BORED chickens?

[Rebekah]

I think, as we do with all of our animal "friends", that humans like to give human characteristics to our pets. I'm convinced my cats are constantly plotting my death, but I'm sure what's really happening is that they're just too lazy to move off the steps while I'm carrying down baskets full of laundry. Our species is unique in many ways, but what probably makes us most unique is the practice of keeping pets... dressing our dogs in clothes, buying jungle gyms for our cats, and building huge "marts" dedicated to the pleasure of beings who would gladly eat vomit off the floor or lick each other's behinds.

I was getting worried that my chickens may be bored when my husband reminded me that they have brains the size of peanuts and are perfectly content with eating the other's poo. Sometimes I think that more intelligent beings may look down on us from other worlds and wonder the same about us. But no, we humans seem to be pretty content with our jobs and our hobbies and our gardens and watching our chickens.

I guess its a good thing that we have the instinct to care for and love our fellow animals like we do, but something tells me that chickens are pretty content with the poop, eat, cluck, poop, eat, cluck cycle and don't need much else to get through life happily.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Nice answer Rebekah, as usual.
I tend to think, as you, that it is our "nice" instinct that kicks in here. IT is not a new thing to "humanize" (anthropomorphize) animals - man has done it since recorded history. Its good that we have it, and it is yet another thing that sets us apart from the lower orders.

Maybe I'm really wondering, though, if people were just less "nice" in the past?
Here's why I say that.

This notion of bored chickens came to my mind as I was reading an old book on chicken keeping, circa 1946. No where in it did it concern itself with boredom in the chicken yard. About as far as it went was to give the chickens exercise by making them jump and scrabble for green feed, although that was ultimately for our benefit, as "toned" chickens give a better result...

The idea that animals get bored is a rather complex idea, really. I'm tempted to say something smarmy, like some potheads had too much time on their hands. They got to wandering around behind the critters and noticed...

HIPPIE 1: "Hey man. This is boring. It's hot out here and there 'aint nothing going on."
HIPPIE 2: "I noticed that, too. Man these chickens have it rough. I feeeel for them, dude."

Thus the chicken gym was born.

But, I don't want to be smarmy. I want to hear what people think. Since it wasn't around in the 40's, just where did the idea come from?

 

[trilyn]

Hah, no I've never had any experience in the "pen", but since we place our animals in one, it's just a natural segue for me! lol Who truly knows whether they're bored-they do. But since we are not able to ask them, we must first observe. I can tell you that some of my birds do pace up and down the run, this makes me a little nervous; are they bored? They remind me of horses that are stalled all day and pick up bad habits ie, stall walking, weaving and bobbing their heads. These are all signs of boredom in horses, they are animals that are natural grazers and basically nomads in search of green grass, water and shelter. This is one reason mine are out nearly 24/7.

When I do let my birds out to free range, which is only in the afternoon when I am able to be out with them or at least near them, they are seemingly ecstatic (yeah, another human emotion I'm applying to them) as they fly/rush out like the hounds of hell are after them! Bored or anxiously awaiting the freedom of green grass, bugs, dust baths and water? They remind me of horses and cats, they love to roam and they're curious as all get out!

This is a good thread Davaroo, it definitely makes you wonder....

ETA: I must have been typing when you replied; smarmy-maybe hysterical yes!!

 

[Rebekah]

I believe, over time, humans will evolve into two separate species... one enlightened beyond war, disease, and hate and another who will set all focus on political correctness and building chicken gyms in space.

This reminds me of people who call the 50s in America the "good old days" to which I reply, "well, for light skinned people like my mother but certainly not for dark skinned people like my father." Perspective.

Postscript: I just let my chickens frolic in my tiny yard in the thunderstorm that's passing overhead. It looked like a seen from Mad Max. They looked crazy with delight. Then they started fighting. I said to my husband, "It's just like the kids. We can't take them out anywhere without them acting like a bunch of animals." I think their pen keeps them civil... and human

 

[Judy]

What I tend to think of, in any discussion like this, is the anthropomorphism involved. We can see easily enough what they "prefer," or, in what conditions they thrive. We have no idea whether they are bored, happy, excited, ecstatic, or whatever. They must feel something, perhaps only some primitive sort of irritation or lack of it, to drive them to explore and wander and such, but we have no access to what.

I also wonder how much the whole keeping up with the Joneses thing enters into this. A concept like this can mushroom quickly, wherever it started. I actually suspect your two hippies are just the sort of thing that did start it all!

 

[cassie]

If they get bored they start doing things they shouldn't. Like pick each other. I try to keep mine occupied. Like throwing out scratch. I also put a small flake of alfalfa in the pen. They will scratch and pick at it for hours and eat the leaves. If I forget the hay, I have chickens missing feathers.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Im not surprised that you, of all people, would.

You people are awesome!

 

[chookchick]

I think just about any animal can get bored, I don't think it is anthropo(whatever the word it!). Just talk to a zookeeeper. Animals have a strong instinct to hunt, scavenge, breed, make nests, etc.. and we totally thwart that instinct by denying them the opportunities to do that. That is why zoos spend a fortune "enriching" the environments for their animals. Otherwise they will exhibit negative behaviors such as pacing, self-mutilation, fighting, etc...Chickens obviously have some basic need for a stimulating environment, otherwise battery hens would not have to be debeaked, and have roll away cages. That is part of the reason that I keep hens--I know they do not have to live that de-chickenizing life.

 

[undermywings]

I can't help but enjoy the intelligent conversation going on here. And everyone is tolerant of each other's opinion (a sign of intelligence) as we seek the answer(s) to the question posed here. Kewl!

 

[Davaroo]

"de-chickenizing life"

I like that.