While they may not seem like the most obviously affectionate of animals, most backyard chickens grow very accustomed to their owners, often delighting in being picked up, petted and talked to in a soft and gentle manner.
Chickens which get alot of attention can become very affectionate with their owner's, even cuddling with them to show their love and affection for them. Be sure to Check out a sweet cuddling rooster, snuggling chickens, and chickens who hug their people friends. See these loving pet chickens below.
A chicken will exhibit affection by scratching at your skin or rubbing its beak against your leg. Some chickens will also rub against your legs, try to get closer to you, and even lie right next to you. When a chicken gets close to its owner, it will start grooming. A chicken can even start grooming you.
Chickens can recognize up to 100 faces—and have been found to associate the faces they remember with the positive or negative experiences. Chickens can also show love and affection for the humans who care for them, and they certainly remember the humans they know and how those humans may have treated them.
Happy Chicken Sounds
Chickens tend to make a purring or trilling sound when they are content. They will also make soft sounds as they go about their daily activities. A sick or depressed chicken will make no noise. Alternatively, a chicken in distress will scream and make significant noise.
Chickens can recognise up to 100 faces
These faces included those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognise and pass that information on to members of their flocks.
It's not uncommon to hear a chicken scream when it sees someone it loves. This is actually a sign that it's happy you're there. Your flock may also express their love through coos and other soft noises when they're near you and content.
Chickens empathise with their peers
Chickens are the epitome of empaths. Empathy is one of the most interesting things about chickens. If a peer is hurt, stressed, or even happy, other chickens will not only understand, but share those feelings.
They know their own names.
Not only can chickens recognise when their name is called if it is used consistently enough, they can also recognise the names of other chickens around them.
Who knew that chickens love belly rubs, and that the color of their eggs is dependent on their feather color?
Whilst cats and dogs are happy for humans to replace their pack, chickens are not quite the same. They do recognise and bond with their owners, but they will still get lonely without other chickens, which can cause stress and shorten their lifespan as well as affecting egg-laying.
Shiny, kid safe mirrors can interest the birds for a while. Make sure that they won't attack it hard enough to break it. You can coat plastic rings of keys with peanut butter and toss them to the flock, or hang them from a low spot for the birds to peck at. Set up plastic kiddie gyms for the chickens to play with.
Flapping a wing while being held can result in a fractured wing. NEVER pick up a chicken under their wings, or by their wings, feathers, feet, or neck.
Protection. Some chickens may also squat as a way to protect themselves. That's why chickens squat when you pet them. Even if they are receptive to a rooster, mating is often a rough process for hens.
Chickens have mono-vision. The left eye is far sighted, and right is near sighted. This is the result of turning themselves in the egg so that the right eye is exposed to light through the shell, while the left is not, because it's directed toward the body.
A rooster often has his favorite girl, with whom he spends most of his time. She is not necessarily at the top of the pecking order, but he will treat her like a queen. It's possible that other hens might be envious of her role, because when the rooster is removed, his favorite hen is sometimes picked on by the others.
They do. Chickens experience empathy called emotional contagion, which is the tendency to feel the emotions that others around them are experiencing.
Chickens purr like cats!
When a chicken is happy, cozy, and safe, they will close their eyes and purr softly.
A chicken wipes its beak to attract mates.
Beak wiping releases an odor that may be detected by potential mates and rivals, according to Danielle Whittaker of Missouri State University.
The reason your chicks seem calm and remain motionless on their backs is typically due to a phenomenon called tonic immobility or “animal hypnosis.” This phenomenon is triggered by confinement of the body and an extreme amount of fear.
Purring (or Trilling)
These are expressions of utter contentment. Chickens purr when they are feeling calm and relaxed, and you may notice it most when you pet them!
Those of us who observe chickens on a daily basis see their memory and recall in action in a wide variety of everyday situations. Recent science tell us that chickens recognize over 100 individual faces even after several months of separation.
The story this week that chickens are capable of feeling empathy might have surprised some folk but it sure didn't surprise me. I've known chickens who were capable of love, jealousy, selfishness and lust.