Difference between rooster and hen
Main difference
The main difference between rooster and hen is that the rooster is a male chicken, while the hen is a female.
Rooster vs. Hen
Chickens are social birds that enjoy being accompanied by their flocks. Despite his sociability, he maintains a definite hierarchy in his herd. They exercise their power order to determine who eats, perches, drinks, and pairs first, known as the pecking order. A male chicken is known as a rooster, while its female counterpart is known as a hen. When chickens are young, it is quite difficult to distinguish between hens and roosters. If they have not celebrated their first birthday, the hens are known as chicks and the roosters are known as roosters. People who know the anatomy of chickens can determine the sex of newborn chicks by looking at the vent, but it takes an experienced eye to determine the gender correctly. The rooster has longer and fuller tails, while the hen has a shorter tail. The rooster has bright, brightly colored feathers on the other side; hen has less colorful feathers. The rooster is larger; on the other hand, the hen is smaller. The rooster does not lay eggs while; hen lays eggs.
Comparative chart
Rooster | Chicken |
A male chicken is known as a rooster. | A hen is known as a hen. |
Name of the young chickens | |
Young roosters are known as roosters. | Young hens are known as pullets |
Other names | |
Adult roosters are also known as a rooster. | Hen has no other name. |
Etymology | |
The term ‘gallo’ was originated in the United States, while the word ‘cock’ (adult rooster) and ‘cockerel’ (cockerel) were originated in the UK and Ireland. | The term ‘hen’ originated from Old English ‘ henn ‘ , which comes from the West Germanic word ‘ handjob’ (hen). |
Gender | |
The rooster is a male bird. | The hen is a hen. |
Tail | |
The rooster has longer and fuller tails. | The hen has a shorter tail. |
Feather Type | |
The rooster has bright, brightly colored feathers. | The hen has less colorful feathers. |
Feather shape | |
Roosters have pointed feathers. | The hen has rounded feathers. |
Legs | |
Roosters have thicker legs and pointed, sharp spurs. | Chickens have thin legs and spurs that are less long or sharp than roosters. |
Combs | |
Roosters usually have a comb that is tall, erect, and larger and they tend to have red combs and thighs at a younger age. | The hen has less prominent combs and developed later than a rooster of the same age. |
Wattle | |
Roosters have more prominent beards. | The hen has less prominent beards. |
Eggs | |
The rooster does not lay eggs. | Chickens lay eggs. |
Making noise | |
Roosters crow more frequently. | Chickens make less noise or rarely sing. |
Mating dance | |
The roosters do mating dances for the hens at the time of mating. | Chickens do not show mating dance. |
Roosters are also known as “gallo” (adult rooster) or “gallo” (young rooster). The term ‘gallo’ was originated in the United States, while the word ‘cock’ (adult rooster) and ‘Cock’ (cockerel) wereoriginated in the UK and Ireland. Roosters include many types of birds such as turkey, quail, partridge, grouse, and chicken, generally referring to roosters. Unlike other animals, such as penguins, owls and wolves, bald eagles, roosters are polygamous (married or engaged to many). They keep several nest eggs generally by maintaining a common area where the hens nest. They are protective in nature and will attack other roosters that enter their territory. Usually during the day, a rooster sits high and functions as a scout for the group, hence the name ‘rooster’. A rooster usually crow at any moment. While some sing only a few times a day, most crows are almost constant.
What is Hen?
Chickens are female gallinaceous birds. The term “hen” comes from the Old English word “henn”, which comes from the West German word “hannjo” (hen). Like the roosters that have the term for youngest self, young hens also have their own term, known as a chick. While hen can also refer to many other species of birds that are often related to them. Chickens are not usually crows, but they cluck when they lay eggs and use special sounds to attract their children. Unlike roosters, which tend to be more solitary in adulthood, chickens are known as types of chicken that “cheer on others.”
Key differences
- A male chicken is known as a rooster, while a female hen is known as a hen.
- Adult roosters are also known as rooster while; there is no other name for the adult hen.
- The term ‘rooster’ originated in the United States, while the word ‘gallo’ (adult rooster) and ‘cockerel’ (young rooster) originated from the United Kingdom and Ireland on the other hand, the term ‘hen’ originated from Old English ‘henn’, which comes from the West Germanic word ‘hannjo’ (hen).
- Young roosters are known as roosters, conversely, young hens are known as pullets.
- The rooster has longer, fuller tails on the other side; hen has a shorter tail.
- The rooster has bright, brightly colored feathers; on the other hand, the hen has less colorful feathers.
- Roosters have pointed feathers; on the other hand, the hen has rounded feathers.
- Roosters have thicker legs and sharp pointed spurs, while chickens have thin legs and spurs that are less long or sharp than roosters.
- Roosters generally have a comb that is tall, erect, and larger and tend to have red combs and thighs at a younger age on the other side; The hen has less prominent crests and a more developed rooster than that of the same age.
- Roosters have more prominent beards, while; hen has less prominent beards.
- The rooster does not lay eggs on the other side; chickens lay eggs.
- Roosters crow more frequently. In contrast, chickens make less noise or rarely sing.
- The roosters do mating dances for the hens at the time of mating on the other side; chickens do not show mating dance.
Final Thought
From the above discussion, it is summarized that the rooster is a more colorful male bird that protects its nests and displays the mating dance during mating, while the hen is a less colorful female that lays eggs and does not display any mating rituals.