Rooster (Domestic Chicken)

Rooster (Domestic Chicken)

Description

The rooster is the adult male of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus f. domestica), a member of the pheasant family (Phasianidae). He is instantly recognisable by his large red comb and wattles, glossy colourful plumage, and long, arching sickle-shaped tail feathers. Roosters are typically larger and more brightly coloured than hens, often weighing around 1 kg more depending on the breed.

Habitat

The domestic chicken descends from the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) of the forests and scrublands of Southeast Asia, and was domesticated more than 8,000 years ago. Today it is kept by people all over the world, and at ZOO Sedlec you can meet several ornamental and traditional breeds.

Diet

Chickens are omnivores that scratch and peck at the ground for food. Their diet includes grains and seeds, green plants, insects, worms, snails and other small invertebrates.

Reproduction

The hen lays eggs that hatch after about 21 days of incubation. A rooster does not brood, but he guards the flock, courts the hens and calls them to food; laying breeds can produce a large number of eggs each year.

Lifespan

With good care, domestic chickens usually live around 5 to 8 years, and sometimes longer.

Did you know?

A rooster's crow announces the dawn and marks his territory, and the domestic chicken is the most numerous bird on Earth, with over 20 billion living at any one time.