Science Daily: Chickens Are Smart, Caring, Complex

A recent Science Daily article highlights a review by Lori Marino, senior scientist for The Someone Project, of chicken intelligence studies.

From recalling the trajectory of a hidden object to anticipating future events, chickens are incredibly smart.

Chickens even “possess self-control when it comes to holding out for a better food reward. They’re also able to “self-assess their position in the pecking order. These characteristics demonstrate self-awareness, the article reports.

Lori Marino explains:
A shift in how we ask questions about chicken psychology and behavior will, undoubtedly, lead to even more accurate and richer data and a more authentic understanding of who they really are.
Chickens are not only smart but also sentient; they experience joy, loneliness, frustration, fear, and pain just like the animals with whom many of us share our homes.

Unfortunately, chickens comprise 95 percent of the animals raised and killed for food in the U.S. and lead some of the most miserable lives of all farmed animals.

Multiple undercover investigations by Mercy For Animals at chicken farms nationwide have exposed horrific animal cruelty, including birds bred to grow so fast they become crippled under their own weight; workers violently punching, beating, and stabbing animals; and live, conscious birds having their heads ripped off.

See for yourself:


Terrible, right?

What’s more, not a single federal law protects animals during their lives on factory farms. The law that’s supposed to protect animals at the slaughterhouse, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, does not extend to birds, leaving chickens with virtually no protection from abuse.

We can all take a stand for animals subjected to factory farm cruelty by ditching animal products in favor of healthy, humane alternatives.

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Click here for a list of delicious vegan chicken substitutes.