Says who??

[d.k]

* Heard it said a couple times that chickens can't taste anything-- Why?? Miss Chook seems to-- she'll pick out favorite items & back up shaking her head and clacking her beak at others. . . ???

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I think chickens have about 300 taste buds so ys, they would like and not like some things! They must have alot of "sweet" tast buds becsue mine love anything with molasses in it!! Lucky for Miss Chook that she has all those taste buds...it's easy for her to train you that way!!

 

[Churkenduse]

they have taste buds, they do not have receptors for heat like hot peppers etc. I know mine can taste the

Explorit Science Center Weekly Column: Guess what? Not all creatures have taste buds in their tongues or in their mouths. Creatures also differ in the amount of taste buds they have; chickens have the lowest amount at 24, while catfish have more than 175,000.​

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
You know, I've heard that said a lot (especially w/r/t birds in general, as in discussions about putting cayenne in birdfeeder seeds to repel squirrels). But I am really skeptical about it, because you don't have to have special receptors to feel the heat from chiles. Hah - anyone who has carelessly used the bathroom after seeding chile peppers barehanded will attest to the fact that ANY skin or mucous membranes with pain receptors can feel the burn from the capsaicin

The fact does remain that birds don't seem to mind it, but clearly it isn't a matter of tastebuds or receptors.

So I dunno. Anyone know more about this?

Pat

 

[Gersbud]

All I know on this subject is that when I take anything out to the chickens that has a mixture of items in it they will pick through it until all that remains are the things that they didn't like. So they must be able to taste or how would they know that they don't like something

 

[Churkenduse]

patandchickens wrote: The fact does remain that birds don't seem to mind it, but clearly it isn't a matter of tastebuds or receptors.

The experts seem to disagree with you

Research report suggests that the chilli's fiery taste deters creatures who are poor at dispersing the plant's seeds. Fortunately for the poultry industry, this does not include birds. "Birds appear not to have the receptors to the hot pungent part of the peppers", says McElroy. "It appears not to affect them in any way."

 

[kstaven]

Birds do not have saliva like humans to activate the capsaicin on the tongue.

 

[Churkenduse]

• Marek’s Disease
Virus -- which induces neoplasia (cancer)
Symptoms: gray eyes and blindness, lameness, paralysis, unthriftiness.
Transmission: virus can spread in feather dander, dust, feces and saliva. Infected birds carry
virus in blood for life and are a source of infection for other birds.
Prevention/Control: vaccination at hatchery; no treatment.​

 

[d.k]

*I'm having one of those days where stuff's striking me odd-- Who's in charge of counting taste buds nowadays anyway???

 

[kstaven]

I noted what you underlined. But the fact remains that like a parrot, chickens do not have saliva on the end of the tongue like a human. It is for the most part dry.