Welcome back to the blog! This is the fourth entry in the extra series/seventh overall. The post this time around is a continuation of the one on chicken behavior. Although not the most intelligent animal, their somewhat complex social behavior and ability to be learn still deserves to be recognized. After a couple of years of channeling my inner Jane Goodall (chicken style), I have made some simple observations that, in the end, likely pale in comparison to formal research on the subject; nevertheless, they are still worth noting.
First, these social birds have distinct personalities and generally get along alright. However, there is one exception: food. Being small-brained organisms, chickens go crazy for food (especially when hungry). If hand fed something like a grasshopper (dead or alive), they will push and shove over each other in order to be the first in line to eat. After a chicken secures it, they will then selfishly chase each other around in an exciting game of cat and mouse. When all is said and done, they will likely be too busy being jealous (if they are capable of even feeling such emotions) to notice or realize the fact that five minutes ago, I had thrown five extra grasshoppers into their enclosure.
Chickens are also curious! Once they recover enough of their energy spent during the hatching process, they will refuse to stay still unless sleeping. After a few weeks, they will begin to grow disinterested in their enclosure and may start to jump. This is when their legs display significant physical prowess. They can and will attempt to jump onto ledges that are several times their height, similar to how an ant is able to pick up and carry objects that is several times its weight. It is akin to a baby learning how to walk, although a jumping chicken is arguably much cooler.
This behavior should also be monitored and/or kept at bay if possible, for once they learn to escape the habitat, they are less likely to stay put in the future. It may also be an early sign that the chicken is ready to be released to live in an outdoor environment. It seems that young male chickens tend to exhibit such “rebellious” behavior more often than females as the latter, especially in the presence of a male leader, may remain more passive or tame as per the standard, or general, pecking order. Additionally, chickens love to perch. It is a good idea to have structures installed especially in an outdoor enclosure that allow them to perform said action. Anywhere that is higher than where they once were originally will suffice as they climb up each step even further before realizing that they still have to flap down if they want food. Since all breeds of domestic chickens are unable to fly (possibly for the better), they are often seen cautiously hopping up and down between places.
Thank you for reading this post and learning more about chicken behavior! Join me next time for some more chicken action. Stay tuned.
I’ve got to hand it to you, this is the most interesting bit of literature about chickens I’ve ever read. The part that got me thinking the most was about the feeding of chickens. I find it so interesting that they are competitive over food with one another, when there are so many species of animals that are very altruistic in the sense that they will share food with each other. This is almost the complete opposite of that trait and it is very interesting to hear about. It almost makes me wonder if there is an evolutionary-biological explanation for why these animals are so aggressive with one another at feeding time. I will be staying tuned for future blog updates.
Altruism and sharing food does indeed exist within flocks of chickens, and it usually develops as they grow older and settle into the pecking order (see past blog post). It is always interesting to examine the psychology of wildlife, or more primitive organisms, as it may hint at the roots of some more complex behaviors in humans! After all, if a species of organism only knew how to generate conflict with each other without any further product, it would probably be extinct by now. Thank you for your interest!
Coming into this post, I knew nothing about chicken behavior. To be honest, I always assumed that they weren’t the smartest animals. Therefore, it was really interesting to find out how curious and rebellious they are. I also didn’t know how far and how high they could jump, or how they changed their behavior around chickens of different genders. Although I would never buy a chicken myself, I can see now why the make interesting pets.
In my opinion, they just have strong and discernable instincts to act upon. They obviously pale in comparison to other animals or maybe even some* humans, but it’s always interesting for them to surprise me every once in a while.
When I was in middle school I used to babysit chickens while thier owners went on vacation and there was a reason why I only babysat them for two summers. One thing not mentioned above was how chickens can be AGGRESSIVE (or at least my neighbors’ chickens were), so whenever one or two escaped and I had to catch them, I would end up with scratches all over my arms and little bite marks on my hands. They absolutely hated being put back into their enclosure. And yes, their personalities are very evident and it’s kind of funny to watch them interact.
Hi Karah! Yes indeed – in the animal kingdom, it is generally rare to find a species that is instinctually friendly to outsiders. I have definitely experienced situations similar to this one. Wish I knew more about the chickens in your story to analyze their reactions more, but I’m just not sure exactly.