What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird

The Hummingbirds' Gift #3

by Sy Montgomery

A charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens from Sy Montgomery, “one of our finest chroniclers of the natural world” (The New York Times).

For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery—whose The Soul of an Octopus was a National Book Award finalist—has kept a flock of chickens in her backyard. Each chicken has an individual personality (outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, reckless or cautious) and connects with Sy in her own way.

In this short, delightful book, Sy takes us inside the flock and reveals all the things that make chickens such remarkable only hours after leaving the egg, they are able to walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them and the average chicken can recognize more than one hundred other chickens; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate specific information through at least twenty-four distinct calls. Visitors to her home are astonished by all this, but for Sy what’s more astonishing is how little most people know about chickens, especially considering there are about twenty percent more chickens on earth than people.

With a winning combination of personal narrative and science, What the Chicken Knows is exactly the kind of book that has made Sy Montgomery such a beloved and popular author.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Audiobook, Science, Memoir, Birds

91 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2024

About the author

Part Indiana Jones, part Emily Dickinson, as the Boston Globe describes her, Sy Montgomery is an author, naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and radio commentator who has traveled to some of the worlds most remote wildernesses for her work. She has worked in a pit crawling with 18,000 snakes in Manitoba, been hunted by a tiger in India, swum with pink dolphins in the Amazon, and been undressed by an orangutan in Borneo. She is the author of 13 award-winning books, including her national best-selling memoir, The Good Good Pig. Montgomery lives in Hancock, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, what does the chicken know? Apparently everything about us humans who know so little or next to nothing about them.

This charming book tells the experience of the author as the owner of a flock of hens she dubbed the Ladies, that includes a mixture of purebred hens and roosters she kept at her New England farmhouse. For eggs? Not quite. For food? Definitely not!

Sy Montgomery is an animal lover, the livestock she cares for are more like beloved pets than sources of food for herself and her family. She had a variety of animals, well cared for and well loved, but the most loved were the Ladies, an assortment of peculiar hens each with their own personality and habits that taught her and her family so much about what she calls the Chicken Universe. Things like that they have personalised voices (no chicken sounds the same as other chicken), different levels of intelligence (some hens are so smart and others dumb as rocks), distinctive character (some are bossy, others affectionate, others playful, so on), and that they have their own "language" (there's twenty-four different sounds they can make). She also made friends with other chicken lovers, such as a couple that kept a rooster sanctuary in the vicinity and a "Chicken Whisperer" that owned a similar flock of peculiar hens she moved in to Montgomery's farmhouse with.

There's plenty of informative and hilarious anecdotes in this book, about the flock's members in relation to other members and other animals, and about humans and chickens. The funnier parts in this book is when Montgomery is narrating the behavioural differences and the surprising rivalries between the two flocks co-existing at her farm, the Chicken Whisperer's flock, called the Rangers, and her own Ladies. The former were drama llamas (well, drama chickens) whilst the latter were loving and quiet. There's also a third flock, the Girls, that another family nearby owns, but we don't see much of them as we do of the Ladies and the Rangers.

I spent my childhood at a farmhouse myself, but even I have to say that most of the information about chicken this book delivers was completely new to me. Of course, I didn't think they were as dumb as city people think, I could see their peculiarities by myself back then. But the thing is, the chickens at my family's farmhouse were livestock and Montgomery's are pets; and that accounts for the differences in our attitudes. I was in charge of collecting the eggs some mornings, and saw countless chicken end up on my mother's delicious chicken stew pot, so I have no sentimentality towards chickens as the author, a vegetarian, does. They were well cared for and well fed, they never experienced the hardships of commercially-raised ones, but they were food. This book hasn't changed that in the least.

