What Does it Mean When a Chicken Blushes? Now we Know

For the first time, researchers discovered that chickens fluff their facial feathers and blush in response to various stimuli, likely to express their inner emotions. This finding could enhance how we care for these birds.

However, if you’ve ever been charmed by a dog’s head tilt in response to certain verbal cues, you’re familiar with animals conveying emotions through facial expressions. Scientists have established this link in dogs and other mammals like pigs and mice.

While birds can change their facial expressions by flushing their skin and moving their facial feathers, it has been unclear if these signals were connected to their emotional states.

INRAE Study Observes Chicken Facial Expressions

Moreover, to investigate, researchers at the INRAE agricultural research center in France designed a study to observe chickens in various situations and recorded facial changes using video.

They filmed 18 birds from two species in three scenarios: during their daily activities on a French farm, when captured and held by a person, and when given a desirable food treat.

They found that relaxed and content birds had fluffed head feathers. When chased, captured, and held, the hens’ facial skin flushed deeply red, indicating negative excitement. When given a food treat, the facial skin blushed a lighter red.

The researchers believe this subtle color change from light red to deep red can indicate a range of positive to negative excitement in the birds.

Implications for Poultry Welfare and Enthusiast Interest

Since the INRAE focuses on agricultural and food science, the research suggests that these findings can enhance the treatment of chickens in those environments. However, it’s easy to picture backyard bird enthusiasts eager to see if they can make their chickens blush with joy.

“We conclude that hens exhibit facial expressions that reveal their emotions and that blushing is not exclusive to humans,” the researchers write in a recently published paper in the journal PLOS ONE. “This finding offers a promising avenue to explore the emotional lives of birds, which is essential for enhancing poultry welfare.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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