- 17 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00The chicken has been our companion for thousands of years, but the world's most familiar bird
00:27is also a mystery. There's so much more to the chicken story. Beneath those feathers is an evolutionary
00:39superstar. These descendants of dinosaurs possess super sensory abilities, amazing brainpower.
00:53They are absolutely sentient beings. They are intelligent, no doubt about it.
00:58And a complex social life full of twists and turns. Now the chicken is wowing scientists who
01:10are diving deep into that walnut-sized brain, revealing secrets that could change the way
01:18we see chickens and impact how we treat all farm animals.
01:23Does an animal like a chicken recognize itself in the mirror? Has it knowledge about itself?
01:30It's time for chickens to step onto center stage.
01:46Chickens are the most numerous bird on the planet. There are more chickens on earth than people.
01:52And while we might be very familiar with these animals, they don't always get the respect they deserve.
01:57These underestimated birds are truly remarkable. We just have to get to know them.
02:10Meet the Hill Point farm flock. 50 egg-laying hens, along with a handful of salty roosters, whose lives can be pretty complex.
02:24We've all heard the term pecking order, and this comes from chickens. They have a very clearly defined social hierarchy,
02:38both in males and females.
02:40Each bird holds a rank in the flock, but that can shift depending on age, health, strength, comb size, even which birds they hang out with.
02:52The same hen could rank low in one group and high in another.
03:01Here at Hill Point, one chicken inspires fear and commands respect.
03:08Maximus.
03:08The top rooster keeps his flock in line through size and intimidation.
03:20Along with a pair of razor sharp spurs.
03:26But now that he's four, he's getting past his prime.
03:29No other rooster has challenged his reign. Yet.
03:44Big Red is his sidekick.
03:48Quite happy to play second fiddle.
03:50Jean-Claude lurks on the sidelines.
04:00His spurs may be small, but he packs a big libido.
04:06No one pays much attention to Dave, one of the smallest birds in the flock.
04:11It could be his bedroom slippers.
04:17Or lack of personal hygiene.
04:23But one rooster has been stepping on Maximus's toes lately.
04:30Hercules.
04:30Young, virile, aggressive, and spoiling for a fight.
04:45Tension is growing in the barnyard.
04:48A regime change is imminent.
04:52But for these prey animals, sometimes the real enemy is not within.
04:57Now this may seem like a picturesque, peaceful farm.
05:02But there are predators everywhere.
05:05And that makes it pretty dangerous for chickens.
05:14On farms everywhere, hidden dangers surround any chicken run.
05:21All kinds of hungry hunters.
05:24A secure coop offers protection.
05:29Especially overnight, when chickens' vision is poor.
05:34While they sleep, they have a special snooze power.
05:39One eye closes, putting that hemisphere of the brain to sleep.
05:43While the other side keeps watch for predators.
05:46Once they're up, an empty stomach jump-starts the day.
06:02Chicken feed can attract rodents, like the meadow vole.
06:09Chickens will kill and eat voles.
06:12So it's safer to stay out of reach of the hungry birds.
06:17The chickens keep their eyes on the prize.
06:19Well, at least one eye.
06:22Their right eye specializes in fine detail.
06:26Perfect for spotting kernels of corn on the ground.
06:28While they chow down, their left eye scans the bigger picture.
06:36Watching for predators.
06:39With eyes that work independently on either side of their heads,
06:44chickens have monocular vision.
06:46It allows them to see 300 degrees around, nearly 60% more than we can.
06:55But if looks could kill, the red-tailed hawk wins the prize.
07:02Its forward-facing, large eyes give it sharp vision and lethal depth perception for targeting prey.
07:08Red-tails are on their springtime migration and need to fuel their flight.
07:30Red-tails are often called chicken hawks.
07:42Red-tails are often called chicken hawks.
07:57They'll take their food feathered, but prefer furry.
08:03One of the benefits of being a flock animal is more eyes on the lookout for predators.