Although this book is for all ages, I believe it would be most appreciated by younger audiences, as it'd make for a great family read with children and young teens.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The 'pecking order' is more about order than pecking. Chicken DO peck - sometimes to the death - but mine, over the course of many years and many flocks, have pecked with admirable discretion and restraint; sometimes an 'air peck' or merely raising the hackles gets the message across. Such a gesture is delivered to remind another chicken of her position in the group . . . Chickens seem to understand that 'with great power comes great responsibility.' A dominant chicken serves as a peacekeeper among the flock, settling squabbles and looking out for danger." -- the author, winning my admiration by referencing Stan Lee amidst much pertinent information, on page 16

Although we're barely three months into 2025, I'm already going to chalk up Ms Montgomery's What the Chicken Knows as my most unlikely book pick for this calendar year. A sort of non-fiction novella (it's only seventy pages in length), she sparingly documents and riffs on the responsibility of and knowledge gained by raising chickens with her husband (plus help from some understanding neighbors) at their rural New Hampshire home. It was sort of amazing how much information was dispersed amidst the brief page time, and yet it was also tinged with gentle humor - and not in that groan-worthy 'feathers ruffled' or 'nothing to cluck about' sort of obvious comedic wordplay, though she does expound on 'why the chicken DIDN'T cross the road' - and a certain appropriate 'circle of life' direction of course. I am definitely curious about checking out her other animal-related works.

[Ron Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

As we get ready to celebrate a national holiday around a dead bird, nature writer Sy Montgomery has released a charming little book called “What the Chicken Knows.” This “appreciation of the world’s most familiar bird” — No. 7 on our nonfiction bestseller list — was previously published as a chapter in Montgomery’s 2010 book, “Birdology.” But here in this new, eminently giftable format, with delightful color photos of Montgomery’s feathered friends, many more readers can vicariously experience the comedy and the tragedy of raising hens and roosters.

As one of the country’s best nature writers, Montgomery has a knack for explaining chickens’ extraordinary qualities, including their long memory and their capacity for spatial learning. And after living with these strong-willed birds for decades, she knows a lot about their loyalties and personalities. Her little flock became her personal fan club, rushing to meet her at the start of each day and filling her office with the soft sounds of clucking (and feathers).

But beware the rooster! Her description of a once friendly cock suddenly attacking her minister sounds downright demonic. And the ultimate fate of her free-range flock is a sad but important lesson about the law of nature.

“They are creatures made less of flesh than of air,” Montgomery writes about these hollow-boned marvels. “And yet we share a fundamental talent: a need for companionship, a capacity for affection.”

Excerpted from The Washington Post's free weekly Book Club newsletter:
https://s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw...

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times like these, I like to remind myself how extraordinary it all is: chickens, like all birds, are really feathered dinosaurs. Unlike we mammals, their bones are hollow, their bodies are filled with air sacs; they are creatures made less of flesh than of air. And yet we share a fundamental talent: a need for companionship, a capacity for affection. These common creatures will never cease to dazzle me, with both our sameness and our differences. When I am with the flock, even when most of the birds are Julie’s, and even when I am just visiting, they feel like family to me—and in a very real sense, they are.

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

My whole readerly life is synced up this Thanksgiving Day.

We are in Key West where the chickens are a protected class and roam free on Duval Street with all the tourists and all the cafe patios (but don’t let the owners see you feed them pizza crust because you will get yelled at). There is also a very overfed population of cats on these same patios and don’t feed them either - lol.

So a reader must absolutely visit Judy Blume’s bookstore while here. It is a tiny, cozy and very well-curated place to visit. While at Judy Blume’s store, if you find a book about chickens you should probably buy it.

Now that Reader is sitting at the Tranquility Pool (for the quiet guests only) and I swear it is like a pool library. Everyone is reading a paper book (or dozing) around this pool.

I read my chicken book here and that is why I am all synced up today and SO VERY GRATEFUL on this Thanksgiving Day.

[brewdy_reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

🐣 A quick and quirky foray into the strange and wonderful world of domesticated birds. Of the poultry variety.

"𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎. 𝙵𝚘𝚕𝚔𝚜 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 '𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐' 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚛𝚢."

I intended to read this one for "Nonfiction November" but December works too. At <100 pages, it's the shortest book I have read this year & consumable in one sitting. I recommend this one to anyone who has an interest in... well, chickens.

