Chickens

0:00Oh, what's this, Miss Meow Meow? We have incoming messages. Let's see who it could be. Hi, my name is a bit. I like your stories. I wanted you to request a story about chickens. Hello, I am Penelope, and we would like to hear about chickens. Hi, Dougie Pickles. My name is Drew from Gullina, Ohio. I like to request chickens. Hi, Dougie Pickles, I'm Miss Meow Meow. My name is Sophia, and I live in St. Louis, Missouri. My class has chicks, and I would like to learn more about chicks. You're right. Chickens are a wows of rific request. Thanks so much to Penelope from Colorado, Aveia from Minnesota, Jude from Ohio, and Sophia from Missouri.

1:06For suggesting this episode's cozy critter, and a special thank you to Jude from Massachusetts, and Jonas from Minnesota for sending in written requests. If you'd like to request an animal, visit cozy critterspodcast.com. Now, on with the show. Hey, howdy, and hippopotamus. Hi, fives, my sleepy friend. It's your old pal, Dougie Pickles. And I'm here with my sidekick. The sleepy is cat in all the land. Miss Meow Meow. Tonight, we're floating toward a place where the air smells like warm straw.

2:07The morning starts with rooster music and tiny feet, pattern across the ground like raindrops on a roof. I'd love to hear a joke, Miss Meow Meow. Hmm, what do you call a funny chicken? A comedian. That's a good one, Miss Meow Meow. Let's get our magical traveling balloon ready. I need your help blowing it up. So, take in a deep breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Great job. Just one more time, my sleepy friend.

3:07Take in a deep breath through your nose, and then exhale through your mouth. You did it. Now our magic balloon is all blown up. Tonight, our balloon is sunrise gold and feather soft white, like the very first light of morning warming a cozy barn. Let's get in the magical hot air balloon basket. It here, we go. First, we rise above your bedroom, and higher, and even higher, until rooftops become tiny rectangles and roads curl like sleepy noodles below.

4:15A red-tailed haw swoops peacefully past us, sailing on nighttime winds. Oh look, we're here. Can you guess where we are? Let's use our noses and see what we can smell. Take in a deep breath through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. It smells like sweet hay, warm earth, and the soft puff of feathers settling in for the night. We're floating over a quiet little chicken coop lit by the glow of the moon.

5:17Oh wow, look what Miss Meow Meow just spotted. A mother hen steps out from her cozy nest. Her feathers fluffed like a quilt. Behind her comes a trail of tiny, wobbling baby chicks, each no bigger than a warm handful, and soft as dandelion fluff and chirping like tiny bells. Chick's follow their mother everywhere, pressing close to her side, learning how to peck, scratch, and explore. A mother hen isn't just warm, she's a teacher, a guide, and a guard.

6:21Did you know chickens are astonishing creatures? In fact, they're the closest living relatives of T-rex, deep in their bones and DNA. They carry the ancient story of giant dinosaurs. Though these chickens carry the DNA of their T-rex ancestors, they're very different animals. These chickens aren't out on the hunt, they're mostly interested in seeds and snacks. And here's another supreme surprise. Chickens have about twice the number of bones in their neck as giraffes.

7:21That's why they can twist, turn, bob, stretch, and swivel their heads in so many directions like feather detectives always looking for clues. I wish I could bob my head like them too, Ms. Meow Meow. Chickens love to talk, they have over 30 different calls, each meaning something different. A soft chirp might mean I found something tasty. A soft buck-buck might mean be careful and a gentle, cooing murmur might tell their chicks everything's okay.

8:23Communication is one of their superpowers. If a rooster finds food, he calls the hens over and steps back so they can eat first. And hens do the same for their chicks, passing along kindness one peck at a time. I hear a chick peeping loudly. The mother hen answers instantly her voice soft and warm, guiding it close again. Chickens use their voices like lanterns, tiny beacons helping each other find safety in the dark. A rooster hops onto a wooden rail.

9:25His feathers shining like polished sunset colors. He stretches his neck. Oh yes, that twisty dinosaur descended neck and gives a soft nighttime crown. It's just a sleepy reminder that he's watching over everyone. You may be wondering, what's the difference between a rooster and a hen? Well, they're both chickens, but a rooster is a boy chicken and a hen is a girl chicken. Roosters are usually more colorful and they stand tall and proud.

10:25Ready to protect the hens from predators with their sharp claws, which are called spurs. And hens, the girl chickens have a very, very important job in the chicken world. They lay eggs. Did you know a hardworking hen can lay almost 300 eggs in a single year. That's nearly one tiny treasure every day. It doesn't even tire her out. It's just part of being a chicken. Like a little bit of magic she makes again and again. Even though chickens can run, flap and scratch.

11:30When they're tired, they love to cuddle in a big cozy group. Watching them makes me think miss meow, meow. A hen gathers her chicks close at night, tucking them under her warm feathers until they feel the steady beat of her heart. Being close like that helps them feel safe when the world feels big and wide and full of new things. The mother hen settles down, lowering herself into the nest. The chicks gather close, chirps fading into tiny, sleepy breaths. The rooster fluffs his feathers, keeping watch from above.

12:36Miss meow, meow curls up inside our basket. Her tail wraps neatly around her paws, her eyes blinking slowly and even more slowly. I'm pretty tired too. How about you, my sleepy friend? Are you ready to head home and dream of our new friends, chickens? Well then, let's head home. Here we go. First, we rise above the moonlit coop, then higher, and even higher, until the fields stretch out beneath us like a quilt of quiet shadows.

13:39And look, the red-tailed hawk from earlier glides past our balloon once more, wings steady and calm as if it's guiding us gently back home. While we head home, I thought of a lullaby I want to share with you. It goes like this. Little dinosaurs and feathered coats, dreaming soft and singing chicken nose. Chirps grow quiet, wings grow still. Night folds gently over the hill. Sleep now, chicks, in golden hue, and rest little buddies as we do.

14:47Oh look, you're back home. Miss meow, meow, and I had such a wonderful time with you. We hope to see you soon when we visit our next imaginary animal friend, Drittens, which are a mix of dragons and kittens. Until next time, my sleepy friend, to Lou and cozy critter dreams too. Miss meow, meow, and I want to give an extra special thank you to our Patreon supporters, including those in the wows orific tear. Noel from Nebraska, Zenia from Washington, D.C., Abram and Leah from Virginia,

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