08:08But can chickens see themselves as individuals, like humans do?
08:16If an animal recognizes itself in the mirror, it knows something about itself.
08:22This is me. It has a me understanding.
08:25And that's a cognitive feature that we believe, at least, could go along with consciousness.
08:32With the humble chicken, is there enough room in that walnut-sized brain for an ego?
08:38German neuroscientist Oner Gunterkun wanted to find out.
08:45Does an animal like a chicken recognize itself in the mirror?
08:49Has it knowledge about itself?
08:52Oner posed the question.
08:53His collaborators, Inge Thiemann and Sonja Hillemacher, headed to the coop for the answer.
08:59Hey, girlies.
09:01I think most of the people don't think chickens are smart animals.
09:04I think they believe they are rather dumb.
09:09We keep them by the billions on this planet, and yet most people know so little about their behavior and cognition.
09:18The animal welfare scientists had to get creative to unlock the chicken mind.
09:23There are tests that we try to develop that we apply to the chickens, taking their natural behavior into account.
09:38So they built an experiment around the rooster's instinct to warn its flock of a predator,
09:43like a bird of prey.
09:46They emit an alarm call to alarm that there's some danger near.
09:51And we use this behavior by putting another rooster into the other compartment,
09:55then having the silhouette flying on the ceiling.
09:58The test rooster can see above, while his companion can't.
10:02I start with a projection, and then, let's see.
10:14At the sight of a hawk overhead, the rooster sounds the alarm to warn the other chicken.
10:24If there is another chicken, they emit an alarm call.
10:27So they alarm the other one to say, hey, take care.
10:32There is a predator above us.
10:36Okay, so I think we go on with the next step.
10:39Okay.
10:41Then they test how the rooster will react on its own.
10:47The rooster stays quiet if there's no other chicken to warn.
10:52No sense attracting the hungry predator to himself.
10:55We were very curious to see how the chickens behave in front of the mirror.
11:01Everything leads to this final test.
11:05What will the rooster do when faced with his mirror image?
11:08Does the test rooster emit an alarm call because he thinks its reflection in the mirror is another
11:14rooster? Or does he stay silent because he realizes, okay, it's me in the mirror. I don't have to warn my
11:21mirror image.
11:31The birds do not emit the call if there's just a mirror, which means, in terms of interpretation of
11:37the test results, that they can see themselves in the mirror so they're not seeing somebody else instead.
11:43Most of the 58 roosters who took part were silent with their mirror image, which indicates they may
11:52recognize themselves.
11:56That gives us the idea of at least a hint of self-awareness in the chicken.
12:00It's the first time this ability has been documented.
12:05We didn't expect to find chickens showing signs of self-awareness, so that might be also surprising to us.
12:13But it shows that chickens and maybe a lot of other livestock species are totally underestimated in
12:19their cognitive abilities.
12:21We could show that they might be able to show mirror self-recognition, what might be other things
12:28that we missed out until now.
12:32These findings inspire us to see the chicken in a new light and could lead to a better life for the
12:38animal we depend on to feed the world.
12:41Since thousands of years, we use animals to eat them, to use them for anything we wanted to use them.
12:51Now we are at the brink of a new time and hopefully our experiments have contributed a little bit
12:57to this new kind of discussion.
13:00Scientists are taking chickens seriously with a growing body of evidence showing the birds are unique
13:06individuals with distinct personalities and style.
13:14From head to toe, tail to comb, chickens serve up wildly different looks.
13:23We are at the brink of a new breed.
13:34No one can agree on how many breeds exist, but they likely number in the hundreds.
13:44But it begs the question, is there such thing as an original chicken?
13:53The most scientists agree modern chickens likely descended from the red jungle fowl,
14:02still roaming wild in parts of Asia and beyond.
14:10Central Thailand was likely ground zero for domestication around 3,600 years ago.
14:17From there, chickens spread through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, eventually conquering the world.
14:33Wherever they call home, chickens often rely on some amazing abilities to get through their day.
