BABY CHICKS

Chickens are social birds that live together as a flock with a distinct hierarchy or “pecking order.” They would naturally spend their day foraging for food, scratching the ground looking for insects and seeds. When a cockerel finds food, he may call the hens to eat it by clucking in a high pitch and picking up and dropping the food. This behaviour can also be seen in mother hens, calling their chicks. Chickens tend to range widely, using the cover of trees and vegetation for safety from predators. Chickens don’t bathe in water like humans do–they bathe in dust! It may seem like bathing in dust would make them dirtier, but the fine particles in the dust actually keep a chicken’s feathers clean, and can even help keep mites, lice, and other pests out of their feathers. When a chicken is ready for a dust bath, she will dig a small ditch, then roll around in it until the dirt until her feathers are completely coated. Then, she will stand up, shake it all out, and preen herself.