Research into chicken cognition has revealed sophisticated mental abilities that transform the welfare case for better treatment of the world's most numerous bird.
Chicken intelligence has been systematically underestimated due to the assumption that birds lack cognitive complexity. Research by Lori Marino and others has documented a rich behavioral and cognitive repertoire including basic numerical abilities, time perception, and empathic responses. These findings substantially strengthen the welfare case for improved treatment. A species capable of empathy and future planning that is routinely housed in conditions preventing all natural behavior, social structure, and environmental exploration is experiencing a more significant welfare cost than was previously assumed.