The power of chickens and their “Bird Brains”

Has anyone ever joked around and called you a “Bird Brain” because of something silly you said or did? It’s definitely happened to me several times more than I would like to admit! But the great news is that you can start to think of this “insult” as a compliment from now on. There are almost three times more chickens than humans on this planet, but we’re just starting to learn how unique their minds and personalities actually are. Before I stopped eating meat, chicken was my guilty pleasure – I even called myself an animal lover while munching down 20 chicken nuggets! I believe that I would’ve been able to empathise with, and stop discriminating against chickens a lot sooner if I would’ve known some of these amazing facts. So I hope that with this post I can convince some other “chicken lovers” to make the switch as well.

For a long time we have thought that empathy was a trait unique to humans. But recent studies have shown that animals may also be able to feel someone else’s suffering and even be able to see the world through the eyes of another. For example, when a hen’s chick becomes distressed, she does as well!

“As a trick at conferences I sometimes list [their] attributes, without mentioning chickens and people think I’m talking about monkeys,” – Dr. Chris Evans, Professor of Psychology.

The term ”mother hen” wasn’t just made up out of nowhere. They teach their chicks everything there is to know about chickenhood – including what to eat and how to stay safe from predators. Even more astonishing, a mother hen starts to communicate with her chicks while they’re still in the egg. So when they hatch, they’ll already recognise her voice.

“Chickens are behaviourally sophisticated, discriminating among individuals, exhibiting Machiavellian-like social interactions, and learning socially in complex ways that are similar to humans.” – Lori Marino, Neuroscientist.

A new study shows that they "demonstrate thinking skills on par with mammals and primates". Grown chickens can count up to six and distinguish colors. Farm Sanctuary had chickens perform numerous different tests that were even difficult for young children to complete.

“Unlike many other birds, chickens are categorised as a commodity, devoid of authenticity as a real animal. But chickens have the capacity to reason and make logical inferences. They perceive time intervals and may be able to anticipate future events.” – Author Loro Marino, a senior scientist at The Someone Project.

They have an intricate social structure, also known as the “pecking order”, meaning that they have the ability to reason and have a long term memory capable of building lasting relationships. They even communicate with each other using more than 30 types of vocalisations with meanings ranging from danger alerts to where to find food.

“It takes a chick just a few hours to develop its representational and numerical abilities in comparison to the months and years it takes a human child to do anything comparable.” – Christine Nicol, Bristol University professor of animal welfare.

They dream just like humans do! Studies have shown that they experience REM similar to ours.

Sources:

Humane Society
Animals Australia
NY Daily News
The Age
Daily Mail
Keeping Chickens
One Kind Planet