earliest bantam breeds in Britain, remains a most favourite chicken to people up until now. The females only lay small white eggs but are very difficult to breed. Sebright males weigh an average of just 1.3 pounds, which is smaller than that of an average chicken. Their pointed rose combs are often bright red, but they can also be purple or mulberry-coloured at times. For example, Sebright birds have even spaced black lace patterns along the margins of their feathers and come in different colours like lemon, silver, and gold, among others.

07 Brahma Chicken

These magnificent fowls take longer to grow up, but when they do, they become very large! The Brahma Chicken, from which the Jersey Giants hailed, was the largest type of chicken known as the “King of Chickens.”. These huge Brahma Chicken are enough to chase away many small would-be attackers—approximately two feet tall and twelve pounds in weight. However, despite their imposing size that could scare any creature away, they are quite tame. Brahma roosters actually do best in a flock comprised entirely of their breed because other types often pick on them.

08 Wyandotte Rooster

Wyandotte chicken is named after the native Wyandot people of North America and made its debut in American cuisine in the 1870s. The Wyandotte hens are kept for their huge brown eggs as well as their meat. These amazing birds exist in different colours, like Colombian, golden laced, blue, black, buff, partridge, white, silver laced, and silver penciled.

09 Australorp Rooster

Australorp hens are known for their amazing egg-laying abilities and appealing dispositions. Black Australorp roosters typically weigh between 6 and 10 pounds in the United States. Their huge, bright red combs next to their wattles provide a nice contrast to their dark feathers, which have an awesome iridescent sheen that is sometimes tinged with deep forest green. Even though they are usually calm and friendly, Australorp roosters often engage in fights when protecting their flock.

10 Leghorn Roosters

These roosters have smooth plumage and long, flowing tails, Italian chicken-style. They appear in a variety of lovely colours. Leaning Leghorn Cocks are sleekly trimmed and weigh between 5.5 and 7.5 pounds. The most popular variety is all-white with splendid scarlet combs and red wattles. Nonetheless, there are plenty of other colour categories, such as buff, red, black-tailed red, brown, black, or silver. These roosters guard their harem and are very observant at that. They like to reside in spacious areas where they can roam freely; hence, they are not invariably cute either.

11 Sussex Rooster

Sussex chicken, the oldest breed in Britain, has a long history and comes from Sussex County, England. These chickens are friendly, confident, and curious. They are known for their lovable and cheerful characters as roosters and hens. You may even be able to feed a docile cockerel with your fingers if you rear it by hand! However, despite being gentle-natured birds, Sussex roosters are also watchful protectors with amazing senses that will alert them at the first sign of danger. A few cocks will even fearlessly defend themselves and take on any assailants head-on.

12 Faverolles Rooster

These lovely roosters were raised for their meat and eggs, originating from France. Faverolles’ roosters are large ones, weighing about 11 pounds; they have feathers around their feet and fully feathered bodies. A lot of people prefer them as children’s pets or in small home flocks because they are quite gentle. Compared to other breed roosters, the noise level of Faverolles’ cockerels is very minimal. Because they are submissive, when they are kept with other birds, they are more likely to be dominated by them. These are social, easy-going birds that can do well with more subdued breeds or other Faverolles within our homes.

13 Barbu d’Uccle Rooster

There is no larger equivalent of these Belgian chickens, which are real bantams. Barbu d’Uccle roosters are tiny, weighing only one to one and a half pounds, but have richly feathered bodies. They come in more than twenty-eight beautiful colours, including white, mottled, cuckoo, blue, blue quail, lavender, silver coil, and cuckoo.

Barbu d’Uccle roosters take pride in protecting their flocks. They make sure that their chickens are not endangered, and they also rear them well. Barbu d’Uccle roosters are small but very courageous and lively too.

14 Welsummer Rooster

The Welsummer chicken is a bright and majestic bird named after the small Dutch municipality of Welsum. The feathers of this bird are of light and dark brown shades and have white feather shafts similar to those of partridges. The breast of the Welsummer rooster has a glossy bug-green colour, while the mantle is a warm golden-brown shade. They are beautiful but have qualities like calm, gentleness, and friendliness that make them get along well with humans as well as other avian creatures.

