Are They Musical?

Do chickens appreciate music? Michelle Dunn investigates…

A friend of mine told me she had bought her chickens a xylophone. I thought at first I had misheard her – but no, she’d seen a video online of chickens playing a xylophone and decided that her birds deserved a chance to express their inner musical talent as well.

‘Playing’ a xylophone? Actually playing it? I had a look online and found there were plenty of entries for ‘Chicken Xylophone’. Generally, a wooden xylophone with brightly coloured metal keys is hung on the cage wall, and the chickens peck at it. Is it possible that the chickens are genuinely making music, and appreciating the sounds they make?