Surprisingly, yes - chicken really do seem to recognise their owners. In fact, research has shown that chickens are capable of recognising up to 100 human faces, so it won't take them long to learn who their owner is.
Most people don't get chickens for affection, however many owners will agree that they share a special bond with their chickens. Just as dogs are devoted and loyal, chickens show their affection for example by following you around. They can even run to you when you call them or eat treats out of your hand.
Chickens can recognise up to 100 faces
These faces included those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognise and pass that information on to members of their flocks.
Those of us who observe chickens on a daily basis see their memory and recall in action in a wide variety of everyday situations. Recent science tell us that chickens recognize over 100 individual faces even after several months of separation.
9. Chickens purr like cats! When a chicken is happy, cozy, and safe, they will close their eyes and purr softly.
Chickens can recognise up to 100 faces
These faces included those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognise and pass that information on to members of their flocks.
High Energy. The easiest and fastest way to know if your chickens are happy is to watch them. A content chicken will participate in normal chicken activities, such as pecking and scratching the ground, taking a dust bath, hunting for bugs, nesting, preening, and laying eggs.
While they may not seem like the most obviously affectionate of animals, most backyard chickens grow very accustomed to their owners, often delighting in being picked up, petted and talked to in a soft and gentle manner.
Spend Quality Time
One of the best ways to get your flock to trust you is to spend time with them. If they're chicks, pick them up and spend some one-on-one time with them every day. Let them see your face and talk to them. They will get comfortable with you and even nap in your hands or on your lap.
They do recognise and bond with their owners, but they will still get lonely without other chickens, which can cause stress and shorten their lifespan as well as affecting egg-laying. If you're thinking of getting just one chicken it may be best to wait until you're in a position to get a flock.
Chickens normally peck at feet, toes and clothing because they're inquisitive or they think there's something on you which they can eat. This is a common behaviour in most chickens especially when they're younger. In some rarer cases, a chicken may peck at feet as an act of aggression and to show domination.
Chickens may eye pin when they're anticipating a treat, or, like some of my hens, they may do it when they're just chilling on your lap and you happen to get eye contact for a moment. In that case, I like to think my hens are telling me they love me.
It's the first rule right after washing your hands: "Don't kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don't eat or drink around them. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick."
They know their own names.
Not only can chickens recognise when their name is called if it is used consistently enough, they can also recognise the names of other chickens around them.
They're doing the submissive squat! When a pullet nears laying age, anywhere after 18 weeks old or so, she will most likely start to squat down when you approach. She will bend her legs, crouch, and sort of flatten her wings and back.
Bored hens typically lay fewer eggs, and bored chickens will not be as alert to potential predators. Boredom can lead to stress, and stressed birds are more susceptible to a wide range of illnesses and poor health, but by keeping chickens entertained, the flock will be healthier and happier.
Chickens are highly intelligent and sensitive creatures who form tight social bonds, can recall events from their past, recognize 100 faces, and do mathematical sums. They have a wide range of cognitive abilities that should put paid to any notion that they are not smart.
Empathy is sometimes regarded as a form of emotional intelligence and is demonstrated when hens display signs of anxiety when they observed their chicks in distressful situations. The hens have been said to "feel their chicks' pain" and to "be affected by, and share, the emotional state of another."
Healthy chickens are social, curious and should feel energized to freely move throughout the coop, run or backyard. A lack of movement, low head carriage and overall depressed appearance may be a sign that something is wrong.
So while the answer to the question of "Do you need a Rooster to lay eggs?" is no, you can certainly have a happier flock with a rooster. Although uncrowded hens generally get along with each other, a flock with a rooster is usually more peaceful. There is less fighting for the top spot by the hens.
One study showed chicks "imprinted" to an image of a red triangle even if it was partly obscured—suggesting the birds can envision partially hidden objects in their minds. Not only that, the birds can recognize and discern people based on their faces. And they apparently like beautiful humans.
However, they can be defensive and aggressive in territorial protection1 or breeding. Hen pecking of human eyes is rare but has been reported with varied visual outcomes,3–6 and may occur with or without provocation. Probably because of its sharp contrast to the face, eyes are an attractive site for pecking.
A chicken wipes its beak to attract mates.
Beak wiping releases an odor that may be detected by potential mates and rivals, according to Danielle Whittaker of Missouri State University.