Fearless Mother Hen Defends Her Chicks Against a King Cobra

Nothing is going to stop this mother from protecting her precious children. Watch below as a hen does everything in her power to stop a cobra from eating her chicks. 

The video below shows a mother hen with many chicks at her side standing in some sort of enclosed space. From a secluded corner soon emerges a large king cobra who looks ready to eat. At the sight of the cobra, the mother hen perks up in fear, trying to plan her best course of defense. In a moment of extreme courage, she steps up toward the snake and ruffles her feathers out to look intimidating. Surprisingly, the display worked, and the cobra seemed to lose interest… at least for the time being that is. 

Later on, the cobra returns to the mother and her chicks, this time with a little more vengeance. As the cobra sneaks up to the chicks, the mother once again leaps into action, making loud clucking noises while hopping back and forth at the cobra. The snake seemingly tries to grab a few chicks, but it misses each time due to the protection given by their mother. Luckily, the hen was able to guide her chicks away in all of the chaos, while at the same time being able to keep the cobra pinned in a corner. The clip ends by showing the chicks moving out of frame with their mother, safe to live another day due to her bravery! 

Chicken Reproduction 

Chickens have an extremely unique yet reliable reproductive cycle, which makes them one of the most important livestock species in the world. Many chicken breeds can lay roughly six eggs a week on average, especially when they first start laying. This rate usually decreases during cooler months, and when the chicken molts. 

Chickens can hold sperm in their body for a very long time, meaning they can lay many eggs from a single mating event. The female hen produces egg components that will naturally pass through a few structures such as an infundibulum and oviduct. In the case that sperm is present, it will fertilize in the infundibulum and the rest of the egg, such as the shell will develop around it. Likewise, if no sperm is present, the yolk will simply follow the same route, which is how we get unfertilized eggs for eating. 

Are Chickens Aggressive? 

In terms of attacking other animals, chickens are fairly docile. Rather than picking fights, they usually run away from the action, which is usually a successful strategy for them. Within their species group, chickens can be incredibly aggressive. They are known for creating strict hierarchies or “pecking orders,” which are determined by factors such as size and aggression. 

Additionally, when they are mortally threatened, chickens can use some more direct defense tactics. As shown in the video below, they will puff out their wings and feathers to appear larger and obscure their body. Furthermore, they can scratch and stomp with their feet, which bear some fairly sharp talons! 

Watch This Brave Mother Hen!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © JZHunt/iStock via Getty Images