Why Do Chickens Scratch the Ground?
Has your chicken ever walked up to you and started scratching their beak on your leg? Have you ever noticed that your chickens keep pecking at the ground or scraping their beaks on different surfaces? If so, know this - your chicken is scratching for its own health and wellness!
Chickens scratch to keep themselves clean, protected, and looking sharp. Additionally, they even scratch to leave their scent to attract a mate! Scratching is an essential behavior that chickens need to exhibit in order to keep their beaks in tip top shape.
Read on to find out more about why chickens scratch, how to encourage scratching behavior, and FAQs.
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Why Do Chickens Scratch Their Beaks on the Ground?
When a chicken scratches its beak, it could mean a variety of purposes. Chickens are incredibly expressive birds and utilize body language or certain behaviors to communicate their needs and moods.
Here is a list of reasons why chickens scratch their beaks on the ground.
Cleaning
Sharpening
Shaping
Attracting mates
Showing affection
Marking their territory
Keeping beak shape
Preparing a dust bath
Building a comfortable nesting place
Social interaction and bonding
Preening
Let’s take a quick look at what chicken scratching may look like.
Check out this video to see how chickens scratch their beaks to keep them clean!
What Does Chicken Scratching Mean?
Now that we know some of the basic reasons why chickens scratch their beaks and what that might look like, read on to learn more about these behaviors.
Cleaning
Obviously, chickens do not have hands to wipe their mouths or clean their face. Therefore, they rely on softer surfaces to clean out their beaks.
Sometimes, chickens will get a kernel of feed wedged in their beaks and need to dislodge it. Other times, they might eat messier or stickier food such as hard-boiled eggs, jams, fruits, etc.
Either way, they will want to keep their beaks clean because their beaks are the primary source of how they take care of themselves, interact, eat, drink, and play.
Believe it or not, chickens are largely independent when it comes to taking care of themselves and finding opportunities to socialize with other chickens and their caretakers.
Therefore, you will notice your chickens scratching from time to time. Their instinct and desire to clean themselves.
Sharpening
In addition to cleaning themselves, chickens also need to sharpen their beaks. Sharpening the point of their beaks helps them dig up loose dirt, forage, peck holes in the ground to eat natural feed such as termites, ants, etc., and defend themselves if needed.
Similar to human fingernails, a chicken’s beak is made up of keratin. In other words, much like how we need to cut and file our nails, chickens need to do the same.
Keeping that sharp point is imperative to how a chicken feeds and defends itself.
Shaping & Maintaining Beak Shape
Much like sharpening, chickens need to also shape their beaks in order to improve feeding efficiency. In other words, how a chicken’s beak is shaped affects how they eat and to what speed they eat.
By keeping the sides of their beaks smooth and rounded, they can eat easily as opposed to when they do not keep up with their proper beak shape. In fact, chickens may alter their beak shape depending on what kind of diet they are in.
When a chicken does not have the proper coarse surface to shape their beaks, then they will wipe their beaks a lot more than normal. If this occurs, it is usually a sign to purchase a pedicure perch.
A pedicure perch will help encourage scratching behavior. When selecting one of these perches, make sure that the material is not super coarse or rough. This will cause sores and calluses to develop.
Instead, make sure the material is rope or another soft material.
Attracting Mates
Probably one of the most interesting purposes for scratching is to attract a mate. Chickens have an oil gland at the base of their tail, where they can rub their beaks and spread their scent.
This scent is a distinctive marker for a chicken, and their potential mates can see if they like their scent or not.
Recent studies have shown that chickens are informed by their fellow birds’ scent of their health history. For example, a potential mate can identify their reproductive qualities, genetic background, hormone levels, and general health information.
Showing Affection
Though this is not one of the most popular ways in which a chicken shows affection, it is still a sign. Normally, chickens will show affection to their caretakers by following them around, seeking pets, and eating off of their hand.
However, they can still show affection by scratching on your leg. Of course, they can just be trying to dislodge a kernel of food.
If the pressure they are applying is gentle, then there is a good chance they are showing you affection. If the pressure they apply is more aggressive, they might be trying to accomplish a task.
Marking their Territory
In a similar way chickens try to attract a mate, they will take that oil to also mark their territory. Whether that is one of their favorite spots in your yard or even yourself, chickens want to let each other know where they have been and who they have interacted with.
Preparing a Dust Bath
It might seem counterproductive, but chickens actually clean themselves with a nice dust bath! Rolling around in the dirt helps clear their bodies of debris and protects them against external parasites such as mites or lice.
To prepare a dust bath, chickens need a lot of loose dirt. If they can’t find a loose dirt patch, they will peck and scratch at the hard ground to turn up the dirt. In order to do this, their beaks need to be properly shaped and sharpened.
Once they’ve effectively turned up some loose dirt (which can take anywhere between a few hours or a few days), they’ll roll around in their small dirt patch until properly cleaned.
Building a Comfortable Nesting Place
Chickens want to be comfortable, especially when it comes time to lay eggs. Whether it is in their nesting boxes or somewhere else they find suitable enough to build a nest, they will use their beaks to tinker with the space and install lining for their nests.
