One of the most long-held urban myths in nature has to do with the loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" of a rooster. Popular belief has it that male chickens crow only at daybreak, supposedly to act as an alarm for farmers and other early risers. A number of readers -- denizens of the city, no doubt -- probably think that this fable is really true.



Sorry to burst any bubbles, but it isn't entirely true. While rooster crowing usually does begin early in the morning, it can, and often does, continue throughout the day -- and the reason it is done has absolutely nothing to do with acting as a feathered alarm clock. In verity the piercing, high-pitched ululation serves as a warning to other cocks, to attract female chickens and as a general warning signal.

How this fable got started is unclear, but one of the earliest references to the bird and its plaintive ululations can be traced back to Greek mythology. According to the legend, Alectryon -- the ancient Greek name for "rooster" -- was a young man who was ordered by Ares, the God of War, to stand guard outside his door while the he carried on an adulterous affair with goddess Aphrodite. Unfortunately, the youth fell asleep at his post, and Helios, the Sun God, caught the amorous couple. In wrath, Ares turned Alectryon into a rooster, which never forgets to announce the sun's arrival in the morning.

Other myths have sprung up around the raucous bird: in old central European folk tales Satan is believed to flee at the first crowing of a rooster. A medieval tale asserts that the Basilisk, a giant snake who kills with a single glance and is hatched by a toad from a hen's egg, will instantly die if it hears a cock crowing.

In contemporary times, even business tools like online Yellow Pages sport the name rooster as it remains a fairly prevalent commercial appellation, for businesses from barbershops to restaurants.

Chickens are both entertaining and useful to keep. They cost very little to raise and they earn their rent by laying eggs for you. Checking at random through local laws around the country, it is interesting to note how they deal with keeping fowl:

Syracuse, NY: Chickens sometimes allowed, but it depends on the zoning area. Spokane, WA: Up to three chickens allowed. Corvallis, OR: Unlimited chickens allowed, but no roosters. Little Rock, AR: Up to four chickens allowed. Houston, TX: Up to 30 chickens allowed, but must be kept 100 feet from neighboring structures. Burlington, VT: Up to 3 fowl per household. Aiken, SC: Chickens must be penned, and the pen kept 40' from neighboring residences. Boston, MA: All residential zones in Boston forbid "auxiliary keeping of animals", which includes poultry and other livestock.

So there you have it -- the truth about the tale of the roosters cock-a-doodle-do and its historical context, as well as some contemporary information on how various locales regulate the presence of chickens within their borders.