Chickens

Chickens are one of the most common birds in the world. People raise them on farms for their eggs and meat. Chickens come in many colors and sizes. They live in groups called flocks.

Daily Life

Chickens peck at the ground all day looking for seeds, bugs, and worms. They like to take dust baths to clean their feathers. A female chicken is called a hen, and a male is called a rooster. Roosters crow loudly in the morning.

A map showing where chickens live around the world.
A map showing where chickens live around the world. (Timothy P. Robinson ,G. R. William Wint,Giulia Conchedda,Thomas P. Van Boeckel,Valentina Ercoli,Elisa Palamara,Giuseppina Cinardi,Laura D'Aietti,Simon I. Hay,Marius Gilbert / Wikimedia Commons)

Eggs and Chicks

Hens lay eggs almost every day. After 21 days of sitting on eggs, baby chicks hatch out. The chicks are fluffy and yellow. They follow their mother around and learn how to find food.

Fun Facts

  • There are more chickens in the world than any other bird.
  • Chickens can make over 30 different sounds to talk to each other.
  • Chickens can remember more than 100 different faces.

Did You Know?

Chickens are the closest living relatives of the Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur.