Head to Toe Chickens

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Are we ready, pawpaw?
Hello friends and welcome toChicken.
Every Day, a podcast for you,the backyard chicken enthusiast,
and mine.
Your host is my Pawpaw, gary,Gary Valerie of Senla Backyard
Chickens.
Here we have fun while sharingideas and learning how to care
for our foul-feathered friends.
Check out our videos at Senlathat's C-E-N-L-A Backyard

(00:24):
Chickens on YouTube, tiktok andFacebook.
So, without further ado, let'sstart today's show.
How was that?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hey guys, gary with CENLA, backyard Chickens and the
Chickens Everyday Podcast,thank y'all for tuning in.
You know, the other day I wasout sitting out in the backyard
and just watching the chickensand it just occurred to me what
a fascinating animal theselittle things are and how they
must have evolved and changedover the centuries to become the

(00:56):
bird that we know today.
So I decided to do someinternet investigating to see
just how these birds react andact, with all the sensory organs
that they have their brain,their wings, their waddles,
different things like that.
So that's what I want to talkabout them today.
Hope you'll find it interesting, as I found it was very

(01:19):
fascinating just to look thesethings up, some of which you
guys probably already know.
Maybe there's a few things thatyou don't, but chickens have
been domesticated for anywherebetween 5,000 and 8,000 years,
depending on whose research thatyou're accessing.
Domestic chickens descendedfrom the red jungle fowl.
It's called Gallus gallus, nowmore referred to as Gallus

(01:43):
domesticus.
Because they're domesticatedanimals and while the exact
timeline and location are stillbeing researched, archaeological
and genetic evidence points todomestication occurring first in
Southeast Asia, potentially ina couple of multiple locations,
and spreading east and west fromthere.

(02:03):
From Southeast Asia,domesticated chickens spread to
other parts of the world, likelyfollowing trade routes,
reaching Europe around 800 BCEand becoming more widely
consumed after the Roman era.
While the precise start dateremains debated, evidence points
to the chicken domesticationoriginating in said southeast

(02:28):
ages, sometime between 3,500 to8,000 years Again, depending on
what research that you'relooking at, with the process
being influenced by humanagricultural practices and the
bird's adaptability to livingnear people, and, as we all know
, they are highly adapted toliving near people.
So we're going to start at thetop.

(02:49):
The combs and waddles.
Talk about these chickens.
Chickens' combs and waddles arethe fleshly organs on the
bird's head.
They come in several differentshapes and sizes depending on
the breed of chicken and sex.
A chicken's health can often begauged just from looking at the
comb or waddle.
If you notice that yourchicken's waddle normally is

(03:10):
blood red standing straight up,and now it's got a deeper,
darker, maybe even a purplishcolor laying flopped over,
chances are that your chicken isnot feeling well and is having
some health issues.
Even maybe even stress fromheat can cause some of this as
well.
Now, within the wattle andcombs, their cells are several

(03:32):
blood vessels, and these areclose to the surface and they
work like miniature radiators tohelp dissipate heat and cool
the bird.
If you've ever seen an elephant, especially the African
elephant with these big giantears, they work the same way.
Their ears have blood vesselsclose to the surface.
They flap their ears, get airgoing around them and that helps

(03:53):
to dissipate heat, keep theanimals cooler.
A chicken can actually restrictthe blood flow to their comb to
help keep them warm during thewinter.
Isn't that cool?
To their comb to help keep themwarm during the winter, isn't
that cool?
So it stands for reason that achicken with a large comb would
do better in the heat than achicken with a small one.
Obviously, and right now werecognize nine different types

(04:15):
of combs.
The single comb, which is themost common, that's the upright
comb.
Coming off the top of the headyou can find that leg horns.
The pea comb, which is small,rounded, lots of wrinkles.
The Americana chicken is anexample of a pea comb.
The buttercup, which is quiterare, is two rows of points on
either side of the base of thecomb.

(04:37):
The Sicilian buttercup chickenis that example.
Strawberry comb that's a largecomb sitting forward on the head
and resembling, hopefully, whatthey think is a strawberry, the
Yokohama chicken, walnut comb,large with several deep wrinkles
that also sits forward on thebird's head.
A silky is an example of that.

