GROWING IN RELATION TO STATUS IN ROOSTERS

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between crow ing and dominance using domestic roosters, Gallus gallus domesticus. D ominant males crowed significantly more often than subordinate males a nd often attacked subordinates that crowed. Dominants also produced cr ows that were higher in frequency than subordinates. In addition, domi nant males spent more time near the speaker when crows of dominant mal es were played than they did when crows of subordinate males were play ed. Neither subordinate males nor females responded to tapes from male s of either status. These results suggest that both crow rate and qual ity vary with male status and that dominants can and do discriminate b etween males using crow quality as a cue. Growing by roosters could th us potentially function as a signal of status.