This may be hard to accept due to our culturally conditioned sense of human superiority over our animal relations but chickens, like most (if not all) animals have a keen intelligence, a sense of self and of others and they have empathy and feelings. The cruel suffering we inflict on chickens and other animals in factory farms will come to haunt us and already does. Nobel Prize winner and polymath Albert Schweitzer had compassion for all life. He said, “We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. . . Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.” If we seek to end war and oppression, we would do well to heed this wisdom. – the editors
Chickens are sentient birds, yet they are among the most abused animals on the planet.
Globally, over 70 billion chickens are slaughtered each year. In the U.S., the vast majority of the birds raised for food spend their lives suffering inside factory farms.
At Farm Sanctuary, chickens have the freedom, space, and peace to live more naturally. As their personalities and capabilities shine through, we learn much from these resilient individuals.
The world of science is also learning more about chickens. Farm Sanctuary is proud to contribute to new understandings of these remarkable birds through groundbreaking research—including our study Pecking Up Optimism, published open-access in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, which sheds new light on chicken emotion.
1. Chickens Communicate in Complex Ways
Chickens have plenty of ways to communicate! In fact, chickens use visual cues and at least 24 distinct calls to express themselves. For example, chickens alert others in their flock to danger—and can specify whether a predator is approaching on land or from the sky.
2. Chickens Show Empathy
Did you know that hens become distressed when they see or hear their chicks upset? Chickens “catch” each other’s feelings, experiencing an emotion when they witness another bird feeling that same way. This “emotional contagion” is a simple form of empathy also experienced in humans and other socially complex species.
3. Chickens learn from each other
Culture among animals is the ability to learn through observation and pass behaviors down through generations—much like human families and communities do. Like dolphins, chimpanzees, turkeys, and other animals, chickens learn complex behaviors from each other.
4. Chickens perceive time and anticipate future events
Not only can chickens perceive the passage of time, but they can also use memories from their past. Like pigs and great apes, they can also anticipate future happenings—and may exhibit self-control in expectation of a future event, such as a treat.
5. Chickens see and hear the world in a special way
Like cats, chickens can see ultraviolet light! They also have a much wider field of vision than humans: 300 degrees compared to our 180 degrees. Sadly, on factory farms, the world chickens get to experience is reduced to tiny cages or crowded and filthy sheds.
6. Chickens know each other (and humans) as individuals
Chickens recognize other chickens as distinct individuals and know where everyone falls within the pecking order of their flock! These remarkable birds can remember up to 100 faces, including those of humans. They can also distinguish between chickens who are or aren’t members of the group.
7. Chickens have moods and might be more optimistic when they can learn
Like humans, chickens experience different and changing moods. Recent research shows that chickens blush in response to emotions such as excitement! Plus, in our Pecking Up Optimism Study, Farm Sanctuary researchers found that Cornish Cross chickens may experience increased levels of optimism when offered learning opportunities.
8. Chickens account for over 90% of land animals killed for food in the U.S.
Over nine billion chickens are slaughtered for meat each year in the United States, nearly all of them raised on factory farms. A recent Animal Equality report based on USDA data reveals that half a billion U.S. chickens die before they even reach a slaughterhouse. This is not only devastating animal suffering but also evidence that factory farming is inefficient and wasteful.
9. Chickens (and other birds) are left out of federal animal welfare protections
Despite being farmed in such staggering numbers, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other birds considered “poultry” are excluded from the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. They are left without federal protections, but you can help change that.
Xena hen
Speak up for chickens today! Over nine billion chickens, turkeys, and other birds considered “poultry” are slaughtered for food each year in the United States. Yet, sadly, these sentient animals are excluded from federal animal welfare protections. Use our handy form to urge the USDA to include birds in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.
