Why do so many children's books perpetuate the myth that the rooster crows at dawn? My experience with roosters has shown that the average rooster crows all day, whenever he feels like it. He may very well crow at dawn, but that's just a coincidence. I haven't read up on rooster behavior, but I suppose somebody has made a careful study of it. Someone might even have obtained a nice grant to do so. I can think of things I'd rather do than take notes on rooster behavior day after day, but if somebody paid me enough, I'd do it, despite the usual aroma of a chicken coop/yard. All I've ever noticed is that roosters like to show off. "Hey! Look at me! Check me out, you nice little hens! See how big and cool I am!!" Or, a possible variation: "Hey! You stupid other rooster! I'm bigger than you are! Go away and leave my hens alone!" I don' t think they ever crow with the intention of scaring off predators, although I have seen them call the flock inside the coop if a hawk flies over. Not by crowing, but with a special clucking sound. So they aren't just big feathery blobs of ego. Just mostly.
I have seen small men behave a great deal like a bantam rooster, thrusting out their chests and talking big and making lots of noise, strutting around any trying to look important. They must not know how silly they look.
