On October 2, 2009, 24 roosters (and two hens) will be arriving from Farm Sanctuary! We are thrilled, and have in fact created a new area in which they will live. Here’s a pic. [Please note, this was taken before the windows were cut. :-)]
This is a great opportunity to discuss roosters for a minute. Contrary to popular belief, roosters are not the vicious, fight-to-the-death kind of creatures that cockfighting-induced media portrayals conjure in most peoples’ minds. Left to their own devices, roosters are protective, sensitive animals who might mix it up a bit to establish dominance or express momentary annoyance, but who just don’t escalate their skirmishes into full-blown attacks.
What cockfighters do is capitalize on roosters’ protective natures and twist them to their own devices. Roosters are starved, hurt, maimed, exposed to extreme temperatures, and otherwise tortured over a period of time to turn them into the kinds of fighters who fight to the death. The process is much like that used to train pit bulls to fight.
Even those who would never support cockfighting in any fashion whatsoever have been influenced by the actions of the cockfighters over the hundreds of years that this practice has existed. At this point, the image of the rooster has come to mean a particularly violent form of masculinity, extremely unfortunate not only for chickens, but also given that the typical behavior of non-brainwashed roosters might be a perfect model of a masculinity that could work in human society.
In any case, those who know roosters know that it is not surprising for them to get along. The ones who are coming here on October 2 have lived together for some time now, and will continue to live together, in relative peace and harmony. We very much look forward to their arrival.
As always, any help in supporting our almost 200 birds is much appreciated. 
I posted pictures of a rooster “fight” a few weeks ago, basically to show exactly what you said. Puffed up chests, posturing, flapping wings, and that was mostly that.
Whenever I point out roosters finding food for their hens, even picking something up and dropping it so their hens will see it, people are really touched. That, to me, is what typical rooster behavior is all about. It’s certainly one of the most common rooster behaviors that I see. I had sort of forgotten that most people have a different view of roosters put in their heads. Maybe that’s why some people who come to visit psas are frightened, or at least intimidated, by the chickens.
I know, it’s amazing to me too, how scared people are sometimes to encounter chickens, but then I have to remember well, that’s all they have been told….
I did read your blog a few weeks ago, meant to comment but of course neglected to do so because I am a Bad Blog Reader — but I loved your article and the photos. LOVED IT.
Can you please post a link here so folks can get to it?
Thanks!
Miriam