Chickens

Chickens

Introduction

Chickens, are flightless, game  birds. They are friendly and loyal, and they love the sun shine on their backs. You might think, Yeah, it's a chicken, so what, but, what are you eating nearly every week, their eggs, and their meat, so why don't you return the favour, because they're giving their life for you? Chickens are one of the world biggest victims of animal cruelty. They were born, just like you, they eat and drink, like you and their hearts beat as they breath, just like you. Eating animal products is OK but animal cruelty is not. KFC is a big food industry that has commited animal cruelty. If you aren't convinced, then watch the video on the left to see how chickens are really treated!

 Food

A chicken SHOULD eat a well balanced diet, they like to eat seeds and insects. Here is a list of seeds i give to my chickens: corn, sunflower seeds, rice, wheat, fruit pips etc. They also need protein in worms and slugs etc. they find when they dig, and, vitamins in fresh fruit, vegtables and grass. They SHOULD NOT eat beans because they are too big for them to swallow so they could suffercate, or factory food, but sadly, factory food is the food that goes into your eggs, and meat.

Factory food

Factory food, is the food they given to chickens for eggs and for meat, it is filled with growth hormones to make the chickens plup and fat, artifical vitamins and proteins etc.

Egg yolks are supposed to be a nice bright orange (almost red) and the meat is supposed to be tender and a redish pinky colour.

When chickens are young, they should also have a little bit of sand, just a little bit, for their digestion. A chickens gizard, or stomach, is all a very big muscle, but it needs something to grind the food, like teeth, so if you give them sand, it acts like teeth and stays in the stomach so you don't have to keep feeding them.

Habitat

Chickens should be free and not locked up in cages, they don't have a 'habitat' exactly because they are a domestic bird, but some say long before they were farmed they originated from Europe.

Reproduction

A chicken lays eggs and thats how it reporduces, a chicken can lay everyday if ts feed properly. For a good egg a chickens need to have freedom, when a chickens first lays eggs they are kind of worried and get stressed, it's because they might not know where to lay her eggs and sometimes chickens think they are pooping but its actually the egg and just do on the floor.

It takes 21 days (3 weeks) for a chick to develope in side the egg, the mother take care of the eggs and only comes out when she needs to eat or needs a drink. When the chicks hatch the mother guards them with care and won't let anyone or anything touch or make contact with them. She shows the chicks where and what to eat with a bleeting sound.

Roosters

Roosters are the male version on a chicken, they are loyal and take care of chickens, they too, make a bleeting sound to let the chickens know that he has food. Roosters do not take care of the chicks, they sometimes try to eat them and end up fighting with the mother chicken.

Article By Melisa G. of Adelaide, Australia.