More people than ever are discovering the therapeutic joy of chickens, with nearly 10.6 million American households owning backyard flocks—including celebrities like Harry and Megan, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, and Lady Gaga.
For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery—whose The Soul of an Octopus was a National Book Award finalist—kept a flock of chickens in her own backyard. Each had an individual personality (outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, reckless or cautious) and connected with Montgomery in their own way.
Drawing on personal stories and science, she offers an inside look at the flock to reveal the things that make chickens such remarkable creatures. For example, only hours after leaving the egg, they can walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them, and the average chicken can recognize more than 100 others; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate information through at least 24 distinct calls.
Montgomery is a naturalist, adventurer, author of more than 30 books. Her most recent, What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird (Atria Books), is available for purchase.
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