Roosters do have balls, but they are not visible as they remain inside their body even during mating, while chickens do not have balls. The penis also remains inside the body and a rooster will mate through a process called a cloaca kiss.
Roosters are known for their crowing, dominance, and aggressive nature. However, these flightless birds have other characteristics like their anatomy that many people are unfamiliar with.
Keep reading to learn more about the rooster’s reproductive organs, and how hens and roosters reproduce.
Roosters Do Have Balls (but chickens don’t!)
Male chickens are known as roosters so a rooster’s reproductive system includes male parts like balls or testicles. A rooster’s anatomy consists of two testicles and a tiny organ known as the papilla. As with other animals, the testicles are important for producing testosterone and sperm.
Testosterone hormone is responsible for the rooster’s behavior, growth, and development, while sperm is important for fertilizing a chicken egg to produce a baby chick.
Unlike humans and most other male animals, a rooster’s testicles are found inside the body and not outside. This means that you cannot see the testicles at any time.
A rooster’s balls are found near the spine. If you were to take an x-ray of a male chicken, you would be able to see the testicles. They are the two bean-shaped parts near the bird’s backbone.
A rooster’s testicles are important for producing sperm. As we’ve mentioned earlier, sperm fertilizes a hen’s eggs to produce fertilized eggs for hatching.
Other Parts Of Their Reproductive System
Although roosters have testicles, they don’t have an external penis. Other parts of a rooster’s reproductive system include the papilla and the cloaca.
The papilla is the only sex organ in a rooster that can be compared to a penis. This organ occurs as a small bump in the abdominal cavity. Just like a penis, the papilla serves as the primary sex organ in a rooster’s body.
Both the balls and papilla are located inside the cloacal wall. A rooster’s cloaca boasts two nipples that help deliver sperm during the mating process.
FAQs
How do roosters and hens mate?
Roosters and hens mate by performing a cloacal kiss. How romantic! A rooster usually hops on the hen’s back and she raises her tail feathers, allowing their cloaca to “kiss.” A rooster can mate with several hens in a single day while chickens mate several times a day.
How often do hens and roosters mate?
A rooster will always want to mate as many times as possible. On average, a rooster mates with hens around 10 to 30 times per day.
Does a hen need a rooster to lay eggs?
Only hens lay eggs; roosters do not lay eggs. Interestingly, female chickens lay eggs whether a rooster is present or not.
If there is no rooster in your backyard flock, your hens will lay unfertilized eggs. With a rooster present, the hens will most likely lay fertilized eggs.
If the eggs are collected for human consumption, it doesn’t matter whether they are fertilized or not. Once cooked, no one can tell if the eggs had been fertilized or not.
An embryo only starts to develop when a hen sits on a fertilized egg or when it’s kept in an incubator at a favorable temperature.
Can Roosters Be Neutered?
Yes! Aggressive roosters can be neutered. This surgical procedure involves removing a rooster’s testicles in a process called caponizing.
Caponizing is usually employed when a rooster has behavioral issues or if he is being raised for meat.
Do Roosters Lay Eggs?
You have probably heard stories of roosters laying eggs, but these are actually a fairy tale. A rooster does not lay eggs. Roosters are male chickens and only hens or female chickens can lay eggs.