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Chicken gives little boy heartfelt hug

Love Bird and Mason. (Image via Facebook)

A YouTube video showing the tender moment six-year-old Mason reaches his arms out to Love Bird the chicken as she waddles towards him, placing her neck on his shoulder is garnering a lot of buzz today. As the young boy wraps his arms around her, the chicken remains resting on his shoulder for several moments, until he lets go.

The story of how Love Bird and Mason came to be best friends is a touching one.

The pair were raised on Rifle Creek Ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada. When Love Bird was just a wee chick she had a reputation for being feisty; constantly fighting to be at the top of the pecking order, and even pecking her owners when they tried to touch her.

Also see: Loyal dog waits outside hospital for eight days to embrace owner

Her owners were at their wits' end, about to give up on her, but then along came Mason. The young boy was determined to give her just right amount of care and attention to turn her behaviour around.

Today she has blossomed into the Love Bird that she is, waking Mason up every morning by standing on his bed and greeting him with a hug when he gets home from school.

If you are curious about whether Love Bird is actually feeling real emotions as she hugs Mason, past research suggests that at the very least chickens can feel empathy.

For more pictures and videos of their adorable friendship, visit their Facebook page.

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