Difference between Roosters and Cockrels?

[jak2002003]

That's really odd. I am an Aussie transplant now living in the US but kept chooks all my life even living in Australia and we always called them roosters there. I have some English friends here and they call them roosters too, even though I never hear them using much in the way of American lingo.

To the OP, I wouldn't change the classifieds except to ADD the word cockerel. Since most people think of a male chicken as a rooster, you might get more responses by leaving that word in, and just specify "young male rooster or cockerel" or something like that.

That is interesting. But you know Aussies also use words that UK or America don't have.

UK people also don't use the term 'Chooks'. Maybe the English friend call them Roosters in Aussie as that is what they are called there. I now call them roosters as most of my fellow chicken keepers are American and I don't live in the UK now, so its easier.

 

[HEChicken]

That is interesting. But you know Aussies also use words that UK or America don't have.

UK people also don't use the term 'Chooks'. Maybe the English friend call them Roosters in Aussie as that is what they are called there. I now call them roosters as most of my fellow chicken keepers are American and I don't live in the UK now, so its easier.

Oh no, I meant the English friend lives here in the US Yep - I think Australia is the only place that calls them chooks.

 

[BrendaJ]

I have a young beautiful cockrel ( aprox 6 mo ) i slip all the time & call him a Roo. He needs to be rehomed if anyone is looking

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Oh no, I meant the English friend lives here in the US Yep - I think Australia is the only place that calls them chooks.

oh really, i always call them chooks because im from OZ and not many people respond so ive had to write chickens or hens on all my new threads because ive realized that Americans dont call them chooks, but i didn't think we were the only country???

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I have a young beautiful cockrel ( aprox 6 mo ) i slip all the time & call him a Roo. He needs to be rehomed if anyone is looking

what breed???

 

[Ashburnham]

Rooster- from "roost cock", roosting cock.
Favoured by the Puritans because they didnt like the word "cock"!

Ha ha - that is hilarious!

 

[WaterFowl209]

It seems I always have more cockerels than pullets, strange how that works out
It's the age difference that sets them a part so I agree with the above me posters

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Rooster- from "roost cock", roosting cock.
Favoured by the Puritans because they didnt like the word "cock"!

Ha ha - that is hilarious!

and that's why they are called the Puritans!!!

 

[BrendaJ]

what breed???

I PM'd you

 

[HEChicken]

oh really, i always call them chooks because im from OZ and not many people respond so ive had to write chickens or hens on all my new threads because ive realized that Americans dont call them chooks, but i didn't think we were the only country???

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.