14:39When it comes to filling its gullet, it's every bird for itself.
15:00Just like their wild relatives, they are experts at foraging.
15:17Chickens are omnivores, who enjoy a good salad bar.
15:21Along with cricket appies.
15:34And worm tartar.
15:39Their beaks are highly sensitive, packed with nerve endings, much like our fingertips.
15:44They can grasp their food, no matter how wiggly, with precision and control.
15:53Spotting snacks on the ground is easy.
15:56Receptors in their eyes allow them to see more colors than us.
16:01And a specialized receptor likely helps detect the movement of prey.
16:09They're toothless, so food is swallowed whole.
16:12It's stored in the crop, a small sack on the bird's chest.
16:18Overnight, it makes its way to the stomach to be digested.
16:29They may be poor fliers, but they can burst upwards to reach a snack, or evade a predator.
16:59After they've had their fill, it's time to wash up at the dust bath.
17:14The dust cleans their feathers of excess oil and controls parasites.
17:19And because they have a third eyelid, that acts like a pair of safety goggles,
17:25their eyes are protected from dust and debris.
17:32It's a good time for the flock to rest up for the excitement to come.
17:37Peak mating season is just around the corner.
17:40A rooster's crow is more than just a wake-up call.
17:58A rooster's crow is more than just a wake-up call.
18:01At Hill Point Farm,
18:06Maximus always crows first, his right as ruler of the flock.
18:10The other roosters fall in line, crowing in descending order of status.
18:26Ending, of course, with Dave.
18:35Crowing is multi-purpose.
18:37Roosters sound off to assert social status, scare off predators,
18:43stake a claim to territory, or get the hen's attention.
18:48The calls are extra lusty today.
18:54It's the start of spring and peak mating time.
19:00Maximus tries to hoard all the hens and keep his rivals at bay.
19:07He kicks off courtship with a circle dance.
19:12Dropping one wing to show he's looking for romance.
19:18Meanwhile, some of his harem have flown the coop.
19:25Into the sights of other barnyard Romeos.
19:28Big Red puts his best foot forward, but fails to impress.
19:38Dave's advances barely register.
19:41Jean-Claude struts his stuff.
19:54But is left in the dust.
19:59Hens can be picky, rejecting any suitors that don't strike their fancy.
20:03Hercules skips courtship altogether.
20:12Sex is fast and furious.
20:15The male has no penis.
20:17Just a small bump that delivers sperm into the hen's bent.
20:24With Maximus distracted, the other bachelors make their move.
20:29The barnyard action leads to one of the most important developments in evolutionary history.
20:48Like most hens, the Hill Point farm birds prefer safe, enclosed spaces to lay their eggs.
21:01Like these nest boxes.
21:02Hens in their prime can lay 300 eggs a year.
21:14Many hens share nesting boxes.
21:17So the eggs can stack up fast.
21:27The amazing journey from single cell to life form begins in every egg that's fertilized,
21:37and then incubated.
21:40The first step in a chicken's life.
21:46By day three, a tiny heart beats amongst the growing web of blood vessels.
21:57The eyes, comb, and beak are busy forming by day seven.
22:14A week later, the legs are scaled.
22:17The body feathered.
22:18By day 18, the egg's a tight fit, with the embryo taking up most of it.
22:31Just a few more days, and it will be time to emerge.
22:38It's no coincidence it looks a little prehistoric.
22:42The egg holds millions of years of evolutionary secrets.
22:48With most under two feet tall, chickens don't exactly evoke terror.
22:59It's hard to imagine they're a distant relative of the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex.
23:06Unless you're a paleontologist, like Michael Benton, who looks beyond the fluff and feathers.
23:14When you look at these chickens, you wouldn't think they're living dinosaurs.
23:18A lot of the anatomy, the skeleton, the overall appearance, the muscles, the senses,
23:24are just the same as in a dinosaur.
23:27Egg-laying is another shared trait.
23:30And that got Michael and his team pondering that age-old question.
