What does a rooster tattoo mean?

A rooster is a fairly old and maritime themed tattoo. A lot of the time back in the day, sailors would get a pig on one foot and a rooster on the other. The reason for this is that pigs and roosters would be kept in wooden crates while on ship and in the event that the vessel went down, the crates would pop back up to the surface. So, the rationale and hope would be that if the ship went down, and you had the pig and the rooster on your feet, you would pop back up to the surface as well.