Chickens & Turkeys

Chickens

Chickens are one of the most misunderstood animals in the world, often maligned as dim and unkindly creatures. However, when allowed to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and companionship, chickens are exceptional animals. They are sometimes compared to dogs because of their adoration of their parents and enjoyment of affection. Did you know?

•Chickens have many similarities to humans. They enjoy watching television, they can see the same range of colours and the majority are right-footed -just as humans are right handed. Many chickens take pleasure in listening to classical music -especially the faster symphonies!

•Chickens bond with other species. Due to their highly social nature chickens can bond with other animals. If a chicken bonds with you, you can expect him/her to jump into your lap for a rub. They enjoy being petted and will close their eyes with enjoyment (and would probably purr if they could!).

•Chickens have close family ties. Mother hens form strong connections with their young before the chicks have even hatched by constant turning of the eggs and clucking to the unborn babies. The chicks will even respond with cheeps back to their mother and to one another. Once the chicks are born, the mother spends a great deal of time teaching them the important lessons of chicken life, such as how to eat and drink, roost and protect against predators. Chickens will fight to protect their family members and mourn the loss of a loved one.

•Roosters are as reliable as alarm clocks. Roosters (male chickens) are widely renowned for their ability to welcome each day with loud crows, assisting the farmers in rising for the day ahead.

•That chickens have a strong desire to construct a nest to call their own. Having a private nesting place is important for chickens. If forced to, they may go without food or water to keep their nest. The nest is constructed by the chicken collecting twigs and leaves, placing them on her back and bringing them to the selected location. The chicken stands in a hole that has already been scratched in the ground and allows the gathered material to fall around her. This process continues until the perfect nest is created.

Turkeys

Turkeys are more than a carcass on the dinner table at Thanksgiving. Read on to learn about their love for cuddling, music and family meals. Did you know?

•Turkeys like to have breakfast and dinner as a family. Turkeys have two major feeding times, one during mid-morning, the other mid-afternoon. Family groups often meet to enjoy their meal together.

•A mother turkey is very protective of her young, and will risk her life to save her babies. If she feels threatened, she may freeze or sound a cry of warning to her young instructing them to take cover. She may also attack or pretend that she is hurt to draw the predator's attention away from her offspring.

•Turkeys love to be petted. They will sit happily for long periods having their feathers stroked.

•The turkey was almost selected as the United States national bird. Benjamin Franklin proposed the bird to be the proud symbol of the United States.

•Turkeys like to listen to music. In fact they like it so much, they will even cluck and gobble along with the song.

•It is difficult to sneak up on a turkey. They have excellent vision and a wide visual field of about 270 degrees. They also have great hearing-but no external ears.

•Some Turkeys can fly. While the domesticated turkeys are too large or have their wings cut to prevent flight, wild turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 88.5 km (55 miles) per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles (40 km) per hour on the ground