The chicken brain consists of two halves (known as hemispheres).
Each half helps it to process information in a different way. This is known as lateralization and it is more pronounced than that of the human brain. It is fascinating to realise that not only can a hen see the world using both eyes (binocular vision) they can also use each eye to look at a completely separate image at the same time with no overlap of visual information between the eyes (monocular vision)!
When hens are about to lay eggs they sing a song!
Did you know that many hens make a big ol’ racket every day when they announce to the world that they are indeed going inside to lay an egg, or have just laid an egg? This is called ‘the egg song’ and once you’ve heard it a few times it’s very recognizable, even from afar.
Chickens have better vision than humans.
It’s widely believed that chickens are color blind and have poor vision- this is not the case. They actually have better vision than humans. Humans have three different cone types in their eyes, which means we can perceive red, green, and blue colors. Whereas chickens have an additional two cone types, they can also distinguish violet and ultraviolet light. This means roosters can see the sunrise and crow well before humans can even see the sunrise- often, this is around an hour before humans can see the sunrise.
Hens communicate with their chicks while they’re still inside their eggs.
When chickens lay eggs, the mother hen can actually make noises that chicks still incubating inside of their eggs can hear and respond to. The chicks even make tiny “peeps” back from inside of their eggs! Once grown, chickens utilize a wide range of sounds to communicate with each other.
Chickens are naturally nurturing and empathetic.
This fussy but motherly stereotype stems from the incredibly nurturing nature of chickens. Hens will fiercely defend their chicks. From fussing over their feathers to keeping them safe from predators and other threats, a mother hen puts a lot of energy into making sure her chicks are healthy and happy. This nurturing behavior even extends into genuine empathy! Mother hens will have a physical reaction to their chicks’ distress, showing that they feel stress whenever their babies are in danger.
Chickens can run up to 9 mph!
They can get up to 9mph for short bursts, but chickens' real advantage comes in their agility- they can turn on a six-pence! This speedy and agility really helps keep them safe from predators- or helps them avoid us when we are trying to round them up back into their coop.
The key to a healthy chick/chicken is an ammonia free environment.
Chick Fresh is used to reduce odor in your coop & brooder, but more importantly it is made to reduce the harmful ammonia that baby chicks are usually breathing in. Ammonia is mostly caused by their excretions and since they are so low to the ground, ammonia is very dangerous to their respiratory system which means bad for their overall health. If you want your chicks to grow up healthy, then think about using Chick Fresh in your brooders, coops and anywhere else your chicks reside.
