Why does the rooster crow in the evening? What to do if the rooster crows loudly. Internal, biological clock

I know that chickens and roosters are distributed literally all over the world. That the birthplace of these birds is India. That in ancient times the rooster was considered a totem animal: they wrote fairy tales, riddles, and nursery rhymes about him. For example, “Cockerel, cockerel, golden comb, why do you get up early, don’t you let Petya sleep?”. Or such a riddle: he will be born twice, he will never be baptized, but the devil is afraid of him. Again I have a question - why?

I concluded that my knowledge is not enough to answer the questions posed. Therefore, I used the following research methods:

1. read scientific and educational literature, accessed the Internet;

2. observed the behavior of the rooster in the hen house;

3. conducted an experiment;

4. asked adults: parents, teachers, librarian.

From scientific and educational literature, I learned that roosters sing not just for beauty. With their singing they predict the weather:

1. Roosters begin to sing immediately after sunset - the weather will change.

2. If the kochet sings after 10 pm, the night will be quiet and good.

3. When the rooster crows before 9 pm, this is a sign that the weather will change and it will rain soon.

But I observed repeated cock crows earlier than 9 o'clock in February, that is, in winter. I asked the teacher what his singing means? He suggested that in winter the crowing of a rooster at this time means the onset of an imminent thaw.

So I concluded that the crowing of the rooster does not always begin the first hour of the day.

From the Internet, I learned the following information that primitive people saw in the rooster a mysterious messenger of supernatural forces, the deity of the sun. That the rooster recognizes the representatives of evil spirits without much difficulty. If he sang until midnight, then he saw the unclean and wants to drive him away. So he protects the home from evil spirits.

I could not answer the question whether the cock is related to evil spirit. I didn't see her. Neither did my parents, the teacher, the librarian with whom I spoke.

Most likely, this singing is a prediction of the weather. In the encyclopedia, I read that the night crowing of a rooster is interpreted in different ways. Georgians believe that it serves as a harbinger of a change in the weather for the worse. In the Arkhangelsk province, such singing portends good weather. If night singing is heard in winter, when severe frosts, the cold will decrease.

Since the rooster is considered the deity of the sun, is it likely that it gives the command to sing? To answer this question, I made an observation: I followed the cock crow in cloudy weather. Then I conducted an experiment: I covered the window in the chicken coop with a dark curtain.

Conclusion: my rooster always crowed in the same way and at the same time - at 4 o'clock in the morning.

The question remains: why does the first crowing of a rooster sound at dawn at about the same time? I also found the answer to it on the Internet: it turns out that a person hears the cry of a rooster at a distance of two kilometers. Crowing is a challenge to other roosters, to which they give a response call. It is quite natural that, upon waking up, the owner of the chicken coop is in a hurry to inform the world about his rights. The awakening of chickens, like other animals, at a certain time is associated with the so-called biological clock. We are talking about complex circadian rhythms based on an active central nervous system - from the brain stem to the cerebral hemispheres.

CONCLUSION

After studying the literature, conducting an experiment, finding information on the Internet, I come to the conclusion that my hypothesis is not correct. The command to sing a rooster is given by its biological clock - complex daily rhythms based on an active central nervous system: from the brain stem to the cerebral hemispheres.

WORK VALUE

I learned a lot about such a familiar animal; that his singing has a very calming effect on laying hens. It would be nice to use a rooster crow in alarm clocks instead of any sharp ringing. Or at school, a cock crow could be used as a call or an invitation to lunch. You can check and observe.

This knowledge will be useful to me in the lessons of the world around me, I will share it with the guys.

Thanks to fairy tales, riddles, songs, we from the very early childhood We know how a rooster crows. This bird is important in Russian folk culture. It is present in the epic, in ancient illustrations and other works of art. But why does the rooster crow? Why this unusual ritual? In the article we will consider several versions, even the most unusual ones.

