• forestG@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I can remember a time when I was a kid, that one of the most recent chicks got to feel so accustomed to my presence that it would follow me around when I was near and let me pet it. So it was easy for me to pick various insects and provide instant snacks, probably tastier than what the rest of the flock was getting. This is also how hen’s teach little chicken (few days old) how to locate food when they are young. After it grew a little, when it spotted me, it used to behave like a dog does when you return home. It sprinted towards me, made silly (to my perception) noises and examined me tilting it’s head. This picture reminded me of those sprints and made me smile.

    • idealium@beehaw.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 year ago

      I used to help raise and tend to chickens during my childhood. As adults chickens have an outer layer of stiff feathers on their wings and back which mainly function as protection against moisture and enhance mobility (fluttering, gliding, etc.), but beneath this layer there’s a layer of very soft down feathers which offer insulation against the cold. It’s best to feel how soft their down feathers are when they’re chicks, as their stiffer feathers haven’t grown in yet, but also if you spend a lot of time reaching under hens for their eggs you’ll find that their undersides still have a lot of softer feathers for nesting purposes.

      • Foidi | she/her @beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        I have been raised living in country, but we have never had our animals, and the neighbours chickens werent willing to get touched, nor could I have taken eggs from under them

        • idealium@beehaw.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Oh I mean, they certainly never invited us to take their eggs. But their pecks of protest were generally easy to ignore. 😅 The more vicious hens required more creative solutions.