Meat chickens in commercial sheds possess and do display the full gamut of comfort behaviours seen in their wild ancestors – resting, preening, stretching, wing flapping and even dust-bathing! To stay comfortable, chickens regulate their temperature by moving themselves into more comfortable locations!
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 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 are gregarious birds and live together as a flock with a distinct hierarchy or “pecking order.” They would naturally spend their day foraging for food, scratching the ground looking for insects and seeds.
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 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.
There's no better way to gain the love and affection of your flock than to become a part of it! This could mean something as simple as sitting with them. Allow them to go about their lives with you observing and just being around. You might notice a few of the chickens wanting to sit next to you or even on you.
Try the Radio. When loud noises are going on outside it can upset your hens and interrupt their zen. Whether it's fireworks night or next door is having a party, having a radio on in the coop playing classical music or a talk show in the background can soothe your hens.
Behavioral Adaptations:
Within their social group there is a distinct dominance hierarchy or pecking order. In the peck order, the dominant birds get first access to food, nesting locations, and roosting spots. The subordinate birds wait until the dominant birds leave the area before they will approach.
These traits include comb type, feather color, shank/foot color, and skin color.
A chicken is at its happiest when it's grazing and scratching for natural food such as insects, worms, grass shoots, and seeds. When a chicken is allowed the space to graze and free-range, they are behaving as they would naturally, and when they show normal behavior, this is a sign that they're happy and contented.
Chickens purr like cats!
When a chicken is happy, cozy, and safe, they will close their eyes and purr softly.
Chickens are very social. Giving them the space and opportunity to socialise is one great way to let them express themselves. Not only do they enjoy mixing with each other, many also enjoy spending time with humans!
Chickens stop laying eggs for a variety of reasons. Hens may lay fewer eggs due to light, stress, poor nutrition, molt or age. Some of these reasons are natural responses, while others can be fixed with simple changes and egg laying can return to normal.
Most chickens prefer to sleep on a roost rather than on the floor or in a nesting box. And trying to do the right thing, many backyard chicken keepers provide roosts in the form of broom handles or round bars.
From time to time, you may notice that your rooster pecks the hens on their backs and heads. While it may be concerning to you, the rooster is simply doing his job—pecking is courting behavior. When a rooster pecks a hen in that way, if she is ready to mate, she will squat down to be mounted.
Examples of behavioral adaptation include migration, hibernation, learned behavior, alteration in the mode of reproduction, altered feeding habits, and distinct modes of communication.
Behavioral Adaptation: Actions animals take to survive in their environments. Examples are hibernation, migration, and instincts.
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.
Oregano has been shown to support chickens' natural resilience, to encourage appetite and maintain gut health. Oregano is also a natural anti-microbial and a source of anti-oxidants. Also included are fenugreek and charcoal to naturally soothe the gut plus ground cloves and garlic granules for health and vitality.
Stress can have a very negative effect on your flock and in extreme cases, it may even lead to a heart attack and death. Any underlying disease may show itself as a result of the stressful situation. This is because stress causes the gut PH to reduce and this makes the birds more susceptible to disease.
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.
Be safe around poultry.
Don't kiss, hold or touch backyard poultry and then touch your face or mouth.
Hugging, kissing or snuggling chickens and other birds could lead to salmonella infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a report published in June, the CDC links a multi-state outbreak of salmonella to human contact with live poultry that live in backyards.
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.