Eggs-traordinary Chicken Fun Facts We Bet You Didn’t Know!
Chickens are no ordinary farm animals! They're fascinating creatures with a long history and intriguing behaviors that not many people know about. So, let's delve into the world of these feathered friends and uncover some roost-worthy chicken fun facts we bet you didn't know!
9 Chicken Fun Facts
1. A Relative of the T-Rex
What do chickens and dinosaurs have in common? A lot, actually! Using a T-Rex fossil found in 2003, a study concluded that dinosaurs and birds, particularly chickens and ostriches, are closely linked by DNA. It's believed that chickens are, in fact, the closest living relatives to the T-Rex!
2. They Use Dirt To Get Clean
Chickens are very hygienic creatures, but they don't use water to get clean - they instead opt for dirt! Dustbathing involves them rolling around in dry, loose soil or sand. Taking a dust bath helps chickens to shed old feathers, prevents their feathers from becoming too oily, and removes parasites.
3. Egg-cellent Memories
Chickens possess an impressive ability to remember faces, whether they are other chickens, humans, or other animals. Research has shown that chickens can recognize up to 100 faces.
4. Communicating via Clucks
Did you know that chickens have their own language? They communicate to each other and their young through a range of clucks, cackles, squawks, and they can even purr.
5. Talented Egg Layers
On average, a chicken will lay up to about 250 eggs per year, although some chickens may produce around 300. According to Guiness World Records, the world record for the most eggs laid is held by a White Leghorn Hen from the United States, who laid a whopping 371 eggs in just 364 days. Now that's an egg-ceptional amount of eggs!
6. Eggs-traordinary Eggs
Chicken eggs come a great array of shapes, sizes, and colors. While the most common egg color tends to be white or brown, certain chicken breeds can lay eggs in shades of blue, green, or even pink! It's a colorful surprise if you thought all chicken eggs look the same.
7. Earlobe Color = Egg Color
Speaking of egg colors, there's a nifty trick to predict what color eggs a chicken will lay - check their earlobes! Usually, the color of a chicken's earlobes will match the color of their eggs, or so we hear (pun fully intended).
8. There Are More Chickens Than Humans
In fact, this is quite the understatement - there are a lot more chickens than humans in the world! The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states there were over 33 billion chickens globally in 2020, compared to less than 8 billion people.
9. No Need for GPS
Who needs GPS when you've got a natural homing instinct?! Chickens are able to navigate their way back to their coop or roost even if they've wandered far away during the day. That innate homing instinct sounds super handy for those of us with no sense of direction...
From their dinosaur DNA to their egg-laying capabilities, chickens are undoubtedly fascinating creatures. So, next time you hear their cheerful clucks, take a moment to marvel at these chicken fun facts that make them such egg-ceptional birds! Share your love for them with our collection of chicken clothing and gifts, including chicken shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more.
Photo: @thegraciesimmonds
