Do chickens have concept of...

[Sobek]

I was just looking at my beautiful Hen and I started to wonder.... Does she remember where she grew up?? Do chickens remember if they had bad or good living conditions?? Could she be thinking "What a relief it is that I live here now..." I took her home when she was a couple of months old maybe. She was big but not laying eggs yet. I remember being SO excited when she layed her first egg lol!

 

[Shadrach]

Scientific studies suggest chickens have excellent memories. What they remember and what context they place those memories in is a really complicated thing to work out.
I had to keep a very independently minded hen confined to my house while she recovered from wounds inflicted in a hawk attack. For the first few days she was too sick to even think about venturing outside.
Normally I keep the injured confined for the absolute minimum period. They recover faster with their flock mates free ranging in general.
Unfortunately this hen had stitches across her back from wing to wing, two rows. Unfortunately again, she was her roosters favorite and I just couldn't risk the rooster ripping the cut open during mating.
By the end of the second week she was itching to go outside. After three weeks everything had healed enough and she rejoined her tribe. While this hen would always let me handle her if necessary she would not come into the house again of her own free will, even when the rest of her tribe were in the house eating treats.
So yes, I think they remember experiences they didn't like.

 

[Sobek]

Scientific studies suggest chickens have excellent memories. What they remember and what context they place those memories in is a really complicated thing to work out.
I had to keep a very independently minded hen confined to my house while she recovered from wounds inflicted in a hawk attack. For the first few days she was too sick to even think about venturing outside.
Normally I keep the injured confined for the absolute minimum period. They recover faster with their flock mates free ranging in general.
Unfortunately this hen had stitches across her back from wing to wing, two rows. Unfortunately again, she was her roosters favorite and I just couldn't risk the rooster ripping the cut open during mating.
By the end of the second week she was itching to go outside. After three weeks everything had healed enough and she rejoined her tribe. While this hen would always let me handle her if necessary she would not come into the house again of her own free will, even when the rest of her tribe were in the house eating treats.
So yes, I think they remember experiences they didn't like.

That's interesting... My Hen Raven doesn't always like to be inside only for laying an egg with me on the couch lol but I think she remember the times I made her stay on the couch when she was sick or injured. She doesn't really care to be handled either but I know she loves me because she gets jealous very easily and will still lay on the couch with me for hours to lay an egg lol she'll only do it if I'm there to snuggle around her.

 

[Matilda Belle]

It's hard to say. Sometimes my silkies act like little geniuses, and other times I swear they have no brains at all. lol

I don't think chickens, or any animals for that matter, have the same emotions that we have. They definitely feel things, sometimes on a deeper level than us, and sometimes not, but their feelings/emotions aren't the same as ours. We don't know how they feel or how they think, and that's what always fascinated me most about animals in general. I will never completely understand their language, as hard as I try. But I do love trying.

I hatch chicks just for fun, and sell most of them. I often wonder if these chicks are living in good conditions. Sometimes I worry, but for my own sanity I can't give their feelings much thought if I want to keep hatching and selling.

 

[Sobek]

It's hard to say. Sometimes my silkies act like little geniuses, and other times I swear they have no brains at all. lol

I don't think chickens, or any animals for that matter, have the same emotions that we have. They definitely feel things, sometimes on a deeper level than us, and sometimes not, but their feelings/emotions aren't the same as ours. We don't know how they feel or how they think, and that's what always fascinated me most about animals in general. I will never completely understand their language, as hard as I try. But I do love trying.

I hatch chicks just for fun, and sell most of them. I often wonder if these chicks are living in good conditions. Sometimes I worry, but for my own sanity I can't give their feelings much thought if I want to keep hatching and selling.

The other day one of my chickens pulled a knife on me so

 

[drumstick diva]

Think you need a metal detector for the coop