So chickens seem to prefer being in a pasture? That’s interesting, because their wild ancestors are from a jungle (if I’m recalling correctly). I wonder if that preference is a domestic chicken trait that would be less present in breeds that have recent wild ancestry? Or if it’s a preference their wild ancestors also share?
I really don’t know but sixty years ago a much larger flock of chickens, with a much larger amount of clear land to roam on did not bother the unfenced gardens, that is not something my dad would have tolerated.
Here they hung out mostly in the yard and tended to destroy any planted spots in their reach. My explanation for it is really just a guess. Maybe I fed them too much and they didn’t feel the need to forage for a living so spent more time in recreational activity, like digging up the rose bushes.
I could see that. I imagine both genetic predispositions and training (their parents teaching them the proper way to behave – basically, cultural norms for that community of chickens) could also play a role in them scratching up gardens or leaving them alone.
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