Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US drugs) ashes from smoked opium, sold for recycling by poor but desperate users.

1899		Hawaiian Gaz. (Honolulu, HI) 31 Jan. 7/2: Hickey [...] was arrested o the charge of ‘opium in possession’ [...] One hundred half-pound tins of ‘Rooster’ brand opium was seized.
1903		Bisbee Dly Rev. (AZ) 5 Dec. 1/5: The couches, the tray, the pipes and more important than all, the ‘Rooster’ brand of opium, from which are raked and rolled and cooked the little pills placed in the pipe and handed to the goody-goody Americans.
1936		D. Maurer ‘Argot of the Und. Narcotic Addict’ Pt 1 in AS XI:2 125/2: rooster brand. An euphemism for cheap bootleg opium refined from yen-shee or green ashes.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 196: rooster brand A cheap grade of bootleg opium which is refined from residue.
1959		J.E. Schmidt Narcotics Lingo and Lore.