🐔 I learned they are much smarter creatures than usually caricatured as, and can even be charming. They can live for months after decapitation(!). They are much prettier (at least some exotic breeds) than I remembered. I will say there are lessons to be learned from those of the male variety, the so-to-speak 'cocks of the flock'. You'll have to read it to find out about these fowls!

🎧 Audio is the way to go with this one, as the author also narrates the 2 hour long audiobook.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fyi, the book stops at 76 pages with the "about author/photographer" sections.

This was a warm fuzzy feeling of a book...it's more author's remembrance than the history chickens 🐔 but that didn't bother me.

The author has a pleasant tone and energy about her and you can feel the love she had for her feathered friends, it jumps off the pages :).

The relationship between the chickens and her neighbors was beautiful and sweet:).

The pictures at the end was a nice surprise, enjoyed looking at them 😍.

Trigger warnings: she does talk about her chickens getting attacked by predators, and in one case anyone injured chicken being attacked by her own flock after a bad injury.
It's not super graphic but just in case anyone wants to know in advance.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much too short. Fortunately there's a bibliography with more reading. And if you want to raise chickens yourself, act soon and you can get a rescue because people got them during the Covid-19 safer-at-home orders and then gave them up.

Best part of the book is how to soothe a rowdy rooster. Still don't know why they turn rogue, though.

[Thomas Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More an essay than a book and anchored at best with perhaps a dozen facts. But the feel good ending helped. The ultimate chicken book remains to be written.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ✨

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced e-book copy of What the Chicken Knows, in exchange for an honest review.

Non-Fiction

I live on a homestead with lots of farm animals, the main one being chickens. I love my ladies and the Roos. They are fascinating creatures. I came across this arc, and could not wait to learn more interesting facts about them.

Sy Montgomery is an obvious animal lover. She loves her flocks and they are like pets to her. All her stories in this book about her chickens were relatable. It’s so funny to ask yourself “What does a chicken know” especially when sometimes they act like they don’t know much. That’s not the case at all. These feathery creatures know way more than anyone gives them credit for. Often times chickens are looked at as stupid birds, when in all honesty they are very clever and wise little dinosaurs.

“There are hidden depths to chickens, definitely.”

I knew a lot of the facts presented in this book, but was also surprised there is so much more to learn. I gained a bit of new knowledge after reading this. Especially about how the roosters interact with the ladies and how precise each cluck and call they make has a unique meaning.

“For instance, playbacks of a roosters kisssing took-took-took call caused hens to scratch for food— evidence it means “Come, here’s some food”

Overall I think this book would be helpful for those just starting out with chickens, or those looking to expand their knowledge about them. They are so fun to observe.

[Sarah Vigue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, well written, and interesting

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sy Montgomery narrated her own book and she's great at it. That's not always true about authors who narrate their own books.

Chickens rule.

[Morgan Zeigler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would have more facts than be a story of the author’s history with chickens. Although there were some fun chicken facts, it was mostly just weird 😆

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look into the lives of the author's chickens. Nothing groundbreaking but interesting tidbits for sure.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I’ve come to learn over the decades of sharing my life with successive flocks of these affectionate, industrious, and resourceful birds, almost everything people “know” about chickens is wrong.”

If, like me, you have thought of chickens as little other than mindless, trifling creatures, Sy Montgomery may change your mind in What the Chicken Knows.

In introducing her ‘Ladies’, a flock of mostly hand reared hens, and occasionally a rooster or two, Montgomery describes birds with ‘hidden depths’. Far from stupid, chickens I have learnt, are expressive, curious and capable of learning, they have remarkable spatial awareness, and they form sociable bonds both with each other, and humans. These facts come not only from Montgomery’s affectionate anecdotes about her pets but also scientific studies which are referenced throughout.

While more an extended essay than a book in length, this is a charming ode to chickens that both entertains and educates. It also includes several full colour photographs of a variety and of breeds.

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I just recommended this book to my cousin who in the past had mentioned the possibility of getting chickens someday. But that's not why I read it. I remember seeing chickens on the horse ranch I go to weekly (they don't have chickens anymore as the birds were making too much mess) and I was curious to read more about them. Because I really don't know much about them. Because the majority of the time I'm there I am with the horses.

