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00:16The chicken has been our companion for thousands of years but the world's most familiar bird is
00:28also a mystery there's so much more to the chicken story beneath those feathers is an evolutionary
00:40superstar these descendants of dinosaurs possess super sensory abilities amazing brain power
00:53they are absolutely sentient beings they are intelligent no doubt about it and a complex
01:00social life full of twists and turns
01:06now the chicken is wowing scientists who are diving deep into that walnut-sized brain
01:15revealing secrets that could change the way we 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
01:45chickens are the most numerous bird on the planet there are more chickens on earth than people and while
01:53we might be very familiar with these animals they don't always get the respect they deserve these
01:59underestimated birds are truly remarkable we just have to get to know them
02:12meet the hill point farm flock
02:1650 egg-laying hens along with a handful of salty roosters whose lives can be pretty complex
02:31we've all heard the term pecking order and this comes from chickens they have a very clearly defined
02:36social hierarchy both in males and females each bird holds a rank in the flock
02:44but that can shift depending on age health strength comb size even which birds they hang out with
02:53the same hen could rank low in one group and high in another
03:00here at hill point one chicken inspires fear and commands respect maximus
03:12the top rooster keeps his flock in line through size and intimidation
03:20the top rooster keeps his flock in line along with a pair of razor sharp spurs
03:26but now that he's four he's getting past his prime
03:31no other rooster has challenged his reign yet
03:43big red is his sidekick
03:48quite happy to play second fiddle
03:54jean-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
04:13it could be his bedroom slippers or lack of personal hygiene
04:23but one rooster has been stepping on maximus's toes lately
04:29hercules
04:36young virile aggressive and spoiling for a fight
04:45tension is growing in the barnyard a regime change is imminent
04:52but for these prey animals sometimes the real enemy is not within
04:58now this may seem like a picturesque peaceful farm but there are predators everywhere and that makes it
05:05pretty dangerous for chickens
05:14on farms everywhere hidden dangers surround any chicken run
05:21all kinds of hungry hunters
05:26a secure coop offers protection especially 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
05:49once 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 so it's safer to stay out of reach of the hungry birds
06:16the chickens keep their eyes on the prize well at least one eye
06:21their right eye specializes in fine detail perfect for spotting kernels of corn on the ground
06:30while they chow down their left eye scans the bigger picture watching for predators
06:39with eyes that work independently on either side of their heads chickens have monocular vision
06:47it allows them to see 300 degrees around nearly 60 percent more than we can
06:55but if looks could kill the red-tailed hawk wins the prize
07:01its forward-facing large eyes give it sharp vision and lethal depth perception for targeting prey
07:14red tails are on their springtime migration and need to fuel their flight
07:45this time voles on the menu
07:53red tails are often called chicken hawks they'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
08:10but can chickens see themselves as individuals like humans do
08:16if an animal recognizes itself in the mirror it knows something about itself this is me it has a me
08:24understanding and 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
08:39german neuroscientist owner gunter kuhn wanted to find out does an animal like a chicken recognize itself in the mirror
08:49has it knowledge about itself owner posed the question his collaborators inga thiemann and sonja hillemacher
08:57headed to the coop for the answer hey girlies i think most of the people don't think chickens are smart
09:04animals
09:04i think they believe they are rather dumb we keep them by the billions on this planet and yet
09:12most people know so little about their behavior and cognition
09:17the animal welfare scientists had to get creative to unlock the chicken mind
09:25there 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 and we use this behavior by putting
09:53another rooster into the other compartment then having the silhouette flying on the ceiling
09:58the test rooster can see above while his companion can't i start with a projection and then let's see
10:13at 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 so they alarm the other one to say hey take
10:31care
10:32there is a predator above us okay so i think we go on with the next step okay then they
10:41test how the
10:42rooster 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 we were very curious to see how the chickens behave in
10:59front of the mirror everything leads to this final test what will the rooster do when faced with his
11:08mirror image does the test rooster emit an alarm call because he thinks its reflection in the mirror is
