Difference between Roosters and Cockrels?

[cluckcluckluke]

Yep, as far as I can tell, we Aussies are the only ones who call them chooks. I've educated all my American rellies though, and they all understand the word now. It was funny on FB once, I made a reference to chooks and DSD responded with "What......is a chook?" Now my DH even calls them chooks.

Here on BYC, I think chooks is mostly understood so you should be able to use it. At least I do all the time and haven't had anyone indicating they didn't understand me.

The other difference I've found in terminology here is that in Australia when I was a kid, if we said "chicken" it always referred to a baby, and they grew up from chickens to be chooks. But here chicken is the "universal" and chick is for a baby.

good another fellow aussie, ye this whole language thing is very complex ahah. I like to just call all of my chickens hens, 1 because i have no roosters or cockerels and i just think that they should rightly be called ladies.

 

[Ashburnham]

Another language oddity in Australia-
We never call them "roos", because of course a Roo is a Kangaroo!

 

[sourland]

Another language oddity in Australia-
We never call them "roos", because of course a Roo is a Kangaroo!

Roo is an oddity to this country boy. I never heard roosters referred to as 'roos' until I discovered BYC.

 

[Chullicken]

Old post, but I haven't seen it here yet. Historically a male fowl (Cockerel), when included with hens (Roost), would be referred to as a 'Rooster'. Back in the day, it was believed they encouraged egg laying which we know now is just a myth. History can be interesting.