Study: Chickens Might Be as Smart as Dolphins

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 1/4

[nickcarraway]

Often dismissed as bird-brains, chickens are showing they’ve got some smarts

As we get ready to launch ourselves into the Year of the Rooster, here’s news that could give you new respect for the humble chicken.

Researchers have determined that chickens are smarter than we think, have a good measure of self-control, and might even have Machiavellian tendencies.

A study published this week in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Animal Cognition, revealed that those bird-brained chickens are actually pretty smart, as most backyard chicken farmers have long maintained.

Neuroscientist Lori Marino authored the paper, which compiled the conclusions of several studies showing that chickens demonstrate self-control and self-assessment, which may indicate self-awareness. They also show the capacity for cunning and duplicity, which Marino described as Machiavellian-like social interactions.

Marino is the executive director of the Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that supports basic animal rights.

Among the observations in the paper:

Chickens possess some understanding of numbers and basic arithmetic.

[Georgia Girl 2]

We have Silkie that runs to Mr. GG2 and stands on his feet chirping for a free lift into the henhouse. Pretty smart. :-)

[a fool in paradise]

I’ve never seen a dolphin get to the other side of the road.

[a fool in paradise]

[tumblindice]

‘Miracle Mike’ a Wyandotte chicken lived for 18 months after having been decrapitated.

[a fool in paradise]

I went looking and wasn’t pleased when the chef brought me a plate of fried chicken toes.

[cpdiii]

I love chickens. A little Sweet Baby Rays sauce and my grill make them most delectable.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

"Befor they taik ovar the wurld!"

[Daffynition]

I believe it.

[Daffynition]

Back in the 50s, ChinaTown was kinda weird. My wonderful dad would take us there, and the Bowey also. I think his goal was to make us kids appreciate what we had.

[Daffynition]

Here's to Gert. :)

[ETL]

I want to laugh, but it really is pretty cruel.

[ETL]

Now *that’s* genuinely funny!

[Daffynition]

I love Zen chickens

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Stanley Siegel once said “Chickens are the only animal that can lose weight and not show it in the face.” Drama Queens, I suspect.

[Towed_Jumper]

My wife and I have chickens and we love the fresh eggs. They also help compost the yard with their poop. However, I've concluded that our chickens must have consumed large amounts of lead-based paint when they were still chicks at their hatchery. We have “special needs” chickens who are hopelessly dumb as rocks.

[TexasRepublic]

I’ve seen some weird Shiite on Freerepublic, but that takes the prize.

[No_More_Harkin]

In other news, Democrats found to be as smart as dirt.

[Daffynition]

Imprinted since birth. ;)

[mindburglar]

I’ve seen fat people lose to a chicken at tic-tac-toe, on the boardwalk.

[Ditter]

I have had chickens and they are not smart. I watched my chickens standing out in a very heavy rain storm looking straight up at the rain coming down. Several of them stood there so long their nostrils filled with rain water and they drowned! True story!