(04:59):
A rose comb, which is small,fairly flat, with a nubby
appearance.
You go outside and look at mywine dots.
They have a rose comb, acushion comb, which is a smaller
version of a strawberry comb,and the chance to appear is a
chicken with a cushion comb, acarnation which is not at all
very common, but it's similar toa single comb, but with extra

(05:22):
points on the blade and, if Ican pronounce this right, I'm
looking at the word right now apenedesenca
P-E-N-E-D-E-S-E-N-C-A for thoseof you which probably most of
you who can pronounce words alot better than I can.
And finally, the V-comb, andthat's a two-pointed comb in the
shape of a V and the SaltonChicken has that Lowering on the

(05:47):
chicken's head.
We get to the beak of thechicken and, as in all birds,
it's a complex sensory organwith numerous nerve endings on
it.
I did not realize that the beaknot only serves to grasp and
manipulate food items, but it'salso used to manipulate non-food
objects in nesting andexploration, drinking and
training, and it's also used asa weapon in defense in

(06:10):
aggressive encounters.
You've probably seen yourchickens using their beak in all
of these.
Not to mention, they will taketheir beak and they will groom
it.
They'll rub it on the ground,they'll rub it against wood,
they'll rub it against differentthings, all to keep their beak
in good shape.
This is something that'simportant for them to do, the
chicken's hearing.
They can detect both low andhigh frequency sound at a

(06:34):
variety of pressure levels.
Their adeptness with lowfrequency sound may include the
capacity to detect sound thathumans cannot hear.
That would be interesting.
Chicken eyes this is kind ofneat.
Chickens have exceptionaleyesight, with a wider field of
vision and superior colorperception compared to humans.

(06:55):
Their eyes, located on thesides of their head, provide
them nearly 300 degrees ofvision, allowing them to detect
predators effectively.
Humans, conversely, have about120 degrees of vision.
Chickens also have a uniqueability to focus on both near
and far objects simultaneouslydue to their eyes having

(07:18):
different focal lengths.
That's kind of cool.
They can not only see red,green and blue, like us, but
also ultraviolet light, givingthem a broader range of colors
and shapes.
Compared to us, they have ahigher portion of cone cells in
their eyes, which areresponsible for color vision in
bright light and are essentiallyadapted for perceiving movement

(07:39):
.
Chickens also have a thirdeyelid, and it's called the
neticulating membrane, whichslides horizontally to protect
and moisten the eye.
And while they have excellentday vision, they have really
relatively poor night vision.
If you've ever been out in yourchicken coop at night, you'll
notice that the chickens whonormally would run away from you

(08:00):
.
They just sit there.
You can reach up, grab them, dothings with them, put them back
up there.
They're going to probably gripeand complain, but they're not
going anywhere because theirvision is that restricted at
night.
Next we get to the chicken brain.
Chickens are very socialanimals and they always prefer
to live in groups.
They have a dominant andsubordinate individuals and can

(08:23):
become depressed when taken awayfrom their flock.
They often exhibit deceptivebehavior, suggesting a good
working memory and cognitiveflexibility.
Who figured that?
Chickens can learn and rememberand have over 30 different
vocalizations to communicate avariety of messages, including

(08:43):
warnings about predators,emotions, announcements such as
finding a food source?
They can recognize over 100different faces and respond
differently depending upon whothey see.
Chickens experience REM sleep,r-e-m, which is associated with
dreaming in us humans and thatleads to speculation that maybe

(09:05):
chickens dream as well.
Who would wonder what they woulddream of.
Next we get to their feathers.
Chicken feathers are made ofkeratin, just like our
fingernails.
Several multiple purpose.
They serve I'm sorry multiplepurposes beyond just flight,
including insulation, camouflageand attracting mates.
They vary in shape andplacement on the bird's body,

(09:28):
with outer feathers like flightfeathers and tail feathers,
providing protection from theelements and aiding in
maneuverability.
Not all parts of a chicken'sbody are covered with feathers
only about 91% on average.
They account for between 4 and9% of the chicken's body weight.
All chickens undergo an annualmow, losing and regrowing of

(09:51):
feathers, typically in the fallwhere old feathers of shed and
new ones grow in.
It's worth noting that not allfeathers are replaced each year.
This depends highly on thebreed and the extent of feathers
that are damaged.
While some breeds are betterthan others, chickens over the
years have been bred to bebigger and heavier and are