23:34Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
23:37To answer, they went back to the age of dinosaurs, and beyond.
23:42We know that dinosaurs laid eggs, dinosaurs include the ancestors of birds.
23:47So a more correct answer would be to say probably the egg came first.
23:52There were eggs in existence.
23:54They were being laid by all kinds of primitive reptiles, long before birds evolved.
23:59The hard-shelled version of the egg appeared hundreds of millions of years ago,
24:06well before the first bird appeared.
24:08We used to think, very simply, the ancestor of all these land animals was producing a hard-shelled egg,
24:15like a chicken.
24:17Michael and his colleagues dug deeper into the past, using fossil records.
24:21And they found something that couldn't be summed up in a simple riddle.
24:27Actually, the evidence seems to suggest that the very first ancestors of reptiles,
24:32and birds and mammals, may have given live birth.
24:35And the hard-shelled egg came later in evolution, as far as we can see.
24:40Turns out, the egg's evolution is as interesting as the animals who laid them.
24:46The picture is a lot more complicated than we thought.
24:51It's day 21, and the eggs are under demolition from the inside, called pipping.
25:04It's a long fight to break free, taking a day or longer.
25:09Chicks will bond, or imprint, with each other if their mother isn't around.
25:30At Hill Point Farm, the hens keep laying,
25:33while the chicks are raised in a separate nursery.
25:47They're safe to learn at their leisure, before they graduate to the main flock.
25:51In the wild, mom digs up dinner, while dad keeps guard.
26:08Watching mom and responding to her chicken chatter,
26:11the chicks learn how to forage, recognize threats, and interact with other birds.
26:22Chickens can be quick studies, at any age.
26:30This school bus is far from ordinary.
26:33But so are the students waiting for it.
26:38Hello, chickens.
26:40Who wants to go first?
26:41Come on.
26:43Come on.
26:45Go on the bus.
26:49Come on.
26:50Veterinarian Emily Carrington is out to prove chickens are smarter than we think.
27:06Come on, girls.
27:07Good chickens.
27:09Come on.
27:11I didn't really have any preconceived notions of what chicken intelligence was.
27:17So this one, she's got to peck the A out.
27:25Good girl.
27:28She's trained them to identify specific letters, numbers, and colors.
27:33Now you've got to peck the O.
27:38Good girl.
27:39Whenever they distinguish the one they know from any others,
27:42good girl, they're rewarded with a treat.
27:45Chickens seem to have a pretty good memory.
27:48They seem to be able to learn in the short term fairly quickly.
27:52We've arrived at chicken college.
27:55I'm going to try my hand at substitute teaching.
27:58And we'll take her into the garage and we can start working with her.
28:01Come on, girl.
28:02Very ready.
28:04This one, she's supposed to peck the letter O instead of the Z.
28:08Okay.
28:08Do you want to give it a try?
28:09Yeah, let's try it.
28:10Okay, so all you have to do is hold on to this and kind of set her up here.
28:15Okay.
28:16And then walk over there and put it about chicken height.
28:18Chicken height.
28:19Is this chicken height?
28:20Oh, well done.
28:22Yeah.
28:23Another one that they're quite good at is getting the colors.
28:26Do you want to try that one?
28:27Sure.
28:27Okay.
28:27So her job there is to peck the yellow square.
28:32Which one's the yellow one?
28:33Good girl.
28:36Good girl.
28:37Excellent.
28:37There you go.
28:38Two for two.
28:42When I hear someone talk about a chicken, I don't automatically think of a very intelligent animal.
28:48Why is that the case?
28:49There's the stereotype that they're not very smart.
28:53So it took months and months to teach the first chicken.
28:58And then now I can teach them a new letter in two or three days.
29:02So you really have to get into the mind of a chicken.
29:04Yes.
29:08And one chicken earned a place in the Guinness World Records.
29:14Six letters in one minute.
29:17Impressive for a chicken.
29:22Let's go.
