Funny Things Chickens Do You Aren’t Aware Of Yet with Bluebonnet Feeds

First, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Bluebonnet Feeds for sponsoring this post. They are the reasons my chickens are so happily fed. It is great getting to partner with them again for another fun chicken post.

[If you missed the previous post, check it out HERE.]

Chickens are definitely the gateway animals in the homesteading lifestyle. They are full of such personality and consistently make me laugh out loud.

If you’re considering any animal to get your homestead started, I highly recommend chickens! Let me explain why.

Chickens arrived on our property in 2016 with the intention of raising them for eggs and meat. Since the breeds we have locally do not sex the chicks before purchase, you have to wait until they crow or lay an egg to know what their purpose is.

After spending time with our flock, my husband and I fell completely in love with them! We knew we would have chickens for as long as we had our homestead.

Watching the chickens play, determine pecking order, and search for bugs, my fascination for them grew. I honestly had no clue chickens were so funny until our own flock was added to our homestead.

Funny Things Chickens Do That You’re Not Aware Of Yet with Bluebonnet Feeds

1 // Pecking Order

Ever wonder where the term “Pecking Order” comes from that you hear your parents or grandparents say?

Well, it comes from chickens. They literally peck at each other to establish the pecking order of the flock.

Starting at birth, chickens work to establish where they are in the pecking order.

While some can be a little bossy, it is quite funny watching them figure out where they fall on the list.

They will chase each other around the coop, trying to work their way up the list, but some could really care less about it.

2 // Hens love cackling

Another term I have heard all my life comes from chickens as well.

Chickens have several different voices and ways of talking to you and each other. I love listening to them because you really get a sense of them creating their own community.

From the time I have spent with them, I have learned a few of their voices.

For instance, if I hear one hen loudly chirping as I pull into the driveway, I know they are hungry or want to free-range. If I hear one squawk, they are likely getting in trouble with another hen that is higher in the pecking order.

However, if they have just laid an egg, they sing The Egg Song together, similar to a choir. But if it is just my rooster, Handsome, singing The Egg Song, that means they are in trouble.

It really is funny and unique to hear all of their different voices.

3 // They are stalkers.

If your chickens trust you or learn your tricks, it’s often due to the amount of stalking they do. I can’t hardly go anywhere without one of them watching my every move or following right behind me.

I’m sure it is because they love me, but it could also be their way of figuring out how to take over the homestead…

Seems pretty normal for them to be so curious… but is it?

The truth is that Little Girl is my #1 Stalker. She doesn’t miss a beat.

4 // They don’t mind making a MESS!

If you checked out my last chicken post, you know that my chickens are picky eaters. They wasted so much food!

They would spread food out all over the floor of their coop. How they wasted so much amazed me!

To give you a visual perspective, if I fed them a 5-gallon bucket of feed, they would maybe eat half of it. The other half would be in a halo shape around the feed bucket that would provide them the perfect “floor mat” while pecking at the feed.

And it wasn’t the fact that we started with crumbles because we tried pellets, too.

It was simply to say that they didn’t like their feed.

Since I don’t speak fluently in chicken yet, this was their only way to tell me they weren’t happy.

Luckily, once I had them try Bluebonnet Feeds’ Nature’s Balance® Egg Booster Nibblets, they stopped wasting feed COMPLETELY!

It could be the prebiotics and probiotics that keep their bellies happy or the fact that it tastes yummy [to the chickens, that is]! Either way, I am so glad this mess-making had a solution!

I’m also glad that the makeshift feed “floor mat” is completely gone from the coop floor.

It’s been almost two years since we made the transition to the Nature’s Balance® Egg Booster Nibblets. I don’t see us ever moving away from them, either.

After all, happy chickens equal a happy life!

However, this isn’t their only mess-making ability. They are quite notorious for pooping whenever and wherever they please.

I cannot count how many times I have been pooped on, but honestly, that is just part of it, I guess.

I mean, when you gotta go, you gotta go! Right?

I will disclaim that this mostly happened when they were chicks. They’ve gotten better about where they poop now that they are older. Not much better, but at least it is no longer landing on me!

5 // They really bring all the chicken sayings to life!

It doesn’t matter which saying you’ve heard over the years, the fact is they all originated due to the behavior and personalities chickens possess. Let me share a few with you:

• “Flew the coop” – a chicken realized it could fly, which is why I often have to put a few of mine up each evening
• “Shake your tail feather” – chickens literally shake their tail feathers, and it is so cute!
• “Running around like a chicken with its head cut off” – Okay, so this one isn’t as funny, but the fact is that is exactly what happens when you cut off a chicken’s head.
• “Strutting your stuff” – Roosters walk around so proud, especially if you tell them how handsome they are!
• “Don’t be a chicken!” – I’ve had my chickens for 3 years, and I can tell you that I haven’t been able to pet some of them since they were 6 weeks old. They are terrified of me getting close to them! It can be quite funny seeing what lengths they will go to avoid me.
• “Ruffle your feathers” – Don’t hurt a chicken’s feelings because that is exactly what will happen. You could almost suggest that is where “shake it off” originated, too.
• “Chicken scratch” – Chickens scratch at the ground looking for bugs. If you have poor handwriting, odds are you’ve had someone call your handwriting chicken scratch.
• “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” – Just because an egg is in an incubator or has a hen sitting on it doesn’t mean it will hatch.

I laugh each time I see these sayings come to light by my chickens. You don’t realize how much of an impact they have made in our language and culture until you see it for yourself.

Final thoughts about my funny chickens and Bluebonnet Feeds

Once again, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Bluebonnet Feeds for sponsoring this post! I love getting to partner with a company that cares about my chickens as much as I do!

If you’re considering getting chickens, I hope this post encourages you to go for it! Also, make sure to find the Nature’s Balance® Egg Booster Nibblets at your local feed store so that your chickens are putting half your feed bill on the floor of their coop!

The previous post I did with Bluebonnet Feeds is all about what chickens truly need to thrive. It is perfect for anyone wanting to get started with chickens!

I love my chickens and all the funny things they do, but I bet you’ve seen chickens do other funny things! I’d love to hear your stories below in the comments!

If you’re ready to start your homestead, be sure to check out my free Questions to Ask Before Starting a Homestead Workbook. It will help you from making the mistakes I did when I first started.