Do Chickens Have Feelings?

It’s all too easy to discount the chicken. They are such a commonplace bird in the modern world, comprising a multi-billion-dollar meat industry, that people have trouble thinking of them as anything more than a means to an end. It wasn’t always this way, however, and chickens didn’t always have such a factory-farmed reputation. The rise in the consumption of chicken meat and eggs was born out of necessity during wartime. Indeed, the United States government rationed beef and pork for soldiers, so people who were still stateside started eating chicken. That, coupled with a 1961 report about the dangers of eating too much beef, meant that chicken was here to stay. This had unintended effects. Chickens lost their individuality, were reduced to food, and came to be seen only as meat. As this Instagram video illustrates, chickens have real feelings and personalities.

More Than Meets the Cluck

Chickens have always had a place on farms. In recent years, however, the trend of keeping chickens as pets has notably increased among suburbanites and urbanites, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, due to factors like rising egg prices and changing local laws. People who don’t know much about chickens often consider them to be stupid, soulless, or even dangerous. Anyone who has owned a chicken for any length of time, however, will tell you that chickens have individual personalities. While lap chickens are rare, they are not unheard of. Many chickens quickly adapt to people. In short order, they will eat from their owner’s hand, respond to attempts at communication, and even show affection. As this Instagram video shows, chickens are intelligent enough to remember people and show fondness through their behavior. Let’s explore the misunderstood chicken, its unique characteristics, and its surprisingly human-like behaviors.

The Majestic Chicken

The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl from Southeast Asia. After being domesticated around 8,000 years ago, the chicken became one of the most common and recognizable domesticated animals on Earth. There are several billion people on the planet, but chickens easily outnumber us. In 2023 alone, there were an estimated 26.5 billion living chickens in the world. That doesn’t even include the 70 billion chickens that are raised and killed each year for food. While these massive populations are primarily due to the demand for their meat and eggs, chickens can also make valuable, loving pets.

Pecking Order

It’s easy to dismiss chickens as just walking, clucking pieces of meat—until you spend time with them in their own environment. They are incredibly social animals, both clever and inquisitive. You’ve probably heard the term “pecking order.” While it may sound like a casual phrase, it is actually a scientific term describing the clear dominance hierarchy that governs chicken social structure. In the 1920s, a Norwegian zoologist named Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe put his obsession with chickens to good use by describing their social system.

Through careful and consistent observation, he discovered that chickens know exactly where they stand in relation to one another. This system is dynamic, with chickens constantly reshuffling their ranks through subtle and complex behaviors. Many people hear chickens cluck or see them ruffle their feathers without realizing these are actually subtle social signals. This ongoing social interplay reveals the complexity of chickens’ inner lives.

Sense and Sentience

It can be hard to admit that the meat we eat came from an animal with feelings and emotions. Chickens experience a wide range of emotions and can feel pain. Even chickens kept in factory farms have distinct personalities, desires, and memories. They can be incredibly sensitive animals, attuned to the emotions of both their fellow chickens and their human caretakers. As seen in this Instagram video, a chicken sees its owner, runs over to her, and is happily embraced in a hug. This shows that chickens have real feelings.

Breeds as Pets

There are hundreds of chicken breeds, but some make especially good pets. Bantams, for example, are considered ideal for pet owners. They are small in size but have big personalities. Some of the friendliest breeds include Silkies, Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, Australorps, and Speckled Sussex.

Silkies are known to be very friendly and laid-back. Many people recommend them for kids because they are so docile. Buff Orpingtons, like the one in this Instagram video, are considered the Golden Retrievers of the chicken world. Not only are they fun and friendly, but they also have a docile nature that lends itself to both affection and playfulness. Cochins are also laid-back and friendly. Australorps share all these pet-friendly traits and are also known for their innate curiosity.

These are the breeds commonly kept as pets, but chicken lovers recommend plenty of others as well. If you’re looking for a pet that’s funny, spunky, and affectionate, look no further than the chicken.