chicken taste buds

[MI55TR355]

I just read that chickens can taste salty but not sweet. Is this true? and if so does that mean that corn taste salty to them, or do they taste that it is sweet at least a little?

 

[RRLaney]

Hmmm I don't know the answer to that but I sure am curious to learn as well. I do remember reading somewhere that chickens only have anywhere from 20-50 taste buds while we humans have around 10,000! So I imagine they don't taste much at all. Which is CRAZY to me considering all those little things do is eat all day long! I hate the idea of them eating my entire garden (including every single watermelon I grew this year!!) if they aren't even enjoying the taste! Lol!! Crazy monsters!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Not sure about salt , but chickens have no heat receptors in their beak so they can eat the hottest of chilli or curry .

 

[RRLaney]

Not sure about salt , but chickens have no heat receptors in their beak so they can eat the hottest of chilli or curry .

Really? I've never heard that! I have heard they like pepper seeds though so it makes sense!
(You do mean heat like spicy right?)

 

[Fancychooklady]

Really? I've never heard that! I have heard they like pepper seeds though so it makes sense!
(You do mean heat like spicy right?)

Yes, heat/spice. Mine get a regular dose of turmeric on their feed too.

 

[centrarchid]

When it comes to spiceyness, it is more a matter of receptor type than receptor number. My chickens appear to evaluate some combination of taste and smell as they eat. Listen closely for a snuffling sound as they eat. The receptors must be in some location other than mouth. They will also reject many insects that are bright yellow or bright red. If you take the time to taste the same insects you will find the taste is neither salty nor sweet and you will reject them as well.

 

[MeepBeep]

Not sure about salt , but chickens have no heat receptors in their beak so they can eat the hottest of chilli or curry .

To be specific 'heat' or 'hot' is not a flavor that taste buds pickup... Taste buds pick up five specific tastes saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and umami... If you are curious what the umami taste is it's simply the pleasant (hard to put to words) flavor of glutamates that our bodies find very 'tasteful' and those glutamates can be found in many foods, it's also the reason MSG (monosodium glutamate) makes everything taste better

In the end even humans can't 'taste' 'heat/hot' it's simply our brain playing a trick on us by associating the pain receptors reaction to the Capsaicin in our mouth while eating as a taste... To put this in perspective in humans Capsaicin 'taste' the same 'hot' going in or out and there are certainly no taste buds on the exit path

Also birds lack Capsaicin pain receptors altogether, you could spray bear stopping pepper spray at them or inject it into them with no adverse reactions or effect, for birds Capsaicin is said to actually have a slight 'vanilla' flavor since their taste buds are not overwhelmed by a pain receptor reaction...

 

[Pendragonz]

I have heard, and for the most part found it true, that humans can break down almost all peppers during digestion. There is something about jalapenos that we are not able to fully digest and are the peppers that burn on the way out as well as on the way in. I've paid attention because I like spicy food, and this does hold true.