Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Do That Funky Chicken But Don't Lose Count Since They Won't

After Election 2016, the thinking is greatly reduced that humans are the most intelligent creatures on the planet and now it comes there's surprising depth in the intelligence of chickens.  (Science Daily:  Think chicken: Think intelligent, caring and complex)


- Huffington Post


Ed:  those aren't chickens!

They bloody well are as those are Chinese silkie chickens.  (WIKI:  Silkie)

Ed:  oh, so they're probably radioactive then!

Well, that's not too likely since they were first observed in the 13th Century in China.


Update:  Lotho needs Chinese chickens for the Tennessee ranch as the grandkids would never want to go home.  They will also never want to go again to KFC but maybe that's not such a terrible thing.

Note:  his place isn't really a ranch but ... relative to here, it's a ranch (larfs).  As Cadillac Man can affirm, it's possible to launch UFOs from the ranch without undue consideration from the local Polizei.


Research has shown that chickens have some sense of numbers. Experiments with newly hatched domestic chicks showed they can discriminate between quantities. They also have an idea about ordinality, which refers to the ability to place quantities in a series. Five-day-old domestic chicks presented with two sets of objects of different quantities disappearing behind two screens were able to successfully track which one hid the larger number by apparently performing simple arithmetic in the form of addition and subtraction.

...

Chicken communication is also quite complex, and consists of a large repertoire of different visual displays and at least 24 distinct vocalizations. The birds possess the complex ability of referential communication, which involves signals such as calls, displays and whistles to convey information. They may use this to sound the alarm when there is danger, for instance. This ability requires some level of self-awareness and being able to take the perspective of another animal, and is also possessed by highly intelligent and social species, including primates.

...

The birds are able to experience a range of complex negative and positive emotions, including fear, anticipation and anxiety. They make decisions based on what is best for them. They also possess a simple form of empathy called emotional contagion. Not only do individual chickens have distinct personalities, but mother hens also show a range of individual maternal personality traits which appear to affect the behavior of their chicks. The birds can deceive one another, and they watch and learn from each other.

- SD


Cat laughed at how people laughed at her for watching her chickens to learn about them and she's the one who told me about Silkies.  Cat now has her proof of something she knew all along; there's much more to chicken behavior than how they react when the head is removed for dinner.

Note:  she had seen that as a kid and reacted in the same way as I with complete horror.  To this moment I can see still that fucking chicken running around that yard with no head.  That must have been almost sixty years ago!  Aaiiiyyeeeee!

Ed:  PTCS, probably

Post Traumatic Chicken Shock?

Ed:  roger that


If you're interested in animal behavior / ethology, you may want to start with reading about the research Konrad Lorenz gave us and he's the one most likely to be credited as the 'father' of the science.  There's no need to detail it here since most won't find it interesting since many see an animal and wonder how it tastes.  That's not too sexy but it makes sense.  If you're interested to know more than that, Konrad Lorenz is a good one to read to get yourself started.  I've read "King Solomon's Ring" along with "On Aggression" and recommend both highly.  (WIKI:  Konrad Lorenz)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

They are very cheep about $2. But are only available spring to fall. They would also not survive long as we have several fox that live in the area. Not to count the numerous stray dogs that are dumped from the city dwellers.
So while t h e Fairy Princess u b derstands and sees the Circle of Life I think we will try and limit the first hand knowledge with too many pets

Unknown said...

Yep, seeing the Circle of Life ripped to feathers by stray dogs is more reality than anyone really needs. If not for that, the chickens would be so cool to watch, tho.