Posted on 11/04/2006 8:04:33 PM PST by Dallas59
Did you know that chickens worry about the future? I'm worried about chickens worrying. But what worries me the most is that most people do not worry about chickens at all.
A recent sobering sight on the freeway brought the truth home to me. I noticed a smell outside the bus I was on and looked over to see flatbed truck passing on the left. It was stacked high and long with crates of chickens. But these chickens werent happily pecking about in their boxes. They were trussed, lying on their sides, with their feet sticking outside the crates.
Directly outside my window, I could inside the crates, only a few feet away. The chickens were on their sides they were not sleeping, but in fact were wide awake, with panicked, staring eyes I knew that they KNEW trouble was on its way. It was a horrible sight, but I couldnt look away. My eyes stayed glued to that truck as it moved down the highway, and my last memory of it was a view of all those little yellow legs sticking out from the sides, and those little yellows legs bumping away on a road that lead them to a certain death.
Slave ship, the thought popped into my mind as I watched the truck exit the highway, thats nothing but a slave ship. And indeed, those animals with their legs tied together, being carried to a destiny they had no control over, truly reminded me of all the first-person accounts I had read of slave ships.
Although I dont consider myself an animal rights activist, the term animal slaves that is used so often by animal rights organizations certainly seemed appropriate in this instance and that appropriateness was numbing in its implications after I read a recent publication in the journal Animal Behavior.
A research team from the Biophysics Group at Silsoe Research Institute in England has determined that chickens have a concept of the future. Prior to this publication, scientists believed only humans and other primates had the concept of time existing beyond the present moment. But not so any longer we now know that chickens can anticipate the future.
Researchers used a simple method of food reward to ascertain this truth. If a hen pecked on a colored button, they received a food reward. If the hen waited a couple of seconds, they received a small amount of food. But if they waited for 22 seconds, they received a much larger amount. Over 90% of the hens held out for the big reward.
The anatomical structure of the chicken brain is much more complex than most people think. Previous studies show that the organization of the neurons in the chicken brain is highly structured. This sophisticated arrangement of the brain implies that, like humans, a high level of intelligence has evolved--an intelligence that helps them survive.
Although we dont know the exact thoughts of chickens, the concept of the future and the complex brain structure suggests that chickens are intelligent enough to worry.
More than 40 billion birds worldwide are raised for human consumption and if chickens can worry about what happens to them, thats something to consider before you bite into a drumstick.
The choice to eat or not to eat chicken is, of course, a personal one. But for me, theres no question. The slave ship of yellow legs, and the thought of contributing to it, has stopped me from eating chicken in any form and although I always bought eggs laid by cage-free hens, eggs have also made the I-wont-eat-it list.
Yes, Im worried about chickens worrying and it worries me that more people wont be worrying about it as well.
Source: Animal Behaviour
They're liberals! Ever notice how they all live in little collectives, milling around together but never performing any work? And whenever anything goes wrong, they never confront the problem but simply run in circles flapping their wings.
No problemo. That's the saying I had in mind when I posted. I should have said meat instead of food.
This is not a gag. My father remembered this.
Could it be that Mike was a Democrat chicken??
Sure we do. Visit any political function of the Democratic Party.
Driving on the freeway at night recently, we passed a truck pulling a huge load of little cages. It was dark, but I could just make out the shapes of chickens inside the tiny cages. What struck me was that the night was cold, the truck was driving at 70+ m.p.h. on the freeway, and the cages were completely uncovered. As if it weren't bad enough that the poor things were undoubtedly freezing, the lights and noise of the freeway traffic must have been terrifying. I'm not a vegetarian, but I do think we have a responsibility to treat with respect and kindness the creatures that become our food.
I call out to them as I bring goodies and they go wild. Mr. Chin, the rooster, begins kicking his feet in the dirt and calling back to me. When we first got him, I thought this was aggressive behavior. But as I really watched him, I realized he was calling up the "girls". He makes sure every one of them gets a little treat before he will eat anything. He has it all figured out. Happy girls = happy rooster. Pretty smart after all!
What is the lowest on the pecking order are these Chicken Littles worrying about the chickens rather than watching the road.
I'm a turkey leg, sweet potato, peas and cranberry sauce guy. I like Spanish food, too. They have a way of finding shrimp that are bigger than your pee-pee.
Next this yahoo will start litigation against all of the restaurants demanding reparations for all this "slavery." He must have visions of making huge sums of money on this shake down scheme with only the writing of a few threatening letters. Not!
I'll never forget the time that chicken stole Al Gore's pencil.
What a twit, you don't eat slaves.
I prefer to call it "meals on wheels"..........
Silly Chickens. They should be more concerned about becoming somebody's dinner.
I for one, welcome our new chicken overlords....
Thank you. Thank you for a sit-back-in-the-chair-and-laugh-long-and-loud punchline. I work at night, and I thought of your line and burst out laughing a half dozen times before dawn. That is a perfect comeback to a PETA rant. Complete rejection of their argument, and total intransigence about your own point of view, all in one succinct observation.
Lovely!
At the same Web site, Nature's Corner, there is an article about Animal Psychics:
"Over my many years of professional metaphysical experience, I have been privy to a variety of examples of the 'human/animal' spiritual connection. Sharing these stories might be entertaining; but helping YOU deal with your own 'encounters' on a one-to-one basis may provide a far better 'learning forum' for us all."
"Most metaphysically trained practitioners believe that animals too, have a soul. It is my personal opinion that their souls have different properties and a separate set of rules and regulations than our own. But yet their souls are similar, in that they too grow, learn, spiritually advance, incarnate, reincarnate and 'bond' to each other and to us on their 'journey' through existence. What I am able to do in many cases is 'crack into that code,' and then 'tap into the information encoded in the trip/exchange.' This is done in an attempt to assist in any way that I can, when given the opportunity through the 'sharing process,' which I pick up on through my psychic ability."
PSYCHIC ANIMAL CONNECTION SHARING
"Here now begins that sharing process with all of you and your 'psychic animal encounters.' What I need, ideally, is a picture of the animal, preferably against a light colored and uncluttered background. The photo should be as 'close up' as possible and containing a shot of the eyes. Pictures can only be returned if a self addressed, stamped envelope is included. Digital pictures emailed are the best as several shots can be sent."
Yeah, I think we need to worry about chickens worrying.
Thanks for a great laugh!
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