Chicken Facts

Chickens are so much more than we give them credit for. Humans have underestimated their intellectual capabilities, their ability to experience pain, and to experience joy. We treat them as if they were objects devoid of sentience, intelligence, or personality, which clearly makes it much easier for us to treat them the way we do as a society.

 

But once we learn who chickens really are, it becomes unfathomable that we offer them no legal protections whatsoever, that we subject them to the most atrocious living conditions, to utter deprivation, pain, cruelty beyond measure, and that we slaughter 9 billion of them every year in this country alone.

The truth is that chickens are not very different from our dogs and cats. They are equally capable of suffering, and equally deserving of our moral consideration and kindness.

Did You Know...

  • They're Wild!

    They’re wild! The modern chicken is a subspecies of the red junglefowl, originally from Southeastern Asia. Some modern breeds are genetically very similar to their ancestors, but the Cornish Cross, the main breed used for meat in this country has been so genetically manipulated to be four times larger than they were only 50 years ago. And specifically their breasts are 80 percent larger. The modern “broiler” also reaches “market weight” at only six weeks of age. The result of this accelerated growth leads to myriad health problems for these birds, including organ failure, and lameness, and studies indicate that a large percentage of these babies living in factory farms are in pain for most of their short lives. Fortunately, with appropriate care, centered around a special diet, Cornish Crosses, like most of our sanctuary residents, can live a very happy healthy life for many years.

  • Chickens Dream

    Chickens dream. We experience dreams when we’re in REM sleep. Chickens experience REM sleep too! They also dream in color. We think all chickens dream of living the life the Sweet Peeps are living, and we hope one day that dream can come true for them all.

  • They're Not Egg Factories

    They are not egg factories. In the wild, chickens lay an average of 12 eggs a year. The modern chicken lays up to 300 a year. Egg laying takes a major toll on a hen’s body, depleting her of calcium and other nutrients needed to make the egg. Many hens die of egg related health issues like egg yolk peritonitis. Modern hens also suffer from extraordinarily high rates of reproductive cancers, likely due to our manipulation of their reproductive cycles.

  • They’re Smart!

    They’re smart! Studies show that chickens are intelligent and emotional animals, and are able to “demonstrate thinking skills on par with mammals and primates”. If you hide an object from a chicken, they will still know it's there — this is something even young human children aren't able to do. Chickens can count, demonstrate self-awareness, and even manipulate one another.

  • They Have A Lot to Say

    They have a lot to say. We often say that animals don’t have a voice, but anybody who’s ever been around a chicken knows that’s not true! Chickens talk to each other (and if we’re lucky, to us) all day long. So far, humans have identified at least 24 different vocalizations, which basically means subjects that they talk about. We know they communicate when they’re content. They communicate about aerial predators and have other alarm calls for ground predators. They communicate about interesting things they find in their foraging. They talk about needing to lay an egg, and oh my goodness do they communicate when they have laid an egg! But they also all have unique voices and make all kinds of sounds humans don’t even understand. Their vocabulary is rich and nuanced. When content, their happy little chirps and trills are one of the most soothing sounds imaginable. They each communicate in their own unique way, with their own unique voice, just like we do. They may say bok bok sometimes, but that’s certainly not all they say.

  • They’re All Different!

    They’re all different! Just like our dogs and cats, just like us, each chicken is an individual. One chicken might like broccoli, while another may not. One chicken might like to wander away from the coop, while another might be too timid. Some like to be held by humans. Others don’t want to be touched. The more time you spend with them, and the more comfortable a chicken becomes with you, the more their unique personalities come out.

  • They Have Amazing Memories!

    They have amazing memories! Chickens can remember over 100 different faces of people or animals. They can differentiate between those they know and strangers. And as they show us here at the sanctuary all the time, they can also remember where they have found treats before, even months before!

  • Dinosaurs???

    YES! They’re modern mini dinosaurs. Chickens have prehistoric roots and are the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

  • They’re Clean!

    They’re clean! Chickens love dust baths which help them stay clean and free from parasites. Dust bathing is such an instinctive behavior, it’s one of the first things our rescued chickens do when they arrive, even those who had never had access to dirt or dust baths at the factories where they came from.

  • They're Loving, Social & Empathetic

    They are loving, social, and empathetic. Chickens are highly social beings. They need sufficient space or they become stressed and will peck one another, but they are flock animals, and they hate being alone. Chickens will spend most of their time exploring, dust bathing, napping, and sunbathing with friends. Hens make wonderful mothers. Studies show when a mother hen’s chicks are stressed, she also shows physiological signs of stress. That is empathy. They clearly empathize with their flock mates as well. When one is frightened ,they are all frightened. When one is in distress, they all show signs of stress as well. Because they’re so social, they can also make wonderful companion animals and can easily and happily live as house chickens, and that’s true for roosters as well, so long as you have good ear plugs!

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