Chickens are fascinating birds who appear to have many more interesting characteristics than we ever imagined. Having been farmyard staples for decades, they are now also a popular family pet, offering their friendly nature to the home dynamic. Just like dogs, chickens have their own unique personality, be it shy and thoughtful, or defensive and fearless. Research has shown that they will pass down their knowledge from generation to generation, proving that they are much more than a pecking, egg producing bird.
We have put together 20 interesting facts about chickens that we think makes them an all round great animal.
Chickens communicate with over 24 vocalisations, each one with a different meaning such as warnings and reassurances
When someone uses the word chicken as an insult it is completely unfounded, as they will do anything to protect their young
Chickens experience REM when they sleep and have dreams
Even more clever than toddlers, chickens have skills of maths, engineering and self control
A pecking order is a real thing as there is usually a hierarchy. This only goes wrong when they are kept in cramped factory farms
They are the closest living relative to a T-Rex
Roosters will try to woo a hen with a dance called tidbitting
Mother hens talk to their unborn babies through the shell
Chickens love to sunbathe
They have a great memory and can remember up to 100 faces of their species
Chickens can taste salt, but are not able to taste sweet things
They have full colour vision in the same way as humans do
Chickens eat grass by slurping it like spaghetti
Originating from tropical rainforests, chickens have evolved for millions of years
Chickens love to take a dust bath, which helps to keep parasites away and maintain the feathers
There are more than 25 billion chickens in the world
Chickens are unable to fly, but one was once recorded at managing 13 seconds of flight and 301 feet
If a chicken is stressed it will start to lose its feathers
It takes 26 hours for a chicken to produce an egg, then 21 days for it to incubate and hatch
If chickens listen to classical music they tend to lay eggs that are bigger and heavier
