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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Chickens exhibit Machiavellian tendencies, scientists discover Chickens are not as ‘bird brained’ as previously thought. Scientists have found they are capable of greater logical reasoning than children, have distinct personalities, and even exhibit Machiavellian tendencies. A review of previous research by scientists in the US, published in the journal Animal Cognition, has concluded that chicken intelligence has been greatly underestimated with the farmyard bird demonstrating thinking skills that are similar to mammals and primates. They were found to be masters of deceit with males making food calls when no food was present to attract females to the area, and clucking more quietly during courtship behavior if rivals were present, so as not to alert them to a potential mate. Chickens exhibit logical reasoning that humans do not acquire until the age of seven They also have a sense of numbers, with even newly hatched chicks able to discriminate between quantities, and do simply arithmetic. “Unlike many other birds, chickens are categorized as a commodity, devoid of authenticity as a real animal,” said Dr Loro Marino, a senior scientist for The Someone Project, a joint venture of Farm Sanctuary and the Kimmela Center in the USA. “But chickens have the capacity to reason and make logical inferences, a capability that humans develop at approximately the age of seven. They perceive time intervals and may be able to anticipate future events. “Chickens are behaviorally sophisticated, discriminating among individuals, exhibiting Machiavellian-like social interactions, and learning socially in complex ways that are similar to humans.” “The very idea of chicken psychology is strange to most people.” The birds are known to have distinctive personalities The birds were also found to exhibit self-control when it comes to holding out for a better food reward, and are able self-assess their position in the pecking order, two characteristics which are indicative of self-awareness. Chicken communication is also quite complex, and consists of a large repertoire of different visual displays and at least 24 distinct vocalizations which they use to attract a mate, or sound the alarm for danger. They also experience a range of complex negative and positive emotions, including fear, anticipation and anxiety. 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. Poster Comment: video at source. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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