11:14another rooster or does he stay silent because he realizes okay it's me in the mirror i don't have to
11:20warn my
11:30mirror image the birds do not emit the call if there's just a mirror which means in terms of
11:36interpretation of the test results that they can see themselves in the mirror so they are not seeing
11:41somebody else instead most of the 58 roosters who took part were silent with their mirror image
11:51which indicates they may recognize themselves
11:55that gives us the idea of at least a hint of self-awareness in the chicken
12:01it's the first time this ability has been documented we didn't expect to find chickens showing signs of
12:09self-awareness so that might be also surprising to us but it shows that chickens and maybe a lot of
12:16other
12:16livestock species are totally underestimated in their cognitive abilities we could show that they might
12:24be able to show mirror self-recognition what might be other things that 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
12:38the animal we depend on to feed the world since thousands of years we use animals to eat them to
12:48use them for anything we wanted to use them now we are at the brink of a new time and
12:53hopefully our
12:55experiments have contributed a little bit to this new kind of discussion scientists are taking chickens
13:02seriously with a growing body of evidence showing the birds are unique individuals with distinct personalities
13:10and style
13:14from head to toe tail to comb
13:20chickens serve up wildly different looks
13:34no one can agree on how many breeds exist but they likely number in the hundreds
13:43but it begs the question is there such thing as an original chicken
13:55most scientists agree modern chickens likely descended from the red jungle fowl
14:01still roaming wild in parts of asia and beyond
14:10central thailand was likely ground zero for domestication around 3600 years ago
14:19from there chickens spread through asia the middle east and europe
14:27eventually conquering the world
14:33wherever they call home chickens often rely on some amazing abilities to get through their day
14:40when it comes to filling its gullet
14:45it's every bird for itself
15:08just like their wild relatives they are experts at foraging
15:16chickens are omnivores who enjoy a good salad bar
15:26along with cricket appies
15:34and worm tartar
15:38their beaks are highly sensitive packed with nerve endings much like our fingertips
15:46they can grasp their food no matter how wiggly with precision and control
15:53spotting snacks on the ground is easy receptors 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
16:13it'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
16:34they may be poor flyers but they can burst upwards to reach a snack or evade a predator
17:07after they've had their fill it's time to wash up
17:11at the dust bath
17:14the dust cleans their feathers of excess oil
17:18and controls parasites
17:21and 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
17:35peak mating season is just around the corner
17:55a rooster's crow is more than just a wake-up call
18:01at hill point farm
18:05maximus always crows first his right as ruler of the flock
18:14the other roosters fall in line crowing in descending order of status
18:25of course with dave
18:34crowing is multi-purpose
18:37roosters
18:38roosters sound off to assert social status
18:41scare off predators
18:43stake a claim to territory
18:45or get the hen's attention
18:48the calls are extra lusty today
18:54it's the start of spring
18:56and 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
19:32big red puts his best foot forward
19:35but fails to impress
19:38dave's advances barely register
19:50john 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
20:07hens
20:08hercules 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 hens bent
20:24with maximus distracted the other bachelors make their move
20:42the barnyard action leads to one of the most important developments in evolutionary history
20:54like most hens the hill point farm birds prefer safe enclosed spaces to lay their eggs
21:01like these nest boxes
21:04hens in their prime can lay 300 eggs a year
21:14many hens share nesting boxes so the eggs can stack up fast
21:31the amazing journey from single cell to life form begins in every egg that's fertilized and 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
22:13a week later the legs are scaled the body feathered
22:24by day 18 the eggs 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 the egg holds millions of years of evolutionary secrets
22:51with 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
23:06of the animal
23:07unless you're a paleontologist
23:09like 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 are just the same as in
23:25a dinosaur
23:26egg laying is another shared trait
23:29and 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 we know that dinosaurs laid eggs dinosaurs
23:45include the ancestors of birds so a more correct answer would be to say probably the egg came first
23:51there were eggs in existence they were being laid by all kinds of primitive reptiles long before birds evolved
24:01the hard-shelled version of the egg appeared hundreds of millions of years ago