Specifically, when it comes time to lay eggs, hens will get restless in their nesting boxes. You will find them pecking around, moving things around, and nestling in to try and find the most comfortable spot.
In addition to trying to find a comfortable position, hens will also peck and scratch in order to provide proper incubation when the egg does come.
Social Interaction & Bonding
Chickens are among one of the most social animals in the animal kingdom. They prefer to do everything in a group and around their caretakers. Their normal self-care regimes are included in their list of “things to do together.”
By scratching their beaks together, it encourages them to continue taking care of themselves in this way. In addition, social interaction makes for happier and healthier chickens all around.
Preening
Preening is the act of realigning the barbs which are thin structures on the shaft of the feather and barbules, which are smaller structures on the barbs.
Sometimes, the barbs fall out of alignment and need to be put back to their original place. When this happens, a chicken’s beak needs to be properly sharpened and shape to effectively put the barbs back in place.
Additionally, chickens use that oil from the gland at the base of their tail to waterproof their feathers and prevent them from becoming brittle. This, too, is why a chicken’s beak needs to be properly shaped and sharpened.
Foraging
Foraging is another natural chicken behavior. During the process of foraging, a chicken scratches, bumps, and rubs their beak against the ground and other surfaces constantly.
As stated previously, chickens need sharpened and shaped beaks to be able to peck the ground for food such as earthworms, ants, termites, beetles, cockroaches, etc. If you have free-range chickens, then it is of utmost importance to ensure your chickens are scratching.
Further, foraging acts as a natural “nail file” for their beaks. Since they are constantly looking for food sources and moving things around while they forage, the action will help keep their beaks at a decent length instead of growing too long.
If you keep your chickens confined, they will need more surface areas to rub and scratch their beaks since they don’t have as many opportunities to forage as free-range chickens do.
Why Scratching is Beneficial
Scratching is beneficial to a chicken’s overall health and happiness. Without proper areas for scratching, it can prove to be extremely harmful to the birds.
For example, without scratching, chickens won’t be able to effectively preen or clean themselves. When this happens, infection, parasites, feather loss, and other wounds.
When chickens have exposed wounds and begin bleeding (typically caused by feather picking), other chickens will smell the blood and start pecking at and/or eating their flesh. These type of wounds and behaviors are primarily found in battery cages.
Unfortunately, when chickens are kept in battery cages, they do not have enough room to move around, let alone take care of themselves.
However, you do not have to worry about this type of behavior as much when your chickens are given the proper space to move around, play, and scratch.
Now, let’s talk about why scratching is beneficial to chickens.
Increased Social Life
As stated previously, scratching is another day-to-day activity that chickens can do with each other. When chickens are socialized well, their overall health improves and you will notice that they are happier.
When chickens are happy, they will have more energy, be more active, and be more affectionate with you and other chickens. Of course, they'll also lay more eggs!
Encourage Self-Care
When chickens are given the right accommodations for scratching, then they will be more motivated to take care of themselves. Preening and general cleaning will be part of their regular routine.
Additionally, with proper shaping and sharpening, it will encourage chickens to eat more efficiently.
How to Encourage Scratching Behavior
Want to encourage your chickens' natural behaviors? Follow these tips!
Chicken Scratch
Chicken scratch is a mix of seeds and grain that chickens go crazy for. You can buy a commercial mix or you can make your own.
Chicken scratch, however, should not be their main diet. Since scratch is technically “scraps,” the chickens will need a more supplemental diet.
If you want to encourage scratching for their beaks, litter their area with scratch once in a while as a treat.
Pedicure Perch
We brought this up earlier in the article, and it applies under this section as well. If you prefer to confine your chickens, a pedicure perch is a must.
Give Opportunities to Forage
Even if you prefer to keep your chickens confined, they would still benefit from being let out to forage.
When they are able to roam free, their natural inclination to forage will kick in and therefore, buff and file their beaks.
Final Thoughts
Scratching is incredibly beneficial for chickens to encourage self-care (cleaning rituals), socialization, to attract mates, and for their overall health and happiness.
It is important to encourage scratching behaviors in chickens so they can lead healthy lives. Keep an eye out for when your chickens scratch to evaluate their needs and identify behaviors.
FAQ About Chicken Scratching
Why do chickens peck themselves?
Usually, chickens peck themselves to preen and clean. Sometimes, their barbs get separated and they need to be put back into alignment. When a chicken’s beak is sharpened and shaped properly they will take to cleaning themselves.
Why do chickens scratch their beaks on the ground?
A chicken will scratch their beaks on the ground for several reasons, such as to clean food, dirt or debris from their beaks, to make a dust bath, or to forage.
What are chickens pecking at on the ground?
Chickens will peck at food, insects, grains, and seeds on the ground to eat. Alternatively, they will peck at the hard ground to turn up loose dirt for a dirt bath.
Want to learn more about raising chickens? Be sure to check out these articles!
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