If you haven’t spent much time with chickens, you might be surprised to learn that they are very smart animals that can think and talk in very complex ways. There are many ways in which chickens’ intelligence is similar to that of bottlenose dolphins or chimpanzees, but a huge number of them are still forced to suffer in factory farms around the world. Many of the things that show chickens are smart, like how much they care for their young and how empathetic they are, are things we know all too well because we have experienced them ourselves.
They are, not that we believe our compassion should be reserved solely for the most intelligent beings. However, despite people readily accepting the intelligence of parrots and corvids, for example, many people still don’t recognise that other birds, including chickens, are smart, too. Perhaps it is easier for those who eat them not to accept this aspect of them. The reality, however, is that chickens are highly capable when it comes to reasoning, communication, and even basic mathematics.
Chickens have a reputation for being birdbrained and dumb But is this reputation deserved, or have we underestimated just how intelligent chickens really are? Modern scientific research is revealing that chickens have remarkable cognitive abilities that put the lie to the “dumb chicken” stereotype Here’s an overview of the mounting evidence that chickens are, in fact, feathered Einsteins.
Chickens Have Complex Communication
Chickens have a varied repertoire of over 30 different calls to communicate different messages Mother hens have distinct calls to warn chicks of aerial versus ground predators Roosters use specific vocalizations to announce the discovery of food sources to attract hens, Hens cluck in a unique rhythm to greet specific humans they know, Chickens even have predator-specific alarm calls that communicate information to other chickens about the type of threat, This evidence shows chickens possess abilities for sophisticated communication,
Chickens Have Self-Control
In tests of self-control, chickens demonstrated the ability to delay gratification. When given a choice between a small reward after 2 seconds or a larger reward after 20+ seconds, chickens consistently chose to wait longer for the bigger payoff 90% of the time. This shows advanced cognition like exercising self-control, anticipating future events, and modifying behavior based on risk-reward calculations.
Chickens Do Basic Math
You won’t believe it, but chickens can do simple math and understand basic mathematical ideas. Baby chicks can subtract and differentiate between quantities. Adult chickens can also use basic deductive reasoning. In tests, chickens were able to accurately figure out which of two hideouts had the most hidden items by watching the items move back and forth between the hideouts. The chickens consistently chose the hideout with more food, which shows that they can compare sets, subtract, and draw conclusions from what they see.
Chickens Have Empathy
Studies show mother hens feel empathy and concern for their distressed chicks. When chicks reacted negatively to puffs of air, mother hens also reacted with distress calls and increased heart rates. Hens likewise act to protect chicks from potentially dangerous situations before any distress occurs based on foreknowledge, suggesting cognitive empathy.
Chickens Have Machiavellian Cunning
Like humans, chickens exploit one another for gain. Roosters will deliberately issue false calls about discovering food in order to attract hens while keeping the bounty for themselves. Hens learn to stop responding to these deceptive food calls over time. Such social strategizing reveals chickens are capable of deceit and complex social cognition much like primates.
Chickens Have Memories
It is known that chickens have good long-term memories. They can tell the difference between more than 100 human faces and connect those faces with good or bad memories. This helps them remember people who have helped or hurt them in the past. Chickens also have episodic memories, which means they can remember specific events from their past just like people can.
Chickens Have Emotions
A lot of people think that chickens don’t have the neural capacity to feel or have emotions. However, chickens display recognizable signs of boredom, frustration, and contentment. When their chicks are taken away, mother hens seem to get depressed. Also, chickens like to play, take dust baths, lay out in the sun, and look for food. Their looks of happiness, sadness, and distress aren’t just based on instinct.
Chickens Have Distinct Personalities
Due to artificial selection for desirable traits like egg and meat production, most chickens today are genetically similar. However, they still exhibit clear individual personalities and preferences. Some chickens are bold, others shy. Some are curious about humans, others aloof. Their temperaments can also impact how attentively a hen mothers her chicks. Chickens may not be unique snowflakes, but they do have idiosyncrasies.
