This is a nice book and I enjoyed reading it, but the title is a bit misleading. It’s only got a few pages that are actually about chicken communication (what sounds they make to signal alarm, greeting, contentment, to call their chicks, to tell flock members they found food, etc) beyond that not much depth. In fact, most of the book doesn’t go into much depth. It’s full of large, very nice photographs, lots of general information and some interesting facts, that’s about it. Some is based on the author’s own observations and experiences with her chickens (she says one of the sounds they made was their own name for her), alternating pages are from or about other backyard chicken owners (including Sy Montgomery). I did like the personal anecdotes, and of course this makes me want all over again to keep my own chickens someday. Although I imagine dealing with their bullying wouldn’t be fun, but it seems evident that chickens can show compassion and concern for others’ safety too. And they are full of enthusiasm for life, excitement about every good thing in a day. A few things I learned: chickens sleep with just one half of their brain when napping. They can regenerate brain cells even when the brain hasn’t been injured (the usual trigger for this to happen in humans). Their eyesight is keener than ours. They have friends in the flock, and the rooster definitely has his preferences among the hens. Sometimes if there is no rooster in the flock, a hen will develop male characteristics and take on that role (even going so far as to perform mating behavior with the hens). Never heard of that before!
Borrowed from the public library
