"Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!!!" The roosters at VINE Sanctuary crow to each other all day long. All chickens descend from the wild junglefowl of South Asia, who crow to keep track of each other as their flocks forage in the dense foliage of their native habitat.

It might surprise you to learn that chickens are forest birds or that roosters in the wild cooperate to keep their flocks safe. So much of what people believe they know about roosters and other chickens is based on stereotypes rather than reality. For example, far from being "chicken," hens are fiercely courageous when protecting their chicks. To counter the stereotypes you might have about chickens, learn about chicken emotion and cognition here.

Stereotypes of roosters and hens tend to be gendered in the sense that they reflect socially constructed stereotypes about gender. So, hens are stereotyped as being passive and docile, while roosters are stereotyped as being especially aggressive. 

Gender stereotypes also are used to promote meat-eating and other forms of animal exploitation. Very often, boys who refuse to go hunting or fishing are mocked for being insufficiently masculine. Many vegan men report being called anti-gay slurs, regardless of their real orientations.

Ever since our early days, when we were known as the Eastern Shore Sanctuary, VINE has been especially devoted to chickens, including roosters. We were the first sanctuary to devise a program to rehabilitate roosters used in cockfighting, and our methods are now used by shelters and sanctuaries around the world. Learn more about our efforts to help more roosters and help other sanctuaries to do the same through The Rooster Project.

Vegetarians often do not realize that they are responsible for the deaths of roosters. But all hatcheries that provide hens to egg producers routinely kill male chicks shortly after they hatch. Since these young birds are of no economic use to egg producers, the hatcheries consider them a burden to be dispatched as cheaply as possible with no consideration for their suffering. Since the few laws mandating humane treatment of farm animals do not apply to chickens, male chicks can be and often are tossed into dumpsters to starve or suffocate or ground up while still alive. So, if you love birds, don't eat eggs.

Watch Mad Cows, Queer Ducks, and Unconventional Sheep for an easy introduction to pattrice's ideas by way of stories about animals at the sanctuary.

You can enjoy all of your favorite breakfast foods without harming roosters or hens. Try these Simple Vegan Pancakes or, if you're feeling fancy, try making these slightly more complicated Best-Ever Vegan Pancakes, the recipe for which explains why they taste so extra-good.