Chickens naturally shake their head from irritation. It's usually something innocent like annoying flies, a difficult swallow, or water in their nares. Lice and mites can cause itchiness, but often the cause is an underlying disease like an ear or eye infection, respiratory disease, or a neurological disorder.
Among the many fascinating discoveries I've made in the process of raising a flock of adopted hens is the lovely and soothing sound of a chicken purr. Yes, you heard right. Chickens purr like cats when they're happy.
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. Some chickens will even stand on keepers' feet to try to get as close as they can to them.
If you notice that your bird has difficulty standing, that its neck twists, or it looks like it's permanently looking upwards, they've likely developed wry neck. Typically this condition is caused by a genetic disorder, a vitamin deficiency, a head injury, or from ingesting toxins.
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.
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.
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.
It is important to quickly recognise signs of stress, like abnormal feathering, constant preening of feathers even in the absence of external parasites, increased aggression like feather pecking or cannibalism and even aimless and restless pacing of birds that are housed on the floor.
"The bobbing comes into play when a bird is walking because the bird is stabilizing its gaze—on either what's ahead or prey—and as the bird walks, the bird bobs its head to catch up with its body moving forward," says Beilke. Depending on the species, it also plays a role in the bird's depth perception.
While it may seem like a bunch of squawking and cackling to us, these sounds are used to communicate some very important messages between a flock, such as 'beware, there's danger! ' or 'look what I've found! '
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.
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.
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.
I try to spoil them with plenty of chicken food and some good ol' ear scratches. I bet y'all didn't know chickens like their ears scratched as much as any dog does!
Chickens are very vocal by nature and will most definitely respond if you were to engage them in conversation. Chooks are just like feathery little toddlers who just discovered the wonder of words. As sociable friendly creatures, chickens enjoy vocal interactions with their backyard keepers.
One is for distant vision, and one is for close-up vision. The interesting thing is that the up close one is oval and sideways and that's why, when you approach your chicken, they will often bob their heads and tilt their heads sideways to get the image of you into a clearer view.
The most common cause of open mouth breathing relates to the ingestion or inhalation of contaminated items whilst chickens are going about their normal foraging activities. The natural foraging behaviour of chickens includes the use of the feet to scratch and disperse soil and vegetative matter in search of food items.
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.
Lavender has the marvellous ability to calm your chickens! It's a brilliant as a relaxant for your feathered friends - and for you as well! So if your hens are a bit highly strung, place some lavender up into their nesting boxes - it'll help calm their senses and give them a bit of DIY aromatherapy.
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.
Hanging an empty plastic bottle with holes poked in it is another free idea. Filled with food, these toys for chickens will encourage them to scratch and peck to get the food to come out. Boxes of shredded paper or leaves with poultry food hidden inside will encourage foraging as well.
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.
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.