(10:13):
capable now of only short burstsof flight, designed primarily
for escaping predators.
Some of the heavier breeds canonly use their feathers for
hopping in very short glides.
Legs and feet consist of bones,skins, cartilage and tendons.
Chicken feet consist of bones,skins, cartilage and tendons.
The legs, which include theshank and cock, which is the

(10:33):
ankle, are covered in scalesmade of keratin.
Chicken feet have three toesforward and one toe back, but
fall.
Some breeds we know have anextra toe and these are adapted
for gripping perches.
So some breeds, like I said,have five.
Chicken feet are sources ofcollagen and protein, while

(10:54):
sometimes deep fried, they arealso used in bone broth.
My daughter, madeline, will buychicken feet.
She makes bone broth for herspoiled puppies and she even
sells it, actually, if you wantto find out something about that
and apparently the dogs reallydig it.
So, and I'm sure you might know, chickens can experience

(11:14):
various leg and foot problems,including scaly leg mites,
spratal leg injuries andinfections, and you may have
seen bumblefoot before on yourbirds as well.
The skeletal system Chickenskeletons are uniquely adapted
for both flight and efficientmovement on the ground.
They have light, hollow bones,referred to as pneumatic bones.

(11:37):
They are integrated in withtheir respiratory system, as
well as specialized bones likethe keel bone, which is front of
the chest, which supportspowerful flight muscles.
The skeleton also plays a rolein calcium storage, particularly
in hens that are currentlyproducing eggs.

(11:57):
The lungs as mentioned before,the chicken's skeletal system is
integrated with theirrespiratory system.
Their lungs are rigid andfairly small.
The lungs do not expand andcontract.
They rely, however, on anetwork of nine air sacs
throughout the chicken's body tocirculate this air and
facilitate gas exchange.

(12:18):
Facilitate gas exchange theexpansion and contraction of the
ribs, wings and other actionsallow for the continuous flow of
fresh air through the lungs.
The efficiency of chickenbreathing allows them to absorb
oxygen while both inhaling andexhaling.
So that is pretty cool thatboth the inhale and exhale your

(12:40):
chickens are oxygenated blood tothem.
Also, with the fact thatchickens lungs do not move and
they depend on these air sacswhich are distributed in various
areas of the body.
If we hold a chicken too tight,we can actually suffocate the
chicken, deprive them of oxygen.
They need this movement of theribs.
And what have you to breathe?

(13:01):
A lot of roosters.
If they feel like they don'thave quite enough oxygen before
they crow, they're going tostand tall, try to get all these
air sacs open and they're goingto flap their wings and this
flapping action helps pump upthis air in their system and
then they give this great, big,beautiful crow out Next we get
to the digestive system.

(13:23):
A chicken's digestive systemfeatures a beak instead of teeth
, a crop for storage, a gizzardfor grinding and a cloaca for
waste elimination.
Since chickens lack teeth, theyswallow their food whole.
The beak acts as a graspingtool and the esophagus, which is

(13:43):
a muscular tube, transports thefood to the crop.
The crop, a pouch-likestructure that serves as a
storage area for ingested food.
It moistens the food and allowsfor some initial softening
before it moves on.
The proventriculus, oftencalled the true stomach, is
where gastric juices, acids andenzymes are secreted to begin

(14:05):
chemical digestion.
Next comes the gizzard.
The gizzard is a highlymuscular organ that grinds food
Chickens ingest grit and smallstones that help grind the food,
acting as teeth.
The gizzard, being a powerfulmuscle, just works back and
forth.
Food is in there, the stonesare in there, and they crush

(14:26):
against the food and help groundthem down.
As the stones themselves weardown, they eventually become
small enough to be passedthrough the digestive system and
are then replaced when thechicken eats more.
The small intestine is theprimary site for digestion and
absorption of nutrients.
The large intestine absorbswater and electrolytes from the

(14:47):
remaining digestive material.
Cloca.
This is the final chamber whereboth digestive and urinary
waste are expelled.
It's essentially the chicken'svent.
It takes about 4 to 6 hours forfood to travel through the
chicken's vent.
It takes about four to sixhours for food to travel through
the chicken's digestive systemWaste.
Because chickens lack a bladder, their urine and feces are

(15:09):
excreted together through thecloaca.
Their droppings are typically acombination of white urates and
brown or black material.
Chickens can experience avariety of digestive issues,
some of which are common andeasily addressed, while others
may require veterinary attention.
Common problems like includeimpacted crops, diarrhea and