Biological explanation

The very first thing that comes to mind is that a rooster crows to designate itself as a flock and guardian of territory. But first things first:

• The rooster is the leader of the chicken flock. With his crowing, the male makes it clear that the chickens around him are his females. And no one dares to encroach on them.
• The rooster is the owner of the territory. The male crows, thereby warning that the surrounding territory belongs to him, and no other cockerel should be on it, otherwise he will not be greeted.
• Roll call. With his crowing, the rooster checks whether all his wards are in place. The male crows, and the hens respond by clucking.
• Competition in charisma. Roosters can sing not one at a time, but a whole flock. They arrange "competitions" in the volume and color of the voice.

Poultry farmers have long known that the better and louder the rooster gives a voice, the stronger it is in terms of the reproduction of offspring. For the first time males begin to try voice at the age of about three months. During this period, poultry farmers are closely watching. Males who do not want to sing are subject to culling, as they are not able to reproduce good offspring.

Why does a rooster crow at different times of the day?

Roosters sing their songs different time days since it has different meaning. Scientists conducted an experiment: they kept roosters in complete darkness for several days. And still they crowed, at the same time.

Evening. In the evening, crowing sounds much less frequent and calmer. This is a signal that you need to gather in a flock, sit on the perches and get ready for.

Night. A rooster can crow around three in the morning. These are the so-called "first roosters". If a rooster worries during the night, often crows, perhaps his flock is in danger.

Constantly. It happens that a cockerel crows all the time without apparent reason. This can happen both during the day and at night. Poultry farmers believe that he is bored, there are few chickens in his "harem". Village roosters have salient feature: they yell all together. One starts - and the "wave" went through the village.

It also happens that something bothers the rooster, so he crows all the time. This feature greatly spoils the life of the bird owners, since the unbearable “crowing” is very annoying.

Legends, tales, beliefs

The cult of roosters is first mentioned in ancient india. Among the Indian people, this bird was a sacred animal, therefore it was forbidden to eat its meat. Hindus believed that the rooster is the messenger of the supreme gods to Earth. He was sent to herald the rising of the sun and the beginning of a new day. Hindus believed: if the sacred rooster in the temple does not crow, dawn will not come. sacred bird in every possible way gratified, excellently fed, decorated with jewels.

AT Holy Quran there is also a mention of the crowing of a rooster. The hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah says: “When you hear a rooster crow, then ask Allah Almighty for mercy and goodness, for the rooster saw an angel”(that is, it was believed that a rooster crows every time it sees an angel).

In the Mongolian epic there is a slightly fabulous explanation. A long time ago the rooster had chic tail extraordinary beauty. Everyone stared at him as if he were a miracle. The peacock was jealous of such beauty, and wanted to have the same decoration. One day, he approached the rooster and said: “I'm going to the holiday. Would you lend me a tail for a day". The rooster was kind and agreed. The peacock took the tail and never returned it. Since then, every morning the unfortunate rooster cries: "Ku-ka-re-ku!". What does it mean: "Bring back the tail!"

Of course, folk tales are unlikely to explain true reason crowing of roosters. But it's so interesting to study history different peoples and compare them with each other.

Signs and superstitions

There are many signs about a crowing rooster that promise both good and evil. Let's recall the most interesting of them.

• If a red or red rooster crows loudly and worries in the middle white day Someone's house is on fire. You need to be more careful about the stove and look after small children.
• If the chicken sang like a rooster, there will be a big trouble. Grief will happen not only in the house where it happened a rare thing, but in the entire village.
• If a rooster crowed between dusk and midnight, it was believed that he was luring someone out of the house to do evil. The owners did not leave the house, but threw smoldering coal through the window.
• The cry of a rooster at midnight is the news of someone.
• If a rooster crowed on the threshold - to the long-awaited guests; if he sang at the back door, a stranger or an uninvited guest will visit the house.
• Crowing at dusk - to bad weather, to rain.
• When a black rooster crows, it drives away evil spirits.

Signs appear as a result of many years of observation. Representatives of the Slavic culture are sensitive to superstitions, so they have survived to this day.

Scientists have recently become interested in the causes of roosters crowing. As a result of the research, it was possible to establish interesting facts:

• The voice of the rooster is individual. This is the "identity card" of the bird.
• The better the vocal ability, the better the rooster will perform the duties of fertilizing the hens.
• The rooster sings at the same time, relying on its own biological clock, regardless of the time of day.
• The crowing of a rooster has an emotional coloring and semantic meaning. Scientists have counted more than 30 variants of cock singing.

