To begin with, they’re great providers. They call out to the flock when they find food––and even wait for their hens to start eating first.

They are devoted protectors. Roosters keep a keen eye on their environment, letting out warning squawks when they see predators approach. They may even give their lives to save their families from harm. Anyone who messes with a rooster’s flock will have to get through him first.

Some roosters also have pretty cool hair.

Every day, we honor the rescued roosters at Farm Sanctuary. Having survived cruelty in animal agriculture, they now take their loved ones under their wing. Join us in celebrating these majestic flock leaders and the lives they change through their mentorship and love.

Most roosters never meet their fathers—and even fewer become them. “Broilers,” or chickens used for meat, grow up around their peers and are slaughtered around 42 days old, roughly three months before they reach sexual maturity. Those kept alive longer for breeding purposes are also killed once their reproductive viability declines.

The egg industry also keeps roosters for breeding, but it has no use for most baby boys—roughly half of all chickens hatched—as they can’t lay eggs. And as these breeds are typically too small for meat production, most are destroyed shortly after hatching. The United States kills roughly 300 million baby roosters each year.

The meat and egg industries only keep mature roosters to propagate the family line. They breed the animals for desired traits, such as larger breasts (in birds bred for meat) or size and quantity of eggs laid each year. But no matter how much they change these roosters’ genetics, there’s no changing the heart of who these animals are: courageous, passionate, and proud individuals who live for their families. Learn more.

Sadly, roosters are among the most challenging animals to rescue, simply because there are so many in need but not enough safe and appropriate homes. Farm Sanctuary receives placement requests for hundreds of roosters each year. Many come from well-meaning individuals who raise chicks in backyard flocks instead of buying factory-farmed meat or eggs. But zoning laws often prohibit roosters. While we love the sound of their loud and proud crows, not everyone finds them so endearing.

Even when people aim for hen-only flocks, some roosters still slip through the cracks. Chicken-sexing is done quickly, and it isn’t always accurate. And when hatcheries send chicks through the mail, they often treat baby boys like packing peanuts—cushioning them around requested hens to protect them on their journeys.

Unexpected roosters leave some folks in a bind—if no one can help out, roosters might be abandoned. Or killed.

This is a major reason why, at Farm Sanctuary, we collect all eggs before any chicks can develop inside (eggs must be fertilized and incubated to support life). In an ideal world, roosters and hens figure this out for themselves. But the food industries destroy this natural order—breeding billions of chicks into existence each year. With so many birds in need of homes, it would be irresponsible to breed more animals without the proper support for their survival. By focusing on the animals already in our care—and not exceeding our capacity—we can instead ensure that our rescued roosters have the chance to thrive.