training chickens to not eat "red" by using thai peppers

[DaveD]

Quote:
Dude, check your facts:

Science Direct

The location and number of taste buds were mapped in palatal epithelia of one-day old chicks and bud widths measured. Bud counts additionally were recorded for the tongue, and floor of the lower beak. An average of 316 taste buds was observed in the oral cavity of which 69%, 29% and 2% were distributed across oral epithelium in the upper beak (palate), lower beak and posteroventrolateral region of the anterior tongue, respectively.

Wiley interscience

While the mammalian chorda tympani innervates taste buds on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, the chorda tympani of chickens does not enter the tongue, but rather is reported to supply the oral epithelium of the lower beak subjacent to the tongue

-David​

 

[al6517]

Not convinced !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!................... I spend more time with my chickens than any Lab science geek and my opinion still stands........................ perhaps we can get more responses.................. more practical non urban pet chicken owners to weigh in.

AL

 

[sommrluv]

My chickens love hot peppers, but the chicks I had wouldn't touch anything red. Peppers, lobster shells, I thought it was nature or something...we had SO many ladybugs in the house this winter, and they wouldn't touch them. They were actually "co-habitating" in their little brooder. But a stink bug goes and there and it's all out war! My older chickens don't have an aversion to red, however.

I think chickens can see color, but not neccessarily taste. They are much more motivated by texture than anything else, in my (rather minor) experience. For instance, corn is their favorite treat. BUT, they will not eat whole kernels. They will spit it out. But they wolf it down cracked.

They go nuts for anything green. Grass, onion grass, herbs, clover, and of course free ranging, but if I come to them with a handful of grass, they follow me around and jump for it. I could even have corn or meat and they aren't as crazy, but they like it as much.

 

[sommrluv]

I'm not impressed with the taste bud count...humans have 2,000 - 8,000 taste buds.

I don't think anyone is debating whether they HAVE them...but whether they work the same I would think bears argument.

 

[DaveD]

I'm sure they have amore limited sense of taste because of the number of taste buds. Kind of like we can't smell anywhere near as well as a dog - doesn't mean we cant smell, onlymeans it's not as good.

-David

 

[ReiMiraa]

wow my thread has become interesting.
i wonder if there are any ornothologists on this site. if so please weigh your opinion here.

sometimes after watching what my chickens eat i really do wonder if they have tastebuds. but if it is more of texture then that explains why they like styrofoam. (they find it freeranging) maybe they can taste sugar or salt. cos they do go crazy for cherries or fresh corn.