Why is the cock crowing anyway? This topic can be long and tedious to argue. But the main thing is that the chickens understand their leader, and the rivals are afraid.

How do roosters determine when to sing in the morning?

Crowing is a kind of challenge to other roosters, to which they give a response call. Roosters, separated by a long distance and not seeing each other, call to one another about the territories occupied by the rooster and its "harem". In nature, each such group of birds has its own site. Here they find food, here they rest and sleep. This area is protected from the invasion of other birds of the same species.. The first cry of a rooster is heard at dawn at about the same time - waking up, the owner of the site is in a hurry to notify the world of his rights. The awakening of chickens, like other animals, at a certain time is associated with the so-called biological clock.. These are complex circadian rhythms based on the activity of the central nervous system on its different "floors" - from the brain stem to the cerebral hemispheres. In addition to the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness, the behavior of animals is also influenced by rhythms that are repeated many times during the day.. The German ethologist W. Schleidt found that in a turkey (also a representative of chickens), the loud cackling of the male corresponding to crowing is repeated periodically even if the bird is completely isolated from outside world or lose your hearing. AT normal conditions internal rhythms are subject, of course, external influence(lighting conditions, auditory, visual and other stimuli, etc.), and also interact with a variety of internal factors that determine the physiological state of the animal. Different elements of behavior are closely related to each other..
The first time the rooster begins to sing at 1 o'clock in the morning, these are the first roosters; the second roosters crow at 2 o'clock and finally the third at 4 o'clock in the morning.
But how does the feathered singer know the time? Some researchers believe that cock singing is associated with the location of the stars in the sky. The first roosters crow when the star Canopus (the constellation Carina) appears above the horizon. And as soon as this star disappears beyond the horizon, the second roosters begin to sing. But just how do roosters, being in a chicken coop, follow the stars? For people, the crowing of a rooster has always been a landmark of time, that is, a living clock, a natural awakening signal. The villagers who set out on their journey wait for the first roosters to sing in order to be blessed to set off on the road. After the second rooster crowed, village women get up from their beds to knead bread, start milking cows, etc. Together with the third roosters, the entire working population of the village is already going to their daily work. There are even sayings: “He gets up with the first roosters”, “The third roosters sang”, etc. Oddly enough, it was thanks to his crowing that the rooster became a pet. Probably, even primitive people saw in the rooster, loudly proclaiming the onset of a new day, the mysterious messenger of supernatural forces, the deity of the Sun.

Many breeders of chickens, villagers and people who visit countryside, rooster cries woke up more than once, they are also heard at other times of the day. Etymologists have found that the rooster crows for a reason, it is its territorial acoustic, or sound, signal.

Without sounds, birds will not be able to communicate with each other. In nature, there is a great variety of sounds, especially wild chickens, whose habitat is thickets of shrubs with a limited outlook, are especially distinguished by their roll calls.

A crowing is audible to the human ear if the rooster is two kilometers away. This sound is single and long, on high frequency. How much a male chicken crowed depends on the circumstances and the purpose of the call. If the cockerel has found food, he will begin to make repeated calls that serve as a call for the hens.

The most effective thing is when the rooster gives a loud high-pitched signal for a long time. The same cock male always pronounces the crowing in almost the same way, with deviations of no more than half a tone.

Scientists have long figured out why a rooster crows loudly, and what about when another chicken male, or several, is nearby. The sound made may be a challenge, and the brethren who are in the same rank as the rooster are called to it in response. When a subordinate cock of the lowest rank raises a cry in his yard, the dominant male attacks the one who dared to raise his voice, he does not give a sound answer.

Rooster calls

Why does a rooster crow, if its brother is at an impressive distance from him, and the males do not see each other, it becomes clear if you understand the natural evolutionary factors. As usual, the rooster has its own “chicken harem”, and the bird group lives in one area. Birds zealously protect their food, rest and sleep from strangers, including from their own kind.