This book explains through stories what it's like having chickens, both the good and the bad. And that includes roosters too - which suddenly can be very aggressive once they reach a certain age. I don't ever remember seeing any aggressive roosters at the horse ranch - I do remember seeing chickens doing things I didn't understand (like one would leap onto the back of another one - and yes I am pretty sure they were both female chickens).

I found this book to be very fun and entertaining to read. Plus it has beautiful glossy photos of many different breeds. So colorful! I love seeing the different patterns on the birds.

But chickens are so smart. They know a lot more than you think they do. And you can buy them through the mail too! Then raise the tiny chicks inside until they get big enough to go outside to their regular little chicken coop...or that is how the author did it anyway.

But as I said the book tells you the way it is: both the good and the bad. The bad meaning predators who will happily kill your feathered friends. And boy those predators sure come in different forms too. What showed up at the end of the book with the huge claws was shocking! I also didn't realize that a rooster would take on animals much larger than he is.

But chickens can be as friendly as a cat or dog. They learn to understand your words (or sounds). They can come running or they can even learn to back up. Plus the author has a way to deal with nasty roosters! But chickens liked to be petted and to be picked up... They can identify individuals by their faces (horses can identify individuals too).

They have different sounds to mean different things.

The stories in here were just fascinating! But I did find the end of the book somewhat sad.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sy Montgomery is a writer who has developed a niche telling animal stories. What the Chicken Knows is a very brief (<100 page), conversational set of vignettes about Montgomery's own stint maintaining backyard chickens, with some passing observations about chickens' biology and sociology. I wouldn't call this book light-hearted or cozy listening, though, as there are many mentions of violence and unhappy endings.

My statistics:
Book 287 for 2024
Book 1890 cumulatively

[Linda Smiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting book!

[Piyali · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet and short read about hens and roosters. I will look at chickens in a new light after reading this book.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Montgomery's books on animals. My favorite will always be The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, but this book is also charming. This short book talks about a time when she owned and raised a flock of chickens. Knowing very little about how to raise them, Montgomery starts with a small flock of chicks and raises them for some time. Neighbors and borders help her tend to her new feathered friends, and she learns and writes about their habits, speech, and survival needs.

A perfect read for animal lovers.

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Sy Montgomery for years now, after first reading her book, The Soul of an Octopus in 2015. Her writing inspires others to develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world and our place in it.

The Chicken Knows is a charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens. The book delves into the fascinating world of chicken behavior, social structures, and intelligence. Her observations and stories in the book reveal the complexity and charm of these often underappreciated birds.

If you are interested in nature or animals or want to learn something new, this book might be perfect for you. I highly recommend it! Thank you, NetGalley, Sy Montgomery, and the publisher for a digital edition to read for review—one of my favorites for 2024.

[Khris Sellin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written.

[Michele H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sy Montgomery's love for animals comes through again in this brief but pleasing book. Having chickens myself, I could picture everything she described- the individual sounds they make and what they mean, how smart they are, and how hard it is to keep them safe from predators. But mostly how enjoyable they are to know.

[Ashley]

This was a fun, short read. I learned a lot about chickens and it was clear the author is very passionate about the topic. An excellent gift book for friends who keep chickens.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

How lovely that Montgomery has written a little missive about chickens! Not as revelatory as her other books but I'm a chicken keeper so I didn't expect to learn as much as just enjoy.

[Alexa DeHaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was fun and interesting and i think i need a farm and a flock stat

[Catherine Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like chickens so take my review with a grain of salt but I really enjoyed this read. It was a fairly short read that gives a really easy to follow exploration of the domestic chicken and chicken socialization. This was a great first book of the year.

[Rachel Meagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute. I want chickens.

[Deidra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, informative and delightful. Being raised around chickens, this author and keeper of a flock, provided further understanding and insight into their remarkable behaviors. Told in an educational, story format made it an easy, quick read.

It also gave insight, without knowing it, into the question of the chick/bird in the Dr. Seuss book, “Are You My Mother!”

[Sara Salfrank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful!