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I've observed that they generally choose not to defecate on their eggs, and they spend a lot of time in their nests, so they at least have some awareness if not

I've observed that they generally choose not to defecate on their eggs, and they spend a lot of time in their nests, so they at least have some awareness if not control of the process. I'm skeptical that they can be considered "pretty smart" - your expected intelligence level has to be pretty low to be surprised by a chicken's brain. If you anticipate little more than an unfeeling, unthinking plant - yeah, they've got emotional and social capacity, will bond with humans, and they can occasionally be clever when sufficiently motivated, but they're not the sharpest bulbs in the barn.

gadders 1y ago
>>I've observed that they generally choose not to defecate on their eggs This is a fair point. My coop has 6 nesting boxes, and it definitely seems as if one or two are designated "toilet cubicles". >>I'm skeptical that they can be considered "pretty smart" By "pretty smart" I'm not talking dolphins or chimps. I think they are at least as smart as a comparative pet such as a rabbit or a guinea pig. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-startling-intelligence-of-the-common-chicken1/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-startling-int...