Free range poultry farming is common in the villages of Bhutan. Most households kept a number of roosters and hens. People in the past relied on the roosters to tell the time before dawn. Hens are kept for eggs and their meat is also eaten when they die. Free range eggs were used widely in Bhutanese food culture. The birds normally perch on a roost in the house during the night. While travelling, the birds are carried in a loose bamboo basket. People feed grains and leftover food to the hens and cocks.