29:23I think that the biggest benefit for me wasn't teaching them the tricks.
29:28The reward is the really close understanding you develop with a creature that is so incredibly
29:35different than you are.
29:37We can teach chickens their ABCs.
29:41But scientists are discovering that they also have something to say.
29:45They are absolutely sentient beings.
29:47How do we tell my fellow human beings that they are much more than what we think?
30:04To get a bird's eye view on how far we've come with the domesticated chicken,
30:08there's no better place than a poultry pageant.
30:14Chicken devotees from across North America flock to Monroe, Washington every year to show off their
30:21prized birds.
30:27So many chickens.
30:29These animals were bred to look a certain way.
30:35So it's not like they evolved with the natural surroundings to blend in or camouflage.
30:40They're actually looking like this because humans thought that these were nice traits.
30:46Look at this animal.
30:48I mean, it's just so amazing how the feathers actually grow right over the eyes.
30:52I just am blown away by the diversity of these birds.
30:57I mean, I had no idea.
30:59Like, this one looks very different from this one, but they're the same breed.
31:05Can I try a barnyard hold?
31:07Yeah.
31:07She's going to be okay with that?
31:09Yeah.
31:12I am really bonding with this chicken.
31:14I really do have to say I'm into this chicken.
31:18Each chicken is judged on standards specific to its breed.
31:23From the single comb, light brown leghorn cockerel,
31:26to the bearded white Polish, who looks straight out of Dr. Seuss.
31:31This is a really big show for our area.
31:33We have about 830 birds here today.
31:38Emmet Wild is one of the show's organizers.
31:41It can be pretty competitive here.
31:44We certainly have veteran breeders here who are pulling out all the stops to make sure their
31:48birds are in tip-top shape and ready to please.
31:52A lot like poodles here.
32:03A lot of grooming.
32:06She's a pretty girl, isn't she?
32:07I'm just so struck by how much humans have selected for certain traits.
32:20I mean, how long has this been going on?
32:21A lot of this breed selection and color selection has really reached its zenith in the last couple of centuries.
32:29Really?
32:30So this type of convention where you have all these different breeds is relatively new?
32:35It is.
32:36So this sort of organized style of poultry evaluation is really less than 200 years old.
32:42From their wild origins, we've bred chickens for every purpose and trait.
32:48Faster growth for food, aggression for fighting, more docile for farmers, and of course, to show off.
32:56So there's really something out there for everyone, no matter what you find interesting or beautiful.
33:03Why are people competing for this?
33:04Yeah, we have a small cash prize, but probably not enough to even cover your gas to get here.
33:10So it's just the prestige and the renown in our local poultry community.
33:15The passion for pageantry starts young in chicken land.
33:27Good job.
33:28That's what you want to see.
33:34The judge has determined that these are the best of the best.
33:41This is my first show.
33:42I'm really glad to have such an amazing bird.
33:45I'm really glad to be here.
33:47Chickens aren't just trophy animals.
33:50They also have something to say.
33:57Livestock scientist, Surish Nittirajan, is using technology to better connect with farm animals,
34:04like the chicken.
34:07Do you want to go and check the microphone, Yashin?
34:10Slowly, slowly.
34:14Slowly.
34:14They are super intelligent creatures.
34:19How do we tell my fellow human beings that, you know, they are much more than what we think?
34:25So that's my agenda.
34:30In Nova Scotia, Surish and his students eavesdrop on chickens to better understand their communication.
34:37Slowly, slowly.
34:38Every squawk, cluck and chirp is recorded and analyzed.
34:44You hear the sound, you know, it's mostly contented chips and murmurs.
34:50There is really no alarm calls or any stress indicators.
34:53So the bird seems to be really doing well.
34:59Cameras record what the birds are up to at the time of their calls,
35:03whether laying an egg or squabbling over territory.
35:07The view our camera provides is a pretty good wide-angle view.
35:11You can capture each and every movement of the bird.
35:15Thermal imaging reveals body temperature, which can indicate if the birds are stressed.