(15:32):
issues related to gut health andbacteria, their reproductive
system and cycle A chickenreproductive system, both male
and female is designed forinternal fertilization and egg
laying.
The female reproductive systemconsists of an ovary and an
oviduct only a single ovary bythe way, where the yolk develops

(15:55):
and the egg is formedrespectively.
The male reproductive systemincludes testes that produce
sperm During mating the roostertransfers sperm to the hen's
cloaca and fertilization occursinternally within the oviduct.
The chicken reproductive systembegins with a fertilized egg

(16:16):
and progresses through embryonicdevelopment and hatching.
It's worth noting that theclear or white of the egg is
what the chicken develops from.
The yellow oak is actuallynutrition for the growing chick
and it's kind of funny and maybeit's not that several vegans
will eat the white part of theegg, thinking that that is not

(16:41):
material.
That's going to one day becomea chick and discard the yolk and
they're doing it actuallybackwards.
By eating the white part of theegg they're actually eating
what would have grown into ayoung chick.
I've got a great video at myYouTube channel at Sinaloa
Backyard Chickens, called howChickens Make an Egg.

(17:02):
Now 100% of the credit for thatvideo goes to the Auburn
University Department of PoultryScience and it is extremely
informative and has some greatanimation.
You guys really want to checkthat out.
Now.
I wanted to throw in therechickens, and you probably know
this.
They lay eggs anywhere fromevery 25 to 27 hours.

(17:25):
Meaning a chicken that lays anegg at 8 o'clock this morning
will probably lay an egg 10, 11o'clock the next morning, the
morning after that maybe noon, 1o'clock, something like that.
So, that leads some people towonder why.
Well then, eventually mychickens are going to start
laying eggs at midnight, 2 am, 4am, stuff like that.

(17:47):
It doesn't work that waybecause a hen's ovulation cycle
is directly related to daylighthours and the sun.
By the time it gets to be 3, 4,5, and maybe at the most 5
o'clock in the evening, butusually around three or four,
the chicken cycle gets reset.

(18:07):
They're going to skip a day ortwo and then they're going to
start laying early in themorning again.
They will work up to layingagain up until three o'clock or
four o'clock in the evening.
They will reset again, skip acouple of days.
That's how it works and that'swhy no chickens are going to lay
absolutely every day because ofthis resetting of their cycle.
Lastly, chickens and science.
Chickens are valuable tools inscientific research,

(18:30):
particularly in fields likeimmunology, embryology and
virology.
They are being increasinglyutilized in biotechnology and
technological advancements I'mpretty good at these big words
by the time we get to the endincluding gene editing and the
development of producingpharmaceuticals.
Chickens are used to study theimmune system due to their

(18:52):
production of large amounts ofantibodies, making them an
invaluable model forunderstanding immune responses
and developing vaccines.
Many vaccines are developedinside chicken eggs and they're
used to do this for varioushuman diseases like influenza,
chickenpox, mopox and yellowfever.
Chickens have been crucial inunderstanding infectious

(19:16):
diseases, including seminalcontributions to virology,
bacteriology and immunology, andplay vital roles in all of this
.
Well, that's my deep dive intothe parts of a chicken.
I hope you guys have learned alittle something, maybe even
enjoyed some of this today.

(19:36):
So remember, anytime you wantto get in touch with me, you can
email me atchickenseverydayatyahoocom
that'sC-H-I-C-K-E-N-S-E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y
at yahoocom and I'm alwayslooking to read what you guys
have to say and if you have agood question, I'll put it on

(19:56):
the air or answer your questionvia email, if I can, if you want
to get on the podcast.
we can certainly do that.
So I would love to hear fromyou If you have chickens and you
want to talk about them, ifyou're a professional and you
want to talk about them, if youhave another podcast and you
want to be included on mypodcast to talk about chickens,
please get a hold of me.
I would love to have you.

(20:17):
So in the meantime, y'all guys,try to stay cool in all of this
hot for the summer.
Thanks for tuning in.
Catch y'all guys later.
Bye-bye.

Speaker 1 (20:26):
That's all we have time for today.
I really hope you enjoyedlistening to the podcast.
Be sure to watch our videos.
So, on behalf of my Papa, gary,and me, sylvie, thanks for
listening.