Chickens are much more intelligent than many people think. They can think, communicate, and even do basic math. Their intelligence is similar to that of dolphins and chimpanzees. Despite this, chickens are often treated very poorly, especially on factory farms where they live in terrible conditions. Many traits we see in chickens, such as empathy and care for their young, are qualities humans also share.
Are Chickens Smart?
Yes, chickens are intelligent, but we shouldn’t only care about imaginative animals. People tend to accept that birds like parrots are clever, but chickens are brilliant, too. Chickens can reason, communicate, and even do simple math. This intelligence might be complex for people to accept because chickens are often raised for food.
How Smart Are Chickens?
Chickens are as intelligent as dolphins and other birds. They can tell the difference between numbers and even remember specific events.
Are Chickens Smarter Than Dogs?
Although dogs and chickens have not been directly compared, both animals are intelligent. They can show emotions, interact socially, and empathize with others.
Are Chickens the Smartest Birds?
Birds like ravens, crows, and parrots are generally considered the smartest. But we measure intelligence in ways that may only sometimes be fair. Chickens show intelligence in ways like counting and showing empathy, proving they are very clever.
Chicken vs. Turkey Intelligence
While turkeys have yet to be studied as much as chickens, they have shown impressive intelligence. Both turkeys and chickens can remember places and events for long periods. Chickens can also solve problems and do basic arithmetic.
How Do Chickens Compare to Humans?
It’s not fair to compare animal intelligence to human intelligence, but chickens can do some things humans do. For example, chickens can use reasoning to figure out that if one thing is more significant than another, and that thing is more significant than a third, the first thing must be the biggest. Human children don’t develop this kind of reasoning until they are about seven years old.
Science Can Prove Chicken Intelligence
Studies have revealed that chickens are far more intelligent than most people realize and can form complex social relationships. Here’s a look at what scientists have discovered about chickens:
Varied Communication: While many associate chickens with simple clucking, research has shown that chickens can produce at least 24 distinct sounds, each tied to a specific situation. For example, when a chicken lays an egg, she makes a loud “buck-caw” sound. Chickens will emit a warning cry if a predator is spotted in the sky. Roosters are known to alert hens and chicks about nearby predators but tend to stay quiet if other males are around.
Empathy: Chickens are also capable of showing empathy, not just to their offspring but to other group members. In some instances, chickens assist hens that have lost their sight, guiding them and even leaving food for them, such as worms.
Counting Skills: Research in Italy has shown that young chicks, as early as three to four days old, can perform simple arithmetic with numbers up to five. Most humans don’t develop this skill until around six or seven years of age. The findings suggest that even young chicks have impressive basic math abilities.
Memory: Chickens have demonstrated the ability to remember up to 100 individual chickens and recognize them even after months of separation. They can also recall human faces and have been trained to work as therapy animals for needy people.
Self-Awareness: Chickens show signs of self-awareness and self-control. For example, they can delay gratification when they know a more significant reward is available if they wait. This behavior indicates advanced intelligence and the ability to evaluate situations.
Dreaming: Researchers have also confirmed that chickens experience dreams. Like humans, chickens go through sleep phases, including “REM sleep is associated with dreaming and enhance brain activity.“
These examples show that chickens are more intelligent animals than they’ve been historically given credit for. As research continues, we will uncover even more remarkable traits about them.
Scientists studying chickens have tried to understand why some people see chickens as less intelligent than birds, like owls or parrots. The key seems to lie in how chickens have been domesticated. When chickens are removed from their natural environments, it becomes easier for people to overlook their intelligence and justify poor treatment. We often observe wild birds like hawks or crows in their natural habitats, which lets us see their natural behaviors and social interactions. But chickens, having been domesticated for thousands of years, are typically seen in controlled, human-centered environments where their full range of behaviors isn’t on display.
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What Makes Chickens Smart?
To understand how chickens demonstrate intelligence, we first need to define what it means for an animal to be “smart.” Human intelligence is often measured by our ability to gather knowledge and use cognitive skills to succeed in our environment. When considering chickens, we need to ask whether they have the necessary abilities to thrive in their own world.
The answer is absolutely yes. Chickens, although they have few natural defenses, have managed to survive and flourish for thousands of years due to their intelligence. Let’s explore how.
Chickens Are Great Communicators
Professor John McCarthy from Macquarie University points out that chickens are very expressive. They use more than 20 distinct sounds to communicate important information about their surroundings. According to Chris Evans, chickens use these vocalizations to greet each other, express frustration, signal the presence of food, and announce when an egg has been laid. They even have specific alarm calls for different threats, such as one for aerial predators and another for ground predators. Some chickens can even “name” their human caretakers. In the book How to Speak Chicken, Melissa Caughey mentions that chickens have unique vocal patterns to greet their owners.
Chickens Show Self-Control
In a study conducted in 2005, chickens were given the opportunity to press a button to get food. If they pressed the button after waiting for two seconds, they received a small amount of food. But if they waited 20 seconds, they received a much larger portion. Remarkably, 90 percent of the chickens chose to wait for the bigger reward, demonstrating their ability to exercise patience and self-control.
Surprising Facts About Chicken Intelligence
- Chickens Can Feel Empathy: Studies show that hens get upset when their chicks are stressed, showing they care about their young, much like human mothers.
- Chickens Dream: Chickens experience REM sleep, the same kind of sleep where humans dream.
- They Have Unique Personalities: Each chicken has a different personality, some being more outgoing and others being more shy. Their mothering styles also vary.
- Chickens Are Intelligent: They can perform many tasks that show intelligence, like problem-solving, yet they are often denied basic needs on factory farms.
- They Are Caring: Hens are known for nurturing their young and showing empathy when their chicks are stressed.
- They Communicate More Than You Think: Chickens have a range of vocalizations and body language to convey different messages. For example, they have distinct calls for various types of predators.
- Chickens Perceive Time: Like some other animals, chickens can estimate the passage of time.
- They Want to Live Freely: Chickens, like humans, want to live without fear and have the freedom to behave naturally. But in factory farms, they are confined and often suffer.
9.They Can Do Basic Math: Even chicks can recognize differences in quantities and prefer more significant amounts of food. They can also add and subtract.
10.They Have Self-Control: Chickens are willing to wait for a bigger reward, showing they can delay gratification.
11.They Recognize Faces: Chickens can recognize and remember up to 100 different people.
12.They Have Excellent Memories: Chickens have solid memories and can recall specific events and objects from their past.
Conclusion
Chickens are intelligent and emotionally complex animals. They can remember people, solve problems, and care for each other deeply. Sadly, their intelligence is often ignored, especially by industries that profit from their mistreatment. However, it’s essential to recognize their worth and understand that they deserve better treatment.
FAQs About Chicken Intelligence
- Are chickens intelligent animals? Yes, chickens are intelligent and have the skills needed to survive and thrive in their environment, including communication, problem-solving, and self-control.
- How do chickens communicate? Chickens use over 20 distinct sounds to express different needs and situations, such as greeting each other, signaling food, or warning about predators.
- Can chickens recognize humans? Yes, some chickens can even “name” their human caretakers, using specific vocal patterns to greet them.
- Do chickens show self-control? Yes, studies show that chickens can delay gratification, waiting longer for a larger food reward instead of choosing immediate smaller amounts.
- How long have chickens been able to survive in the wild? Chickens have thrived for thousands of years, using their intelligence to adapt to their environment and avoid predators.