35:21Together, these tools show the context of the sounds being made, giving them meaning.
35:26How do they express their discontent, contentment, frustration, fear, recognition of their own peers
35:35when they interact with?
35:37So we are trying to unravel with the help of instrumentation and sensor technologies.
35:43The team used AI to sift through four months of collected data.
35:48So what are the birds talking about?
35:50So we can listen to the variety of calls made at different contexts
36:02and understand the buried emotions behind these calls.
36:10Surish believes two-way communication between humans and chickens is a real possibility.
36:15So this is a nurturing murmur call.
36:22Dr. Doolittle could become fact, not just fiction.
36:27There is a possibility for us to say something and the black box, the tool,
36:32can actually translate and create that sound in the way the birds possibly may be able to understand.
36:39Maybe, you know, down the road the birds would say,
36:41hey, how are you, you know, good to see you, like that.
36:45They can respond in their own language, in their own way,
36:49through clucks and squacks and murmurs and other kind of sounds.
36:56By understanding a little chicken ease, farmers could better monitor the well-being of their birds
37:02and adjust conditions to improve quality of life.
37:06The happy bird is a productive bird.
37:09The quality and the nutrition, the richness of the egg that's produced by the laying
37:14ends is much, much a good quality.
37:17Being kinder to chickens could pay off in more ways than one.
37:22The chickens does have feelings. They are absolutely sentient beings.
37:28They are intelligent, no doubt about it.
37:30But how do we create this awareness among our fellow human beings?
37:35So the research we are currently doing, we are aspiring for is to improve that empathy
37:42and the kinship towards our fellow creatures.
37:45Empathy is in short supply at Hill Point Farm, where a dust-up is brewing for the right to rule the roost.
38:12Spring is waning.
38:16And so is the reign of Maximus.
38:20The head honcho isn't as strong or as fertile as he used to be.
38:28But Hercules is at his peak.
38:31At 15 months, he's bursting with testosterone-fueled confidence.
38:36This is his chance to seize the throne.
38:41He's armed and dangerous.
38:45His spurs are natural weapons used for defense or to strike at an enemy like a spear.
38:55But the spurs Maximus wields are just as lethal.
38:58As he's aged, they've grown hard and sharp as knives.
39:03Hercules throws down the gauntlet.
39:16Hercules throws down the gauntlet.
39:30Maximus is no match for the stronger and faster gunslinger.
39:44Maximus is no match for the stronger and faster gunslinger.
39:54Big Red, the once trusty deputy, sees his losing hand and changes allegiance.
40:07Big Red, the once trusty deputy, sees his losing hand and changes allegiance.
40:21Big Red, the once trusty deputy, sees his losing hand and changes allegiance to Maximus.
40:35With Maximus run out of town, his one year reign is left in the dust.
40:40There's a new sheriff in the barnyard.
40:54The life of a chicken can be fleeting.
40:57For free-range fowl, the lifespan is around six years.
41:04But some have made it to 20.
41:06For now, all is quiet.
41:14The coup d'etat is a distant memory.
41:18And Hercules reigns supreme.
41:23With all the responsibilities and perks of the new role.
41:36Maximus, rejected by his flock, lives in exile.
41:59In the turkey pen.
42:06Safe from Hercules, he's found refuge in a new flock.
42:18At least until Thanksgiving.
42:33Chickens are everywhere.
42:34They're in our food, in our culture, in our backyards.
42:39But before this journey, I knew nothing about chickens.
42:43What I learned transformed how I see them.
42:51Chickens have been at our side for thousands of years.
42:55Pecking their way into nearly every culture and country.
42:58We've transformed this wild bird into the most populous domesticated animal in the world.
43:08Let's celebrate them.
43:09For their startling intelligence, kaleidoscope of diversity, and complex social lives.
43:21When it comes to understanding them, we may just be scratching the surface.
43:30One thing's for certain, we live in the age of the chicken.
43:53I just want to know.
Comments