Chickens. They’re the cause of the famous debate ‘Which came first?’. They’re also the subject of the famous ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’ jokes. And finally of course, they’re the key element of a Sunday dinner. They’re actually a lot more interesting than you might think. They originally lived in rainforests, where they developed for millions of years to the chicken we know today. You might also be surprised to hear, just like you and I, they have full colour vision.
Below are some more facts about chickens, which show just how eggcellent (sorry!) this animal can be:
1) There are at least 25 billion of them. This is more than the world’s human population. Almost three times, in fact.
2) They will slurp grass like spaghetti! No, honestly.
3) Although chickens can taste saltiness, they cannot taste sweetness.
4) Chickens have more bones in their necks than giraffes.
5) Depending on the breed, a chicken can live up to around 5 years old.
6) Chickens do dream. This is because they can experience REM sleep.
7) A baby chick will take around 21 days to hatch.
8) A chickens heart beats at more than 300 times a minute. To put this in perspective to a human, the average is between 60 and 100.
9) In the wild, chickens can navigate using the sun, which helps them find food and water.
10) Mother hens will speak to their babies through the shell. The baby chick will respond with chirps.
11) Believe it not, chickens are the closest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Who would have thought it?
So, next time you’re sitting down for a roast dinner, or you are telling your friend your best chicken joke, try to spare a thought for just how interesting these animals are.
