If the cock moult before the hen, We shall have weather thick and thin; But if the hen moult before the cock, We shall have weather hard as a block.

The order in which a rooster and a hen shed their feathers is presented as a clue to the weather ahead: rooster first suggests changeable conditions, while hen first suggests harsh weather.

The rhyme turns a small observation about the birds into a rule of thumb. Its two contrasting outcomes make the order of moulting seem easy to remember and interpret.

Use it when someone compares the timing of a rooster’s and a hen’s moult as a supposed clue to coming weather. The rhyme suits a lighthearted prediction rather than a dependable forecast.