They don’t call it “being a chicken” for nothing., These birds are quite skittish because they are quite low on the food chain and they know it. And a lot can scare a chicken.
But how do these birds show that they are scared? This article looks into whether chickens shake when they are scared.
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Do chickens shake when scared?
A lot of things can scare a chicken, these birds aren’t very large plus they don’t have much in the way of defending themselves, so yes, they do scare easily.
But do chickens shake when scared like humans in cartoons do? Here is what to know about it:
When chickens are scared:
Humans, not just cartoon humans, do actually shake when scared, this happens because of the high amount of adrenaline released into our bodies when we get scared.
This increased adrenaline leads to muscle twitching, and this muscle twitching gets us to stand up and get out of danger.
Chickens on the other hand will simply get up and go when they are scared.
They don’t have the luxury of standing still and shaking when a threat is nearby. The bird will simply dash away when it sees a threat and it will try to find somewhere to hide away from the threat.
Why chickens shiver:
During and after a dust bath:
Chickens do shiver but this doesn’t have anything to do with the bird being scared.
Your chicken will shiver for a variety of reasons including shaking and shivering when dust bathing to get the dirt over their body and feathers.
They will also shake after they take a dust bath to make sure that they get all of the dust off of their feathers.
Because they are cold:
They will also shiver when they are cold just as humans do, the bird’s body will shake when the bird is cold and this shaking produces energy that helps the bird warm up.
Because of an illness:
Some illnesses can also cause your bird to start shivering and shaking. illnesses like Newcastle disease, botulism, wry neck, and a viral disease called avian encephalomyelitis can also cause your bird to start shaking.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Chicken Sneezing When Eating, Why Your Chickens Head Doesn’t Move, How Do Wild Chickens Survive In The Winter?, Why Is My Duckling’s Neck Swollen?, Duck With A Twisted Foot, Chicken Shaking Head And Walking Backward, Chicken Limping After Dog Attack, Chicken Trembling Legs, Rooster Shaking Legs