An aggressive attitude helps populations to spread, develop new habitats, and also eliminates overpopulation. Although the brutality of fighting with mutilation or death can harm the entire species, the number of birds is declining, even more so if male producers die. Thus, the reason why male chickens crow is simple, they need to protect their territories, seize and develop new ones, but roosters use harmless ways of settling, crying is an intimidating maneuver.

Crowing, the male sends a warning to the rival about the occupation of the given yard and an offer to look for another place. A serious fight between rivals can only begin when everything nearby is already populated. The rooster, the strongest physically and psychologically, wins, and it will continue the genus, which will lead to the prosperity of the species, a progressive turn will occur evolutionarily, but this was more typical of the wild ancestors of modern chickens. The domestication of roosters was due to their vociferousness.

Domestic birds are more controlled by a person, although the chickens have not forgotten the form of territorial behavior, and the male always reminds the neighboring roosters that the yard and chicken coop are his territory. The roosters also sing loudly after a love affair with a chicken.

morning call

Etymologists also find out why roosters crow in the morning. There is a version that the owner of the yard is eager to declare his rights already from waking up. He can periodically voice warnings to opponents throughout the day and evening.

Like all living things, chickens have biological circadian rhythms. Therefore, the male bird begins its singing trills in the morning, at a certain period of time. Moreover, until the cock leading the herd crowed, others are silent, waiting for him. The rooster often crows during the day to mark its territory, either by “flirting” with females, or to call its “harem” for food, for walks. For peasants, cockerels often served as living alarm clocks. It also happens that a rooster crows loudly at night, scientists are still working on this phenomenon.

Tip: An external stimulus, such as light or change temperature regime, also lead to the rapid awakening of the bird.

Age, appearance of a loud voice

At what age roosters begin to crow, today it is only approximately determined. Babies under two months of age cannot make loud sounds, and are still squeaking. Young cockerels at two and a half months old try their hand at crowing, but it turns out to be somewhat ridiculous. There are individuals who began to master the loud call at 3 months of age, which is already quite good. Most male chickens learn to fully crow at four or five months of age. Often a young rooster crows constantly for several days, not even half an hour passes. Gradually, the frequency of the cry passes. Six-month-old youngsters are already crying with might and main.

Tip: Undertakings are influenced by the breed, the conditions in which the birds live. Well-groomed males begin to sing earlier than not very well-groomed, rather weak and skinny counterparts.

Why can't they sing?

It happens that the rooster does not crow. Then you need to deal with his state of health. The bird may be silent due to airway complications. Signs of the disease are also a pale scallop, shortness of breath. You will need to see a veterinarian, possibly antibiotic treatment.

After the illness, the bird may also stop singing for a while. If the changes affect hormonal background, the male may not feel like a leader in protecting the territory, he does not trample the hens, although the rest of the behavior is normal.

If roosters interfere with sleep

Chicken males sometimes sing at night, at one, two and four early in the morning. Until they came up with effective way how to make a rooster not crow, especially at night. Some zoologists experimented by keeping the birds in a dark room for more than one day, but the singing schedule was still not violated. It is not always possible to change nature. Therefore, if roosters sing in your own or neighboring area, it remains to enjoy the beautiful iridescent sound.

Tip: Thickening the walls in the chicken coop will help muffle the bird's cry.

Roosters are birds known for their loudness. Every farmer's day used to begin with the first crow of a rooster. Nowadays, the noise that these birds make often becomes an annoying problem. Consider why roosters crow, what to do if the bird has stopped doing it, as well as methods for weaning a rooster from crowing.

Why do roosters crow

To the question why roosters crow, one can give an unequivocal answer: for these birds, crowing is a way of communication and roll call. At the same time, there is a certain hierarchy among the birds. The leader (alpha male) gives his voice first, and only after him do the other kochets begin to crow. Interestingly, if the subordinate rooster crows first, the leader attacks and often beats him to death. There are times when kochets begin to scream constantly. If your rooster cries all day, with short breaks for meals and sleep, this indicates negative mutations in the bird's genes. It may also depend on the breed. One of the loudest is May Day.

