Given the number of animals available, I find it curious that Jesus chose a hen. Chickens are awkward and not very aerodynamic. They scuttle about and peck around for food. They certainly have never been held up for their intelligence. Eagles have a certain majesty, swans a particular grace, the mourning dove an alluring quality in its call.
Penguins are good swimmers, and in some cultures the stork is seen as a bearer of good news.
Even hummingbirds can fly backwards. Compared to any of these, a mother hen does not inspire much confidence. No wonder some of the chicks decided to bet on the fox. He is always turning things upside down, so that children and peasants wind up on top, while kings and scholars land on the bottom. He is always wrecking our expectation of how things should turn out by giving prizes to losers and paying the last first.