The other day, my little boy asked me why roosters crow and also why don't the girl chickens crow? Well, because...ahhhh...well....hummmm...well,I don't know but I will ask some folks who will know!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), January 08, 2002

Answers

Asked Google and came up with about 2,850 site to ask the question. http://www.google.com/search?q=why+do+roosters+crow&btnG=Google+Search

I liked the one with real player…LOL Maybe your boy will enjoy it also!

October 19 - Why Is It: Timely Roosters http://www.aaas.org/ehr/sciup/documents/october99.html

-- Jay Jones (tonsie007@yahoo.com), January 08, 2002.

For the same reason men chase women they have no intention of marrying - because they can.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), January 08, 2002.

'cause they want to.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), January 08, 2002.

Birds gotta swim, Fish gotta fly...

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), January 08, 2002.

Cute Ken ! I was going to say just like men they do what they want no matter who it bothers .What we find unattractive they think is macho .Sorry guys .On the serious not I beleive it is to attract females and mark there territory.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), January 08, 2002.

Karen, I once saw a 1 hour special on public television about Chickens. Your question was covered in the show. I don't know if it's true but the "Authority" who answered that question claimed it is a statement to any possible rival males. I think he said it went something like this, "I'm here and I'm king come challenge me if you dare". Macho huh!

-- David Valliant (dhvalliant@yahoo.com), January 08, 2002.

I'm no expert, but mine seem to "call in" the others a dusk...also they seem to wake everyone up? :)

-- julie britt (jbritt@ceva.net), January 08, 2002.

Roosters...strutting about with their chest out, crowing...chasing females...it's obviously a guy thing.

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), January 08, 2002.

It makes the sun come up.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), January 08, 2002.

Lookin' fer a hootchie-kootchie woman to make mad passionate chicken luv with.... And to be generally annoying at 4:00am... And when the sun goes under... And it's probably light oriented - scientifically speaking, of course (and them wild chicken wimmen too...)

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), January 08, 2002.

I'm with Chelsea...it's a guy thing

Russ

-- (rwhitworth@sprint.ca), January 08, 2002.

They're being prophetic....if you listen to a rooster crow it's saying,"Off-with-my-head!" or alternately'"Chop-my-head-off!"

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), January 08, 2002.

I agree with the territory thing. I have 2 roosters, and when one crows, the other follows. We call them the dueling Cock a doodle doo's. They are seperated in different pens, so a fight doesn't break out, but they sure 'cuss' each other.... often.

-- bear (Barelyknow@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

I believe it is more to announce to other roosters that the hens belong to him so they better keep away from his turf. I have never noticed one of my hens to go towards the rooster when he crows clucking like she is saying to the other ladies in the flock, "Hubba, hubba, hubba I got to get me some of that." It usually looks like they are all saying the same thing to each other, as they cluckingly chuckle, "Not now honey I've got a headache."

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

I don't know about the crowing, but how about that cute little dance move around the "girls" LOL!!!! It cracks me up everyday.

-- Kelle in MT (kvent1729@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

The simple answer is BIOLOGy.

Male chickens have among their secondary sexual characteristics, pronounced combs and cheeks, raisable hackles, spurs, robust musculature and a crow. The crow is a territory thing. It lets other males in the area knowthat this is "my"territory and to back off unless you want a fight. Females may respond to a crow and in fact join a rooster's recruitment group based upon his crow in addition to his hackle display, his fighting ability, and most strongly his delivery when he calls the females in with the promise of food. It is the delivery on the food promise that actually is most important for the female, altough dominance over other rooster matters almost as much. Read aboutthe behavior and watch your own. It is amost interesting soap opera.

If you ever heard the meadowlark sing in the spring then you heard the male on territory. The rooster's crow is perhaps a less melodious, but similar characteristic. It has nothing to do with gettng the farmer up in the morning....I promise.

Good luck.

Oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), January 09, 2002.

Because.............it is too hard to mooo..........?

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), January 09, 2002.