24:06well before the first bird appeared we used to think very simply the ancestor of all these land animals was
24:13producing a hard-shelled egg like a chicken
24:17michael and his colleagues dug deeper into the past using fossil records
24:22and 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 and birds and mammals
24:33may have given live birth and the hard-shelled egg came later in evolution as far as we can see
24:40turns out the eggs evolution is as interesting as the animals who laid them
24:45the picture is a lot more complicated than we thought
24:53it'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
25:20chicks will bond or imprint with each other if their mother isn't around
25:30at hill point farm the hens keep laying while the chicks are raised in a separate nursery
25:46they're safe to learn at their leisure before they graduate to the main flock
25:57in the wild mom digs up dinner while dad keeps guard
26:08watching mom and responding to her chicken chatter
26:12the chicks learn how to forage recognize threats
26:18and interact with other birds
26:22chickens can be quick studies at any age
26:30this school bus is far from ordinary
26:34but so are the students waiting for it
26:37hello chickens who wants to go first
26:41come on
26:58veterinarian emily carrington is out to prove chickens are smarter than we think
27:06come on girls good chickens come on i didn't really have any preconceived notions of what
27:15chicken intelligence was so this one she's got to pick the a out
27:25good girl
27:28she's trained them to identify specific letters numbers and colors
27:33now you've got to pick the o
27:37good 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 they seem to be able to learn in the short term fairly
27:51quickly
27:52we've arrived at chicken college
27:55i'm gonna 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 very ready
28:04this one she's supposed to peck the letter o instead of the zent
28:08okay do you want to give it a try yeah let's try it okay so all you have to do
28:11is hold on to this
28:12okay and um kind of set her up here okay and then walk over there and put it about chicken
28:18height chicken height is this chicken height oh well done yeah another one that they're quite good
28:24at is getting the colors do you want to try that one sure okay so her job there is to
28:29peck the yellow square
28:32which one's the yellow one
28:35good girl good girl there you go two for two
28:41when i hear someone talk about a chicken i don't automatically think of a very intelligent animal
28:48why is that the case there's the stereotype that they're not very smart so it took months and months
28:55to teach the first chicken and then now i can teach them a new letter in two or three days
29:01so you really have to get into the mind of a chicken yes
29:08and one chicken earned a place in the guinness world records
29:14six letters in one minute impressive for a chicken
29:22i think that the biggest benefit for me wasn't teaching them the tricks the reward is the really
29:31close understanding you develop with a creature that is so incredibly different than you are
29:37we can teach chickens their abcs but scientists are discovering that they also have something to say
29:45they are absolutely sentient beings how do we tell my fellow human beings that they are much more than
29:52what we think
30:03to get a bird's eye view on how far we've come with the domesticated chicken
30:09there'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
30:31these animals were bred to look a certain way so it's not like they evolved with the natural
30:37surroundings to blend in or camouflage they're actually looking like this because humans thought
30:43that these were nice traits look at this animal i mean it's just so amazing how the feathers actually
30:50grow right over the eyes i just am blown away by the diversity of these birds i mean i had
30:57no idea
30:59like this one looks very different from this one but they're the same breed can i try a barn a
31:06barnyard hold
31:07yeah she's gonna be okay with that yeah
31:12i am really bonding with this chicken i really do have to say i'm 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 to the bearded white polish who looks straight out of dr seuss
31:31this is a really big show for our area we have about 830 birds here today
31:37emmett wild is one of the show's organizers
31:41it can be pretty competitive here we certainly have veteran breeders here who
31:46are pulling out all the stops to make sure their birds are in tip-top shape and ready to please
31:51do you want to make sure their feathers are all nice and clean they like their combs rubbed too
32:13i'm just so struck by how much humans have selected
32:17it's not really good for certain traits i mean how long has this been going on a lot of this
32:23breed
32:24selection and color selection has really reached its zenith in the last couple of centuries really so
32:30this type of convention where you have all these different breeds is relatively new it is so this sort
32:37of organized style of poultry evaluation is really less than 200 years old from their wild origins we've
32:45bred chickens for every purpose and trait faster growth for food aggression for fighting more
