Lex Rigby explores the surprising intelligence of chickens – yet more reasons to keep them off our plates!
We marvel about magpies having the capacity to recognise themselves in a mirror, crows rivalling seven-year-old humans in their reasoning abilities and African grey parrots counting or categorising objects by colour and shape. Yet when it comes to the humble domesticated chicken, the kinds we exploit for meat and eggs, we seem completely oblivious to their complex cognitive abilities.
Perhaps the reason for this is that it’s easier to justify eating ‘dumb’ animals who think and feel nothing – relieving the discomfort a person may feel when their behaviour (eating animals) does not align with their values or beliefs (being an animal lover). But there’s plenty of research out there demonstrating our clucky friends are far smarter than we’d like to think.
Researchers have even commented that their high levels of intelligence make chickens a particular challenge to study, therefore raising serious ethical questions about how they’re treated on factory farms. Barren, overcrowded environments with token ‘enrichment’, such as small plastic pecking objects or scratch mats, will never be enough to satisfy their curious minds and are undoubtedly detrimental to their wellbeing.
More than meets the eye
We’ve known since the 1920s about chicken pecking orders – a system of dominance to establish hierarchy in which individuals enforce their leadership with a sharp peck – and we see the impact this has in free range egg systems; as those at the top guard the pop holes to stop their underlings accessing the great outdoors. But chickens are social animals and even in the wild, squabbles are common, illustrating their ability to develop relationships over time with other members of the flock through reason.
Their vocal repertoire extends to around 24 different sounds, each uniquely communicating a range of feelings and emotions. They warn each other of danger by crouching and emitting a very quiet, high-pitched “eeee” sound and share excited “dock dock” noises upon discovery of a tasty food source. The most distinguished visual display upon finding food is performed by the rooster. He calls while rhythmically picking up and dropping food items to impress a female – which is something called ‘tidbitting’.
Caring for their young
Mother hens also use tidbitting to signal to her young where food is and have been observed displaying emp