Kochets, like many other birds, have a biological clock, so their crowing also depends on the time of day.

Did you know? Roosters crow even when they are blind and deaf.

In the morning

The crowing of roosters at an early time is associated with their natural instincts. It is at this time of day that their cry is the longest and loudest. The time birds start to call does not depend on the time of sunrise and lighting, as it may seem at first glance. Kochets give voice according to the signal of their internal clock. So they show themselves the masters of their territory, communicate with each other.

Roosters are divided into first, second and third, depending on what time they start to sing. The first and second scream at night, and the third give voice by 4 o'clock in the morning.

During the day

At night

Kochet biorhythms make themselves felt at night. The aforementioned first and second roosters start crowing by the first and third hours of the night, respectively. At night, the likelihood of meeting a predator that preys on birds increases. For this reason, the kochet can scream at night.

At what age does a rooster start to crow

The first crowing attempts of a young cockerel can be heard at the age of two and a half months, when he is just learning to make himself felt with this sound.
While learning, cockerels sing every half an hour. The number of crowing birds increases by the age of three months, at 4–5 months most of the individuals begin to crow, and at the age of 6 months all males already crow.

Important! If the bird is silent after six months, you should contact your veterinarian.

What to do so that the rooster does not crow

The frequent and loud calls of birds can disturb farmers. And sometimes the neighbors can complain about the annoying "crowing". There are several ways to get rid of this habit in bettas:

1. Add a male to a young rooster, which will be older (at the age of about 3 years) and stronger than him. Keep them together for a month. After that, the young cockerel will lose its alpha male authority and stop screaming so often.
2. Use a special collar that is worn around the bird's neck, preventing enough air from being drawn in for a loud call by blocking the larynx. With such a collar, the cockerel will begin to wheeze, but this will definitely help get rid of unwanted loudness.
3. Choose breeds of bettas that are less prone to shouting. The loudest breeds are considered: Adler silver, Zagorsk salmon, Moscow black, May Day, minor and leggorn.

It is important to understand that crowing is the norm for a healthy kochet, so before you start birds, you should consider whether you can tolerate the loud cries of birds.

Did you know? A chicken can distinguish its owner from other people from a distance of 100 meters.

Why did the bird stop crowing

You can get used to the loud cries of a rooster, but his silence is an occasion to think about the health of the bird.
A cockerel may stop crowing for several reasons:

1. infectious bronchitis- it's a disease respiratory organs which unfortunately has no cure. However, the meat of a sick bird will not harm a person.
2. Bronchopneumonia- with this disease, the kochet begins to wheeze. The sick cockerel is isolated, treated with antibiotics, and after a week they are returned to the chicken coop.
3. colibacillosis- the cause of the disease is Escherichia coli. It strikes internal organs feathered. Treated with antibiotics.
4. Moult- the cockerel falls silent only for the period of molting, after which it starts to sing again.
5. aging process- with age, the birds begin to wheeze and may stop screaming altogether.
6. Hormonal changes.

Important!If you are not sure why your rooster has stopped singing, be sure to contact your veterinarian. If an infectious disease is detected, this will help prevent infection of other inhabitants of the chicken coop.

What does crowing mean according to folk signs

It has long been believed that this bird can predict trouble. Many folk signs are associated with crowing.
Consider what a cockerel can scream for, according to popular beliefs:

1. If the feathered one screams very loudly and beats at the windows, a fire may soon occur in the house.
2. The cockerel lost his voice - to the illness of loved ones.
3. If during dinner a kochet ran into the house and jumped on the table - to the death of one of the family members.
4. The bird shakes its head for no reason - to trouble.
5. Waking up from the cry of a kochet in the morning - to good luck and a good day.
6. Kochet is bathed in dust - to be rain.
7. Molting was considered a warning of good and warm weather.
8. Cock crow in broad daylight - to unexpected changes in the life of the owner.

There are many reasons for roosters to crow, but the main one lies in their instincts and biorhythms. If you do not like the too loud cry of your feathered one, then you should resort to the above methods of getting rid of it.

Video: Why roosters crow in the morning