Why do roosters crow on time every day? Do they know how to calculate time?

In 1965, American "chicken expert" Klein locked 100 roosters in a dark room without sunlight in order to make them stop crowing. However, he was disappointed because the roosters not only crowed on time the next day, but also were full of energy and not affected at all. So, why can these roosters crow on time? Can roosters also calculate time?

About Rooster

Roosters are the protectors and sowers of the flock. They are ferocious and powerful, and often beat other small animals. Especially after entering the estrus period, roosters will become more violent and aggressive, and will even force female ducks to mate with them. If they refuse, they will be beaten violently. They are extremely cruel.

The rooster's violent temper may be inherited from its ancestors, the dinosaurs. According to research by American biologists, chickens are likely to have evolved from carnivorous dinosaurs, because chickens and dinosaurs have a 60% match in gene sequences and their bones are also very similar, which is enough to prove that chickens and dinosaurs are "in the same boat."

The domestication of chickens takes a long time, dating back to 8,000 years ago. China was the first country to raise and eat chickens. Not only that, roosters were also a symbol of good luck in ancient China and occupied a very important position in the lives of the ancients.

Chickens are also animals with a strict hierarchy. The rooster with the highest status in the flock enjoys priority rights to eat and mate, and can peck other roosters at will, but other roosters cannot peck back. Roosters also have amazing memories. They can remember the faces of more than 100 different people or animals. They are very intelligent.

It is worth mentioning that although roosters are often served on the table, in France they are a symbol of bravery and tenacity. Therefore, the French have listed roosters as their national bird and hope that one day they can evolve into the mighty "Tyrannosaurus Rex".

Why do roosters crow on time every day?

In fact, the crowing of a rooster and the laying of eggs by a hen are both very regular behaviors. They are spontaneous behaviors that are influenced by biological rhythms and are instincts that living things are born with.

1. The biological clock in roosters can control them to crow on time

In fact, our daily sleep and diet are regulated by the biological clock, because the biological clock is an "invisible clock" in the body. It is determined by the time structure in the body and is a common mechanism for all living things on the earth. Whether it is animals, plants or insects, they are affected by the biological clock every moment.

Roosters are no exception. The reason why they can crow on time every day is because of the role of their biological clock. Once roosters make crowing a habit, they will fix the crowing time. Therefore, even if the roosters are locked in a dark cage, they will crow on time. This is their nature and cannot be changed.

Moreover, the biological clock in the rooster's body is far more sensitive than that of humans. Therefore, at dawn, even if the sun is not visible, the rooster's biological clock will wake up, stimulate their central nervous system, and make them crow loudly.

However, if roosters are kept in cages for a long time and away from light, their biological clocks will be disrupted and they will not crow.

2. External stimulation can make the rooster crow on time every day

The crowing of a rooster is not only affected by the biological clock in the body, but also by external factors. This is because there is a substance called "pineal gland" in the rooster's brain, which can secrete melatonin, which can suppress the rooster's emotions.

But in the morning, when the morning light appears, once the sunlight shines into the rooster's eyes, it will inhibit the secretion of the "pineal gland", making the awakened rooster extremely excited and singing involuntarily. Over time, it will form a habit, and it will crow excitedly when seeing the faint light.

Moreover, the more male hormones a rooster has in its body, the stronger its sensitivity to light is, and its crowing will be particularly high-pitched, like an alarm clock ringing non-stop. Therefore, many people use the crowing of the rooster as an alarm clock to wake up.

It is worth mentioning that roosters are animals with a strong sense of territory. They will feel very uneasy if they cannot see at night, but in the early morning, once their vision is restored, they will crow as soon as possible. This is a kind of emotional catharsis.

3. Most birds crow like roosters

Generally speaking, roosters crow around 4 a.m., which is when the sky just gets light. The crowing usually lasts for 3-5 seconds. When the rooster crows, many birds will also crow together.

If you have ever lived in the countryside and there happens to be a tree outside your window, then you must have been woken up by birds, because most birds will sing in the morning, but their voices are not as loud as those of roosters.

Because birds are very sensitive to light, they are basically night blind and have extremely poor night vision (except owls). Therefore, they are very weak and in poor spirits at night, so they will sing in the morning and use their calls to attract the opposite sex and occupy territory.

