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.
Healthy chickens are social, curious and should feel energized to freely move throughout the coop, run or backyard. A lack of movement, low head carriage and overall depressed appearance may be a sign that something is wrong.
Spend Quality Time
One of the best ways to get your flock to trust you is to spend time with them. If they're chicks, pick them up and spend some one-on-one time with them every day. Let them see your face and talk to them. They will get comfortable with you and even nap in your hands or on your lap.
Many chickens love being given affection and one key way you can give it to them is by petting them. However, they usually only allow this type of contact once they get used to you and if you interact with them calmly and gently.
Chicken Noises: Content Murmurs
When you see a flock of chickens moving across the yard, you will usually hear a low murmuring sound. This murmuring has been likened to contentment; it is also one way that the flock keeps safe.
Yes, you heard right. Chickens purr like cats when they're happy. Well, at least one of the hens who loves to curl up on my lap and take a nap. In this video clip, I've recorded Doris the hen's purring for you.
Mating Signal
Because this behavior is a submissive signal, some younger hens might also squat in front of chickens that are higher up in your flock's pecking order. They may even squat down when you pet them because of how strong their instinct is.
As sociable friendly creatures, chickens enjoy vocal interactions with their backyard keepers. This engages them and strengthens the developing bond that you have with them. Clucky conversations stimulate their brain too, so embrace your inner Dr. Doolittle and chat with your chooks!
Chickens can recognize up to 100 faces
Chickens don't just recognize other chickens, either. These faces include those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognize and pass that information on to members of their flocks.
Count Your Chickens
One study showed chicks "imprinted" to an image of a red triangle even if it was partly obscured—suggesting the birds can envision partially hidden objects in their minds. Not only that, the birds can recognize and discern people based on their faces. And they apparently like beautiful humans.
It's the first rule right after washing your hands: "Don't kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don't eat or drink around them. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick."
Be safe around poultry.
Don't kiss, hold or touch backyard poultry and then touch your face or mouth. Don't let backyard poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served or stored, and don't eat or drink where poultry live or roam.
Empathy is sometimes regarded as a form of emotional intelligence and is demonstrated when hens display signs of anxiety when they observed their chicks in distressful situations. The hens have been said to "feel their chicks' pain" and to "be affected by, and share, the emotional state of another."
If a chicken is by itself for a few weeks it will be fine, but after a while many chickens who are kept alone seem to get lonely and depressed. They become lethargic, or start pacing and manically pecking at random objects.
Chickens are sentient beings, meaning they experience a wide range of emotions and can feel pain. Each chicken on a factory farm has a distinct personality and desires, but factory farms deny everything that comes naturally to these intelligent and sensitive animals.
Comfort Behaviors
Chickens perform behaviors related to body care and maintenance. These are called comfort behaviors and involve taking care of plumage and stretching. Examples are dust bathing, preening, leg and wing stretching, wing flapping, and tail wagging.
Chickens may eye pin when they're anticipating a treat, or, like some of my hens, they may do it when they're just chilling on your lap and you happen to get eye contact for a moment. In that case, I like to think my hens are telling me they love me.
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.
When a chicken always seems to be following you around, it is simply trying to express how adored you are! Sure, sometimes chickens follow you when they want food or treats, but that isn't always the case.
Chicken Hearing Range
They can hear sounds in the 10-12,000 Hz range, while the human ear generally hears sounds in the 20-20,000 Hz range, meaning that chickens can hear sounds that are inaudible to humans. And chickens have better hearing than humans below 64 Hz.
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.
It's perfectly acceptable to have one dog or one chicken, so can you have just one chicken? No. Chickens are social animals and do best when they have other chickens around them. Chickens thrive on social interaction with their own kind.
A CRY OR SCREECH OF FEAR
You'll often hear this when you pick up a bird which is unaccustomed to being caught, and it may continue until you put her down again. A cry of pain is similar to the alarm call but is usually only a single squawk.