32:52docile for farmers and of course to show off so there's really something out there for everyone
32:59no matter what you find interesting or beautiful why are people competing for this yeah we have a small
33:05cash prize but probably not enough to even cover your gas to get here so it's just the the prestige
33:12and the
33:12renown in our local poultry community
33:17the passion for pageantry starts young in chicken land
33:27good job that's what you want to see the band
33:30the judge has determined that these are the best of the best
33:40this is my first show i'm really glad you have such an amazing bird
33:47chickens aren't just trophy animals they also have something to say
33:57livestock scientist surish nitirajan is using technology to better connect with farm animals
34:03like the chicken do you want to go and check the microphone yashin slowly yeah slowly they are super
34:17intelligent creatures how do we tell my fellow human beings that you know they are much more than what
34:25we think so that's my agenda in nova scotia surish and his students eavesdrop on chickens to better
34:36understand their communication slowly slowly every squawk cluck and chirp is recorded and analyzed
34:45you hear the sound you know it's mostly contented chips and murmurs there is really no alarm calls or any
34:52stress indicators so the bird seems to be really doing well cameras record what the birds are up to
35:01at the time of their calls whether laying an egg or squabbling over territory the viewer camera provides
35:09is a pretty good wide-angle view you can capture each and every moment of the bird thermal imaging reveals
35:16body temperature which can indicate if the birds are stressed together these tools show the context of
35:24the sounds being made giving them meaning how do they express their discontent contentment frustration
35:33fear recognition of their own peers when they interact with so we are trying to unravel with the help of
35:39instrumentation and sensor technologies the team used ai to sift through four months of collected data
35:48so what are the birds talking about
35:55so we can listen to the variety of calls made at different context and understand the buried emotions
36:05behind these calls
36:10surish believes two-way communication between humans and chickens is a real possibility
36:19so this is a nurturing murmur call
36:22dr doolittle could become fact not just fiction
36:26there is a possibility for us to say something and the black box the tool can actually translate
36:34and 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 uh hey how are you you know good to see
36:45you
36:45like that they can respond in their own language in their own way through clucks and squawks and murmurs
36:52and 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 the happy bird is a productive bird the quality and
37:10the nutrition uh the richness of the uh egg that's produced by the laying hands is much much a good
37:16quality being kinder to chickens could pay off in more ways than one chickens does have feeling they are
37:26absolutely sentient beings they are intelligent no doubt about it but how do we create this awareness
37:33among our fellow human beings so the research we are currently doing we are aspiring for is to
37:40improve that empathy and the kinship towards our fellow creatures
37:50empathy is in short supply at hill point farm where a dust-up is brewing for the right to rule
37:57the roost
38:12spring is waning
38:15and 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 at 15 months he's bursting with testosterone-fueled confidence
38:36this is his chance to seize the throne he's armed and dangerous
38:45his spurs are natural weapons used for defense or to strike at an enemy like a spear
38:54but the spurs maximus wields are just as lethal as he's aged they've grown hard and sharp as knives
39:03his spurs
39:28hercules throws down the gauntlet
39:35hercules
39:50maximus is no match for the stronger and faster gunslinger
40:13big red the once trusty deputy sees his losing hand and changes allegiance
40:34maximus
40:35with maximus run out of town his one-year reign is left in the dust
40:43the life of a chicken can be fleeting
40:59for free-range fowl the lifespan is around six years but some have made it to twenty
41:07for now all is quiet
41:13the coup d'etat is a distant memory
41:18and hercules reigns supreme
41:22with all the responsibilities
41:26and perks of the new role
41:50maximus
41:510
41:51maximus rejected by his flock lives in exile
41:58in the turkey pen safe from Hercules he's found refuge in a new flock at least until Thanksgiving
42:32chickens are everywhere they're in our food in our culture in our backyards but before this
42:40journey I knew nothing about chickens what I learned transformed how I see them
42:51chickens have been at our side for thousands of years pecking their way into nearly every culture
42:58and country we've transformed this wild bird into the most populous domesticated animal in the world
43:08let's celebrate them
43:12for their startling intelligence kaleidoscope of diversity and complex social lives
43:22when 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
43:35so
43:49so
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