Some suggestions about how to improve your photos: Buy a book on your particular camera. Any good bookstore should have one or order one online.
Look at your histogram on your camera right after taking your photo and if you see blown out highlights adjust your exposure compensation button. If your camera has active d lighting, you can adjust this also. Your camera manual or another book on your camera will explain this.
Buy some good books on your image editing program, and use Levels, Curves, the darkening brush, etc. It really does take reading and practice.
I still think your first chicken is beautiful. Try a few more shots of it to bring out more of the beauty.
Good Luck.