10 Chicken Facts
- Chickens are descendants of the wild red junglefowl from Southeast Asia. They were domesticated over 8,000 years ago.
- Chickens have a unique way of communication. They use a combination of clucks, squawks, and cackles to convey different messages to each other.
- Chickens can remember and recognize over 100 different faces, including other chickens and humans.
- Contrary to popular belief, chickens are not completely flightless birds. While they are not strong fliers, they can manage short bursts of flight, especially to escape from perceived danger.
- Chickens have an incredible sense of time. They can anticipate events such as feeding time and will gather around the feeder just before it is due.
- Chickens have a strong maternal instinct. They will fiercely protect their eggs and chicks and even cluck to their unborn chicks while they are still in the egg.
- Chickens have a complex social structure within their flock. They establish a hierarchy or “pecking order” where dominant birds have priority access to food and resources.
- The color of a chicken’s earlobe can indicate the color of their eggs. Chickens with white earlobes typically lay white eggs, while those with red earlobes usually lay brown eggs.
- Chickens are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and small insects. They have a varied diet that includes grains, seeds, fruits, and insects.
- Chickens can produce a wide range of vocalizations, and each has a specific meaning. They have distinct calls for warning others about predators, expressing contentment, and calling their chicks to gather.
