How can you tell if a chicken is happy/upset?

[Chocobo]

Dogs wag their tails and cats purr but what exactly is the chicken equivalent?
How do know if a chicken is happy or even if they are upset?

 

[sourland]

If they are smiling, they are happy.

 

[aoxa]

A hen is happy when she is scratching about. A hen is upset when she encounters something new. (like housing, etc).

My hens don't wag their tail. The more active they are, the happier they seem

 

[BitsyB]

When my girls are lounging around dust bathing or scratching away in the leaves looking for bugs and worms they look most happy to me. And one of my favorite sounds in the world is the cooing they make as they're settling in on their roosts in the coop in the evening... I guess we can't prove they are "happy", but they sure seem very content then.

People who don't have chickens sometimes remark on how stupid chickens are, or say "they can't feel anything". But it seems we backyard chickeners know differently!

 

[anderson8505]

Quote:
When mine are upset they usually reply to everything I say with "Fine!"
oh, wait, that's me....

 

[flowergirl60]

Mine wag their tail feathers. Looks so cute.

Me thinks that is a happy thing.

 

[stilldeb]

Well I have an EE that hid in a corner when she was unhappy and I brought her inside. Then when I put her back outside, she went on a hunger strike until I brought her back in.

Yes, she is spoiled rotten, but made it pretty clear she was unhappy with her situation/compadres outside. But probably eating well is one way to tell. Certainly if they are lounging around dustbathing with the gang, they look happy to me.

 

[chicmom]

Well, chickens do sort of gripe gripe gripe...BAWK BAWK BAWK......when something bothers them......And they will really have an absolute fit and flap those wings and act crazy if they're REALLY upset.....

 

[K-12 Chickens]

When one of my Buff Orps named Goldie doesn't get outside on time, you will ALWAYS be able to tell she's mad. Much different than her normal, inquiring cluck.

 

[blueberrychickens]

they kinda make a purring noise when they are content, at least mine do!