How Do Chickens Feed Their Babies? Chicken Facts by admin - May 10, 2022May 10, 20220 As chickens are members of the fowl family, the relationship between parent and offspring is somewhat different than what we as mammals are familiar with. Mother chickens will feed their babies by showing them ‘this is food’. This is accomplished by pecking at something she wants them to see, briefly picking something up and dropping it, or even letting them peck at it while it is in her beak. One might not think that this would be adequate for something so vital as survival, but baby chicks learn through observation and are very much aware of what mama bird is doing. And in the off occasion where the chicks might not be directly under foot, she has a very special clucking sound that brings
Can A Chicken Sneeze? Chicken Facts by admin - February 10, 2020September 23, 20200 Chicken Sneeze Chickens can and do sneeze when certain conditions are met. The nasal passage of a chicken does have sensitivity, meaning in the event of something foreign being introduced, such as moisture or dust, a sneeze will be triggered. This rapid exhale is meant to force the unwanted object from the nasal cavity and prevent it from reaching the lungs where it can cause damage. On a personal note, a chicken sneezing is a somewhat humorous sound. One that may catch you off-guard the first time you hear it. But it is identifiable, if not somewhat relatable, after you know what you’re listening to. What Does It Mean When A Chicken Sneezes? While the occasional chicken sneeze is of no real consequence, repetitive sneezing can be a sign of something serious. One might think that with
Can Chickens Get Drunk? Chicken Facts by admin - February 4, 2020August 17, 20200 Drunk Chicken Chickens can get drunk! With chickens being omnivores, they will consume both plant and animal matter. This means that if they were to consume fermented plant matter, then it is very possible for the chicken to become inebriated by any alcohol content present. But how do chickens get their beaks on fermented plant matter? Generally this occurs with fruit. Any fruit that has dried on the vine/branch is a potential source of alcohol for your flock. This is because, fruits generally have a high amount of sugar. Bacteria, that exists naturally in the environment, will act upon this source of sugar and convert it into alcohol – thus leaving a ‘party package’ hanging on the vine/branch for animals to consume. And chickens are not the only animals that can get drunk. The National Geographic has a great article
Do Chickens Have Memory? Chicken Facts by admin - February 3, 2020September 23, 20200 Chicken love Chickens are fully capable of remembering both good and negative events. For example, earlier this summer my new flock managed to escape the coop before completely associating it as a ‘place of safety’. This association is critical as it encourages them to return when the sun goes down and they are at high risk from predators. FYI, rounding up 15 chicks and trying to coral them into a coop all by yourself, can be quite a challenge. Using some scrap particle board, I manufactured a chute by which to direct them. Then with the chute in place, I grabbed a broom as a means of extending my arm, and began ‘shoosh’ing’ them in. Between the chute and the broom, I was able to get all 15 chicks back into the coop. This process was repeated
Can A Chicken Get Chicken Pox? Chicken Facts by admin - January 31, 2020September 23, 20200 Warning -- You are now entering the 'Itch Zone' With the word ‘chicken’ being front and center of the very name, it would be easy to assume that your backyard feathered friend actually had something to do with this itchy disease. Fortunately, this is not the case. Chickenpox, or more accurately known as varicella, is a human disease that does not affect chickens. This sickness (that I remember very well from my childhood) causes small itchy blisters to break out all over one’s body. It should be noted, though, that there is an ailment for chickens that produces symptoms very similar to Chickenpox. Fowlpox, is a disease that causes lesions on the fleshy parts of the bird’s body (typically the comb and wattle). But Chickenpox and Fowlpox are distinctly different. Chickenpox is an airborne
When Do Chicks Become Chickens? Chicken Facts by admin - January 29, 2020October 17, 20200 Barred Rock at 4 weeks old The speed at which your cute fuzzy little chicks will change into their ‘finalized feathered form’ will absolutely blow your mind! That helpless tiny bird might weight a whole 5 ounces when you pick it up out of the box, but in just eight weeks it can be close to 7 lbs. To put that in perspective, if you had a human baby that weighed 6 lbs at birth, then after 8 weeks it would weigh 140 lbs. With this kind of rapid growth, it can be difficult to point at a specific time and say, ‘now you are officially a chicken.’ But if we were to assume, that adulthood is defined by the ability to reproduce, then roosters