How Funky is Your Chicken?
Did you know these fun facts about chickens?
C-Rex
It’s obvious that chickens are magnificent beasts. They’re also the closet living relatives to the ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex! They share very similar DNA. So if anyone calls you chicken, cluck—or roar—back with pride!
(photo credit: mypetchicken.com)
Chicken or the Egg?
Which came first? There actually IS an answer to this. Can you guess it? It’s the EGG. Because chickens evolved from egg-laying dinosaurs!
Chicken Chat
Chickens are chatty! Researchers have found they have about 30 sounds that mean everything from “Hello!” to “Goodnight!” to “Watch out—danger is around!” They even tell each other if “hey, taste this—it’s delicious!” People who take care of chickens have reported that chickens make the same sound to mean a person they know well. In other words, they name their pet people!
(photo credit: @mimipoppy2017/ weheartit.com)
Pretty Fly, Guy
Who said chickens can’t fly? The longest recorded flight of a chicken was 13 seconds. Sure, these feathered fliers may not be making transatlantic flights anytime soon, but these birds can get some air. One day that may not be true. Chickens are bred so that they eat and eat and get bigger and heavier. That means they’re not able to fly like they once were. You can set them free!
Here, kitty…chicken?
You’ve probably heard a cat purr when he’s happy, but did you know chickens purr, too? Many sweet chickens love to be pet under the chin and will purr contentedly when you snuggle them. This is just one of their many sounds they make to express themselves. Just like our dogs and cats (and like us!) chickens feel love. And being loved on makes them happy.
Where am I?
You’ll never hear a chicken ask that question. First, because they can’t talk and second, because they don’t get lost. Chickens can sense magnetic forces—something we measly humans cannot do. This means they always know which direction is North, and where they are going. If only chickens could drive!
Chickens Gone Wild
The chicken that is used as food in the US was bred from chickens in the jungle. These wild Jungle Red Fowl still exist. They’re roaming free, living their best lives in Southeast Asian jungles!
(photo credit: Jason Thompson, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
A Mother’s Love
Mother hens love their chicks fiercely—just like ours! And they will protect them against any danger—just like ours! Mama tucks her babies under her cozy feathers to keep them warm and safe while they grow. Just like us, chickens form complex friend and family groups. They feel love…and want love.
(photo credit: Vegankeno.com)