Learn more about chickens

Today’s farmed chickens are descended from the red jungle fowl of south-east Asia and were domesticated about 8,000 years ago. They are sociable animals, living in small groups of about 25 birds in natural conditions, sometimes forming close friendships. Within the group, aggression is avoided by the development of a stable ‘pecking order’ in which lower-ranking members submit to the dominant birds.

Hens enjoy sunbathing. On a warm day a hen can be seen leaning to one side, stretching her wings out, extending her feathers and basking in the sun.

With a growing number of consumers switching from red meat to poultry, the chicken and turkey industries are booming. Under natural conditions, hens instinctively display complex behavioural patterns involving perching, foraging, nesting and dust-bathing. In intensive farms, close confinement in cages denies the hens the opportunity to perform any of these activities. The overcrowded conditions cause social conflict amongst cage mates, including bullying, feather-pecking and, in extreme cases, cannibalism.

Chickens living outdoors are highly active, spending much of their day investigating their surroundings, and pecking and scratching at the ground in their search for food. As the time to lay an egg approaches, a hen has a very strong drive to find a secluded site to build a nest so that she can lay her egg in a secure, comfortable place.

Jungle fowl like woods, as the undergrowth and trees help them to hide from predators. At night they perch on branches - a relatively safe place for roosting (resting and sleeping).

Chickens need to dust-bathe. This involves spraying loose soil or dust over themselves (rather like a ‘dry shampoo’) and then shaking it out of their feathers. This removes excess oils from their plumage and helps keep their feathers in good condition.

Chickens have good hearing and sight. They have a visual field of about 330° and well developed colour vision. They have about 20 different calls, including separate warning calls for ground and aerial predators.

To find out about other farm animals, click on the links in the Read More section of this page >>