Rooster and cockerel both refer to male chickens, but they are used to describe males at different stages of maturity.
A cockerel is a young male chicken that has not yet reached sexual maturity. A rooster, also known as a cock, is a mature male chicken that has reached sexual maturity.
Is that there are quite a few ways of identifying a male, hopefully well before its first crow sows discord in the neighborhood. Read on to learn how.
Firstly with the comb and wattles are generally much more pronounced in cockerels and roosters than in their female counterparts.
As with most birds, male chickens have special feathering to help them attract mates. In males, they are longer, pointed, shiny, and sometimes noticeably more colorful than the feathers of the main body or chest.
Spurs are bony protrusions that grow from the back of a chicken's legs, just above the feet. Roosters use them as a defensive weapon to protect their territory and mates. They are typically larger and more pronounced in older roosters, and they can grow up to several inches long in some breeds.