15 Delaware Rooster

The Delaware chicken breed, originally from Delaware in the United States, is currently critically endangered. Roosters of the Delaware breed have bright and red wattles and combs. It has a weight of about 8.5 pounds. Their white bodies have a distinct contrast with light black sprinkles on their necks and tails. They are not usually the friendliest birds around, but they are fairly quiet and shy away from any confrontation. Always alert to everything happening around them, Delaware roosters are vigilant creatures.

16 Java Rooster

Of all the chicken breeds in the United States, Java is one of the earliest. Nevertheless, it is on just the list of those rarest chickens that are facing extinction today. The male Java has a strong and vigorous body and weighs nearly 9.5 pounds. Their plumage comes in white, black, or speckled varieties. Javas are dual-purpose birds bred for both meat and egg production. They are calm but robust birds that do well when raised in small flocks.

17 Langshan Rooster

At around ten pounds in weight, the Langshan rooster is a massive so-and-so. For instance, its pin feathers are like oil, and its legs yellow up to its hocks. Moreover, it is gentle, making it easy for children to handle. This is because it has black, shiny feathers that make it look dignified among many species of birds. Thus, other animals befriend them with ease. However, today there are variants like the white and blue ones; the predecessors were black with a green shine.

18 Orpington Rooster

The Pringles rooster is an Orpington breed originally bred to lay eggs and be used for food, but today they are only grown for their stunning appearance and friendly nature. Orpington males have big, voluptuous bodies, bright red floppy combs, wattles that look like the colours of fire flames, and weigh about eight to ten pounds. They are so submissive that they can even eat from your hands, but no intruder is allowed near their flocks. Their keen instincts make them sense danger at its first sign, sometimes losing their lives in defence of their hens!

19 Jersey Giant Rooster

This is one of the biggest and heaviest roosters you will ever see—a Jersey giant. First developed in New Jersey, these big boys have powerful bodies and weigh between 13 and 15 pounds! However, it does take quite some time and food for a baby chicken to grow into an adult Jersey Giant cockerel. They come in different colours, but black is common among these large birds. They are a breed of gentle giants when it comes to Jersey Giant roosters; no harsh or annoying traits exist despite their massive size. The mere fact that they stand as tall as they do should not be misunderstood as aggression from other flocks toward this species.

20 New Hampshire Red Roosters

This is one of the biggest and heaviest roosters you will ever see—a Jersey giant. First developed in New Jersey, these big boys have powerful bodies and weigh between 13 and 15 pounds! However, it does take quite some time and food for a baby chicken to grow into an adult Jersey Giant cockerel. They come in different colours, but black is common among these large birds. They are a breed of gentle giants when it comes to Jersey Giant roosters; no harsh or annoying traits exist despite their massive size. The mere fact that they stand as tall as they do should not be misunderstood as aggression from other flocks toward this species.

Conclusion

Alpha males of the chicken species are seen in several breeds, and each has its own particular characteristic that makes it fit for a certain purpose. There are breeds that have beautiful plumes and attractive looks, such as Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock, among others, that add color to a flock or make it look diverse.

Meanwhile, others, like Cornish or Orpingtons, are famous for being good meat producers, which can be very helpful for poultry farmers who rear chickens for eating. Similarly, some breeds have been observed to have certain temperaments and voice characteristics that affect their interactions among themselves as well as with humans.

Conversely, whereas some cocks are celebrated because of their crowing skills and daredevilry, others could be more timid and silent. This understanding of various characteristics assists people interested in poultry to select the right breed of rooster depending upon whether they want it to be good-looking, productive, or social for them or their children.

FAQs:

Correct! There are several breeds of roosters, each with special qualities. Here is a list of some typical forms and FAQs regarding them:

01: How do I choose the right rooster for my flock?

Think through elements including temperature, space, the reason you keep chickens—egg-laying, meat, or pets—and temperament. Certain situations and roles call for some breeds to be more adapted than others.

02: Do roosters need special care?

Generally speaking, roosters need the same basic care as hens—that is, correct housing, feeding, and medical attention. If they grow hostile or if their crowing disturbs others, they might, however, demand more care.

03: How can I prevent aggression in roosters?

A lot of space, appropriate socializing, and the avoidance of crowding will help to reduce aggressiveness. Certain breeds are naturally gentler than others.