Like clockwork

Our fine feathered friends are totally amazing. Every night as the sunsets, our beautiful rooster (name to be determined, but I call him Spencer in my mind) takes off with a great flapping of wings to his perch outside of our garage. He cock a doodle doos as all roosters do, and the hens begin to file into the enclosure towards the coop.

The last time we were at the house working, I had the sheep penned up in the enclosure, and didn't want them taking off again. To keep them in, I pulled a piece of fencing over the entrance. So, the sun went down, the rooster sounded last call, and the hens got confused.

The rooster went further up the tree and called again. The hens were trying their best to open the door with their minds (but their brains are crazy small) and I was too awestruck by what was happening to go help. Some of the more ambitious hens started flying over the fence, others forgot what they were doing and went back to scratching and pecking. Finally, I went and opened the gate as the rooster crowed a third time. The hens hopped in and all was well.

Our little bantam roosts in a tree as well. She is an individual, and refuses to be cooped up.

I am reading a book about plural marriage and I got to thinking, this rooster can control all of these chickens with a single vocal exercise. The main character in my book can't do that. If there was no rooster, would they wander around indefinitely? This guy has a lot less wives than the rooster has hens, and he couldn't get them to do anything harmoniously. Does that make a rooster smarter than a man, or just louder?  I have so many fowl questions! Is there a chicken guru that I can visit?