How Intelligent Is A Chicken?

PAUL DONOVAN explains chickens are far more intelligent than most imagine

- Paul Donvan

The definition of intelligence can be interpreted in many ways. One, according to the Oxford English dictionary is, “The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills”. It is the ability to learn new things and then apply those in your daily life on a continual basis.

Intelligence can be related to many life forms, from the humble mouse to us humans. One could also interpret the actions of some insects as also having a level of intelligence. The complex behaviours of bees, for example, finding new plants and then communicating where these are to others in the hive, is a form of intelligence because the bees must understand what is being said, and then acting on it.

Obviously each animal order has a different level of intelligence, and interprets what it has learnt and reapplies it later on, in different ways. So just how intelligent is the unassuming chicken?

Anyone who keeps, or has kept chickens, will tell you they are far from being the stupid bird many people take them for. They have a level of intelligence far surpassing their bird brain image. Their intelligence to small brain ratio is surprisingly very high. For example, over a period of weeks a new individual will learn to recognise you, remember you and interpret your actions. They can even be trained to associate colour with specific foods which may be edible, or inedible. But at what age does a chicken’s intelligence begin? And just how intelligent are they?

It begins very early

A significant amount of research has been undertaken into trying to determine just how intelligent a chicken really is. And some of the results are quite astonishing. What we have learnt, challenges many of the stereotype beliefs we have about them.