Many people are so used to the word “chicken” only being applied to a “processed food” that seeing them alive is surprising. But it doesn’t take long to make the connection: Each is an individual with their own personality. Some are bold and bossy. Some prefer chickens to people—and some adore their people friends.

Join us as we celebrate chickens and their right to lives of their own.

How do chickens experience the world?

• They have a lot to say. Chickens make at least 24 vocalizations that have distinct meanings. One call may alert others about a predator on land, and another call refers to a predator from the sky. Roosters make food calls to notify nearby hens that they have found good food—and then show it to them by picking it and dropping it repeatedly.

• A different perspective. Chickens can see 300° around themselves, perceive a broader spectrum of colors than humans, and simultaneously focus on objects that are close up and far away.
• It all adds up. Chickens—even newborn chicks—can perform basic arithmetic, differentiating between larger and smaller amounts of food.
• They’re connected to the earth. Like some other birds, chickens can feel the earth’s magnetic pull and use it to orient themselves.

• Making sense of the world. A chicken’s beak is one of their most important sensory organs. It has numerous nerve endings and a highly sensitive tip, which helps chickens make precise distinctions between the objects they touch.

• Family matters: Chickens form social groups of one dominant male, one dominant female, lower-ranking birds of both sexes, and chicks.
• They know their peeps. Chickens can differentiate among members of their flock, suggesting they recognize each other as individuals—including identifying familiar individuals when shown an image of them!
• Ready to learn. Chickens learn from watching others. Beyond figuring out their place in the pecking order by watching others interact, they can learn to perform tasks by watching others perform them.

Chickens are among the most abused animals on earth: From hatching to slaughter, chickens on factory farms are subjected to mutilation, confinement, and deprivation of the ability to live their lives as the active, social beings they are.

What are some ways you can help?

• Make room for a rescued chicken: Join our Farm Animal Adoption Network, which connects abused, neglected, and unwanted farm animals with loving homes.
• Symbolically adopt a rescued chicken: With a monthly or annual donation to our Adopt a Farm Animal program, you can “adopt” a rescued chicken or other farm animal and help support our mission to end cruelty to farm animals everywhere.
• Read and share their stories: Over the years, we’ve provided a safe landing place for countless rescued chicks, hens, and roosters. Some were abandoned or were rescued from neglect. Others escaped fires or natural disasters. In learning and sharing their stories, you can help others make the connection to leave animals off their plates.