Chickens, like nearly all other domesticated animals exist in packs or flocks as the case may be. Just like in a wolf pack or flock of animals there is a hierarchy that will define the social life of the chickens. This hierarchy is called the pecking order for the obvious reasons that chickens will peck each other to prove dominance.
Every day chickens will do the same thing. They will wake with the sun, and lay their eggs in the early morning. Then they will eat until the sun sets, which is when they go to bed. They will never eat during the night. This is why your chickens don't lay as many eggs during the winter even if you give them enough food to both stay warm and lay eggs. Its because they go to bed sooner and therefore don't eat as much.
You have to be careful if your chickens are free range since their sense of smell and taste are not that good. This can be very bad if they decide to eat a poisonous plant or rotten food. However despite this usually a chicken will just instinctively know if what they're eating is bad for them.
The greatest senses that a chicken has is their sense of hearing and touch. In fact their sense of touch is so incredible they can sense vibrations in the air and ground.
This is a very important sense for guarding against predators. If you have ever walked close to a chicken coop in the middle of the night then you know what I mean. The rooster will give out a warning shout and sometimes the hens will start panicking.
It is a very rare thing to find a chicken that is sleeping on the ground. This is because they prefer sleeping on higher ground such as on branches. The places that a chicken sleeps on are called roosts. The reason for this is because when chickens were wild they slept on higher ground so they could stay safe from predators. Chickens higher up the pecking order often get the privilege of sleeping on higher roosts then their cousins. Chickens don't usually go further then 50 meters from their coop.
Though a chicken prefers warmer climates they can more easily deal with uncomfortably cold conditions then uncomfortably warm conditions. This is because they don't have sweat glands. So they have to cool down by dumping their heads in water and airing out their wings.
To humans the sounds a chicken makes is useless gibberish but to other chickens those sounds are very important. Roosters crow to warn the flock if their is any danger around. In fact the roosters crows are the most varying sound any chicken can make as their crows vary slightly depending on where the predator can come from whether by air or land. Chickens have slight variations of their clucks if they're leading baby chicks or if they are just happy. A chicks chirp sounds slightly different depending on whether or not they are lost or comfortable.
Every day chickens will do the same thing. They will wake with the sun, and lay their eggs in the early morning. Then they will eat until the sun sets, which is when they go to bed. They will never eat during the night. This is why your chickens don't lay as many eggs during the winter even if you give them enough food to both stay warm and lay eggs. Its because they go to bed sooner and therefore don't eat as much.
You have to be careful if your chickens are free range since their sense of smell and taste are not that good. This can be very bad if they decide to eat a poisonous plant or rotten food. However despite this usually a chicken will just instinctively know if what they're eating is bad for them.
The greatest senses that a chicken has is their sense of hearing and touch. In fact their sense of touch is so incredible they can sense vibrations in the air and ground.
This is a very important sense for guarding against predators. If you have ever walked close to a chicken coop in the middle of the night then you know what I mean. The rooster will give out a warning shout and sometimes the hens will start panicking.
It is a very rare thing to find a chicken that is sleeping on the ground. This is because they prefer sleeping on higher ground such as on branches. The places that a chicken sleeps on are called roosts. The reason for this is because when chickens were wild they slept on higher ground so they could stay safe from predators. Chickens higher up the pecking order often get the privilege of sleeping on higher roosts then their cousins. Chickens don't usually go further then 50 meters from their coop.
Though a chicken prefers warmer climates they can more easily deal with uncomfortably cold conditions then uncomfortably warm conditions. This is because they don't have sweat glands. So they have to cool down by dumping their heads in water and airing out their wings.
To humans the sounds a chicken makes is useless gibberish but to other chickens those sounds are very important. Roosters crow to warn the flock if their is any danger around. In fact the roosters crows are the most varying sound any chicken can make as their crows vary slightly depending on where the predator can come from whether by air or land. Chickens have slight variations of their clucks if they're leading baby chicks or if they are just happy. A chicks chirp sounds slightly different depending on whether or not they are lost or comfortable.
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