Attitude is a Little Thing...
...that Makes a Big Difference
- Winston Churchill
___________________________
Spotted this Pretty Boy and his flock clucking around the Big Island, Hawaii. He was a Show-off… and with those feathers, deservedly so.
___________________________
Some Rooster Facts:
Rooster Combs, Wattles, and Feathers are Pretty with a Purpose. Hens tend to favor roosters with a large red comb with tall points. Evenly formed wattles and long spurs are also must-haves. Long, shiny, and colorful hackle and saddle feathers are used as a rooster puffs up and displays for a hen. These are all outward signs that a rooster is healthy and will provide healthy offspring.
A Rooster keeps an eye out at all times for trouble. It’s not unusual to observe a rooster busily pecking while tilting an eye up to the sky or scanning the perimeter.
If he spots something, a rooster warns the flock with a series of low noises. This tells the rest to stay close to him and remain vigilant. If the danger doesn’t pass, he will quickly sound the alarm by squawking loudly and gathering his flock in a safe area to hold them there until the danger passes. If needed, a rooster will attack a predator to keep it away.
A rooster is fully aware of the pecking order established in his flock and he will help to keep hen squabbling to a minimum. If there is no rooster in a flock, a dominant hen will usually take this role.
Roosters and hens don’t live in exclusive pairs. A rooster will mate with all the hens in a flock. If there more than one rooster around, a hen may mate with different males. But this is where the hen takes the lead role. If she doesn’t want offspring from a particular rooster, usually the less-dominant rooster, then she can “dump” his sperm.
(Nikon Z8, 100-400/5.6 @ 180 mm, 1/640 @ f/8, ISO 2500, processed to taste)
Attitude is a Little Thing...
...that Makes a Big Difference
- Winston Churchill
___________________________
Spotted this Pretty Boy and his flock clucking around the Big Island, Hawaii. He was a Show-off… and with those feathers, deservedly so.
___________________________
Some Rooster Facts:
Rooster Combs, Wattles, and Feathers are Pretty with a Purpose. Hens tend to favor roosters with a large red comb with tall points. Evenly formed wattles and long spurs are also must-haves. Long, shiny, and colorful hackle and saddle feathers are used as a rooster puffs up and displays for a hen. These are all outward signs that a rooster is healthy and will provide healthy offspring.
A Rooster keeps an eye out at all times for trouble. It’s not unusual to observe a rooster busily pecking while tilting an eye up to the sky or scanning the perimeter.
If he spots something, a rooster warns the flock with a series of low noises. This tells the rest to stay close to him and remain vigilant. If the danger doesn’t pass, he will quickly sound the alarm by squawking loudly and gathering his flock in a safe area to hold them there until the danger passes. If needed, a rooster will attack a predator to keep it away.
A rooster is fully aware of the pecking order established in his flock and he will help to keep hen squabbling to a minimum. If there is no rooster in a flock, a dominant hen will usually take this role.
Roosters and hens don’t live in exclusive pairs. A rooster will mate with all the hens in a flock. If there more than one rooster around, a hen may mate with different males. But this is where the hen takes the lead role. If she doesn’t want offspring from a particular rooster, usually the less-dominant rooster, then she can “dump” his sperm.
(Nikon Z8, 100-400/5.6 @ 180 mm, 1/640 @ f/8, ISO 2500, processed to taste)