Farmers are pretending their chickens are 'armies' and battling it out on TikTok
The "Chicken Wars" might be the most wholesome online trend ever.

The battle has begun.
TikTok has no shortage of silly trends, but this one is so clucking cute.
In a bizarre phenomenon dubbed the “chicken wars,” farmers have begun posting videos of themselves hyping up their flocks, which they call “armies,” and bragging about how their army would “win” in a theoretical battle against another flock.
According to Insider, the trend began on May 27, after a farmer named Dylan (@dylan_bezjack) posted a video of himself strutting in front of his feathered friends and doing some playful trash talking.“You better watch out there, pal,” Dylan says in the clip. “Me and my posse are on our way to kick some a** and take some names here!”
And thus, the Chicken Wars began.
@dylan_bezjack #i #aint #no #chicken ♬ original sound - Hill billy of Alberta
Challengers began rising up from the woodwork to answer the call and create their own hilarious stitched replies. And now, TikTok is enthralled. Currently, the platform has over 59 million views for the hashtag #chickenwars, with folks calling it the “best thing on the internet.”
What’s so contagiously joyous about these videos is the farmers’ commitment to the bit. Behold, one farmer boasted a formidable infantry of 4,000 lane hens and boldly called it “game over.”
@justthebells10 Winner of Chicken Wars of 2023 😉 #chickenwars #chickenwars2023 #farmlife #chickenfarm #justthebells10 #familygoals #summertime #chickens ♬ Avengers - Infinity War - The Avengers Theme - Geek Music
Another somehow rallied his troops to be able to spell the word “win,” thereby intimidating his foes with a clear sign of superior intelligence and solidarity.
This one below is certainly a fan favorite. As “Eye of The Tiger” plays in the background, Reec Swiney of @blackyardchickenz makes a training montage, putting his hens through a protein-packed breakfast, agility drills and “flight simulation” exercises.
Watch til the end to see the “big guns” Swiney plans to bring in if all else fails…otherwise known as his adorable pet bunny.
@blackyardchickenz Who you calling CHICKEN 😤 . #chickenwars #chicken #chickens #chickendaddy ♬ original sound - Reec BlackYardChickenz Swiney
“Oh my GOD! He’s done got Thumper in this now!” one person commented.
No matter which side you take for the Chicken Wars, we can all agree that this is some seriously wholesome entertainment. It’s interesting to see what kinds of antics go on between farmers and their animals during the day. Who could forget Emmanuel the mischievous emu? What’s not to like about watching baby goats perform a ballet?
We all have some idea of what farm life entails, but for many of us, the details are a mystery. Glimpses like this show how much fun can be had when looking after animals. And, in this case, prepping them for imaginary battle.
Start pecking around for even more Chicken Wars stories over on TikTok.- Emmanuel the chaotic emu is officially the internet's favorite bird ›
- Funny video shows an Amazon driver facing off against a chicken trying to escape a garage ›
- Weatherman rescues a chicken in a blizzard and now they're an unlikely best friend duo ›
- Silkie chicken purrs from happiness after being swaddled - Upworthy ›
- Chickens all freeze in place freaking out their owner - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."