Study Finds That Ranging Behaviours Impact On Problem-Solving In Chickens
Country Smallholding|April 2020
Chickens have different personalities, a new study has suggested. This finding, which will hardly come as a surprise to most keepers, was published in Biology Letters in what the researchers believe to be the first study of its kind.
Study Finds That Ranging Behaviours Impact On Problem-Solving In Chickens

In the experiment, researchers focused on how different ranging behaviours in free-range chickens impact their ability to solve problems. There are two ranging behaviours — high ranging and low ranging — and those classifications simply describe how far a chicken ventures from the coop.

Classifications in place, the researchers wanted to see whether this difference in ranging behaviour had an effect on a bird’s motor self-regulation performance. A cylinder full of food was set up in the coop which required the birds to curb their natural instinct to feed from the centre of the cylinder and instead eat from the side openings. Overall most of the birds didn’t succeed at the task, but researchers discovered that high rangers had a significantly poorer performance than low rangers which improved with each repetition of the experiment.

This finding suggests that individual behavioural traits do have an impact on the ability to complete cognitive tasks — and that perhaps a bird with a more fearful and vigilant personality is more adaptive to its surroundings.

Scientists use gene editing to create ALVimmune chickens

Bu hikaye Country Smallholding dergisinin April 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Country Smallholding dergisinin April 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

COUNTRY SMALLHOLDING DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Country Smallholding

The Secret World Of The Honey Bee

Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy

time-read
6 dak  |
November 2020
Tip the light fantastic
Country Smallholding

Tip the light fantastic

The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2020
The legacy of The Good Life
Country Smallholding

The legacy of The Good Life

The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century

time-read
10 dak  |
November 2020
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
Country Smallholding

‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'

A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job

time-read
5 dak  |
November 2020
Tools of the trade
Country Smallholding

Tools of the trade

In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers

time-read
6 dak  |
November 2020
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Country Smallholding

The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world

Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs

time-read
2 dak  |
November 2020
Buying on a tight budget
Country Smallholding

Buying on a tight budget

As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2020
Crazy for crafts
Country Smallholding

Crazy for crafts

In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures

time-read
8 dak  |
November 2020
Game on
Country Smallholding

Game on

A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman

time-read
5 dak  |
November 2020
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding

1975 And All That

Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century

time-read
9 dak  |
November 2020