It can be seen from this that singing in the morning is the nature of most birds, and singing on time every day is determined by the body's biological clock and external factors, and is the result of millions of years of evolution.

Is there any special meaning behind the crowing of a rooster?

Roosters not only crow in the morning, but also often crow when they are not sleeping. This is a very common behavior, but it is quieter in the morning, so it is more likely to attract everyone's attention.

1. Roosters can use their crowing to show their status

The ancestor of domestic chickens is the red junglefowl, which belongs to the pheasant family. They are strong, have a strong sense of territory, have a very strict social hierarchy, and each flock can only have one leader. Domestic chickens have inherited these traditions.

Therefore, in a flock of chickens, the first rooster that crows in the morning must be the most powerful, because crowing is a way for them to publicize their status, telling other roosters in the flock that they have the highest right to eat in the flock, and preventing other roosters from taking the opportunity to "seize the position."

And only after the leader has crowed, can other roosters crow one by one according to their status. The lower the status of the rooster, the smaller the crowing sound and the lower the frequency. This can prevent the flock from being in chaos early in the morning and is conducive to the stability of the flock.

2. Get up early to warn other roosters not to attack the hens

Although domestic chickens have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years, their behavior is still very similar to that of wild animals. For example, only the rooster with the strongest fighting power in a flock of chickens can become the "king of chickens", possessing a unique status and enjoying priority access to food and hens, making other roosters envious.

The reason why the "king rooster" crows in the morning is not only to show his status, but also to warn other roosters that the hens in the group are his "harem" and they should not easily take advantage of them, otherwise they will bear the consequences.

In addition, the crowing of roosters is also a form of communication behavior. It is a way of communication between individuals and groups. It is the only channel to convey instructions and movements to the flock. It can be said to be the most important way to lead the flock.

3. Warn other animals not to enter their territory

In rural areas, there are not only poultry such as chickens and ducks, but also "poachers" such as weasels. They are the natural enemies of hens. In order to fill their stomachs, they often break into the territory of the chicken flock and attack the hens, which makes the leader of the chicken flock very angry.

Therefore, the aggressive roosters will warn foreign invaders by crowing loudly to stay away from their territory. If they do not leave, they will take the initiative to drive them away to protect the safety of the flock.

Not only that, almost every household in the countryside raises chickens. Therefore, when roosters are eating, foreign chickens often mix in and snatch their food. So the roosters give warnings by crowing, and if they don’t listen, they will drive them away one by one. This is the meaning of the rooster’s crowing.

How to stop a rooster from crowing

For some people who don’t like to get up early, roosters are the most annoying thing, because they crow too early. Many people are woken up by roosters before they wake up, which is very uncomfortable.

1. Castrate the rooster

According to research by zoologists, the crowing of roosters is controlled by male hormones, but if they are castrated, the male hormones in their bodies can be reduced, which can prevent them from crowing at the root. This method is extremely popular in rural areas.

In rural areas, many roosters are castrated when they are born, commonly known as castrated chickens. Once a rooster is castrated, its temperament will change drastically. It will no longer be aggressive, but will become very gentle. It will not harass the hens and affect their egg-laying. Instead, it will protect the hens and increase their egg-laying rate.

2. Let the rooster lie in a cage or wear a nose ring

People who are familiar with roosters know that roosters will only crow when they are standing, because crowing requires a lot of lung capacity. So in order to prevent roosters from crowing, you can tie the rooster's feet and let them lie on their side in the cage, so that the rooster will "shut up."

In addition, you can also put nose rings on the roosters to prevent them from opening their mouths to their full extent. This will prevent them from making any sounds and will not affect the roosters' eating, killing two birds with one stone.

The loudest and most powerful rooster

The strongest chicken on earth is the Luxi fighting cock. They are native to Shandong and are one of the four major fighting cocks in my country. They have existed in China for more than 2,000 years. This rooster has well-developed muscles and a strong body, similar in shape to an ostrich. They are also active and agile by nature. When they get angry, they can even fight humans. They are very tough.

Not only that, the purebred Luxi fighting chicken is not only powerful, but also grows very fast, has delicate meat, and its serum activity is 20 times that of ordinary chickens, and has extremely high economic value.

In summary:

Roosters crow on time every day, which is determined by their body clocks and affected by external factors such as sunlight. Rooster crowing can also enhance their status in the hearts of the chickens and hens, which is of great significance.

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