Chickens Perceive Time s aren’t the only creatures with a concept of time. Experiments show chickens possess an internal time sense and are capable of perceiving the passage of time intervals. Chicken behavior changes in anticipation of future feedings based on temporal perception, not just in response to circadian rhythms or hunger cues. This is evidence chickens have some mental representation of time as an abstract concept.
Chickens Have Structural Engineering Know-How
Day-old chicks understand basic principles of structural engineering intuitively. When given a choice of ramps and bridges to access food, baby chicks consistently choose the sturdiest, safest option. The chicks can rapidly learn to avoid dangerous, unbalanced structures in favor of more stable ones without trial and error. Their innate physics knowledge likely helps wild chicks navigate complex environments.
13 FACTS ABOUT CHICKEN INTELLIGENCE
For a long time, chickens have been characterised — particularly by those who seek to exploit, harm, and profit from their deaths — as being unintelligent, but the reality is that chickens are intelligent in many different ways. And we are only just beginning to understand just how smart they are.
THEY’RE COMMUNICATING MORE THAN YOU THINK
Chickens are adept communicators with a wide repertoire of different vocalisations and body language. Chickens are capable of referential communication, a type of communication that relies on a mixture of sounds and body language to convey the significance of an event and elicit a specific response. For example, the call to alert others to an aerial predator is distinct from the call that lets them know to look out for a ground predator. None of this should come as a surprise. Animals are smart and very capable.
The Intelligence Of Chickens | Animals Brains #1
FAQ
Are chickens smarter than humans?
Popular culture has made “bird-brained” into an insult implying a lack of intelligence. But years of research has found that birds, including chickens, are much smarter than once believed. C hickens are a very mistreated, misunderstood animal.
Are chickens smarter than pigs?
Pigs are able to solve more complex puzzles than chickens, such as multi-step fence latches. Chickens’ intelligence compared to other animals table. Most people don’t realize how smart chickens are, but they are smarter than many other animals in many ways.
Do chickens have social smarts?
Chickens can count and do simple math. They also remember over 100 faces of other chickens and people. This skill helps them form social groups. Turkeys and chickens share some smarts. Both can figure out puzzles to get food. But chickens seem to have an edge in social smarts. Chickens have skills that match some mammals and even primates.
Do chickens have intelligence?
Let’s look at some more signs that a chicken is smart: chickens can talk to each other using more than 30 sounds and body language cues, whether they’re just chatting or warning each other about danger. ).
Are chickens smarter than ducks?
Chickens have the same intelligence as a duck. Both chickens and ducks can recognize faces, remember details, and be trained to follow simple commands. Wild turkeys might have more intelligence than chickens, but chickens are smarter than domesticated turkeys. Cows show deeper social structures and more complex herd relationships than chickens do.
Are chickens smarter than crows?
Chickens exhibit comparable levels of intelligence to crows, especially in terms of problem-solving skills and innovation. Both species are adept at finding creative solutions to challenges and demonstrate advanced cognitive abilities. Parrots are highly regarded for their intelligence and ability to mimic human speech.
How intelligent is a chicken?
Few people think about the chicken as intelligent, however. In recent years, though, scientists have learned that this bird can be deceptive and cunning, that it possesses communication skills on par with those of some primates and that it uses sophisticated signals to convey its intentions.
How intelligent are chickens compared to dogs?
– Research indicates that chickens have a level of social intelligence that allows them to form complex social hierarchies and relationships. Dogs: – Dogs are generally considered to be more trainable and responsive to human commands than chickens.
Does chicken have feelings?
Interestingly, even pre-training, most students agreed that chickens could feel hunger, pain, and fear, but were less likely to believe chickens could feel ….
Do chickens recognize their owners?
One of the most delightful aspects of keeping chickens is realizing just how intelligent they are. A particularly fascinating fact is that chickens have facial recognition—they can remember and distinguish the faces of their caretakers.