Friday, 11 March 2011
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Research Shows: Chickens Feel Empathy
I’ve heard just about every excuse in the book for eating chicken, but the most common one is that “chicken’s don’t have feelings or an IQ.”As it would turn out, they do! According to researchers, chickens are capable of feeling empathy (bet not for humans!).
Empathy—the trait of mirroring the feelings of another—is an ability hens have with their own chicks. The researchers exposed chicks to puffs of air and found that when they showed signs of distress, their mothers mirrored the same! The hens heart rate increased, eye temperature lowers (stress signal) and they would become alert.
While this is a great argument promoting vegetarianism, omnivores could argue that under commercial conditions of chicken farming, chickens hardly ever come across other chickens in stress/pain.
Note: The study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council's Animal Welfare Initiative.
Does this change how you feel about eating chickens? What are your thoughts?
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- From: sbaral@xanga
- About Me: I'm a Rutgers University graduate who discovered a passion for writing in college when I found myself enjoying researching for and writing papers instead of working at biology labs. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and watching movies--I am in pursuit of learning to fluently speak French and Italian after developing an interest in these languages from watching foreign films. Apart from foreign films and cooking, my interests include photography, traveling, art history and interior design. twitter.com/sushbaral
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Comments (54)
aw chickies! :-/ sucks that they're so fucking delicious.
@TheSecretLifeOfPandas@xanga - lol
Interesting. Maybe we should cannibalize other humans who don't have empathy abilities instead. Two birds, one stone, many filled tummies :P
@OstentatiousEloquence@xanga - lol.
@OstentatiousEloquence@xanga - LOL :D
In farms that are not well taken care of and are less organized they can witness other chickens or baby chicks in pain. Animals are definitely not as stupid as we think they are.
Most mother animals would be distressed if their babies were in pain, wouldn't they?
Sure, all animals have instincts, but I've spent my whole life around many different kinds of animals. I'm not convinced that they have actual feelings or empathy. Instincts (i.e. doing what it takes to survive and proliferate) in animals can be strong though.
Ironically, I don't really eat chicken. I'm a flexitarian, but I rarely eat meat, and I don't like the taste of chicken.
I hate when people say BLACK people LOVE chicken when WHITE people LOVE it just as much lol
Animals are just like humans, except they are a different species and can't talk. Ridiculous to say any animal doesn't feel pain especially a terrestrial animal.
I think it would be more accurately described as empathy if the chicken felt this for other chickens and not just her own chicks, because that could be argued to be maternal instinct, though I agree that it could have an empathy component to it.
I'll still eat them, though I love chickens and they're one of my favorite animals. Something having feelings doesn't make me less likely to eat it. Hell, I bet if it were common practice and not dangerous to eat human flesh in the part of society I live in, I'd probably do that too. If I liked how it tasted, that is. Or if it were part of my spiritual practices.
Whatever. The point is, you can respect and treat living things well, and still kill it and eat it. Native Americans did it in ways that made sense. They didn't over-hunt, they used every part of the corpse, and they respected the environment for helping them survive. I don't see why we can't act the same way.
@Mangonese@xanga - So you're okay with eating chickens that have been treated absolutely horribly? The meat you buy in the grocery in no way follows the Native American philosophy you hail.
Research shows: There is significant fecal bacteria in the chicken you eat.
@Bobby@xanga - Yeah. Because the philosophy I mentioned is in ideal world and what I believe we SHOULD be doing. I don't say it IS what we do, and I don't delude myself.
I have to eat chicken and fish. I don't eat pork, beef, or any other sort of meat at all. I don't even eat either one of those meats frequently, since I really can't afford meat anyway, but I am definitely suffering for it.
I do my best to consume as little as possible, because yes, I love animals and I don't think they way they're treated is right when it comes to commercial farming. But if I want to survive at all, I have to sometimes. I try not to think about it. End of story.
Honestly, I would love to go vegetarian. It's healthy and such. And I'm a total animal lover. But, I'm also incredibly picky. And the only thing that I really actually like is chicken...
I work in a chicken with a lot of raw chicken... it sucks. I hate seeing them...
Chickens do behave like people. I remember in Nicaragua we brought in a new chicken to the pen. Automatically, none of the hens liked this chicken. What did they do? The same thing people would do. They would lash out at the poor thing whenever she came too close, some of them even going out of their way to attack her. They pushed her away from the food when feeding time came and they basically alienated her. It was a fascinating and depressing display. The chicken eventually started sticking close to the gnome pair (a miniature rooster and hen). They, in the beginning were alienated as well, I think it's mostly due to their small stature.
Chickens are interesting creatures. They're like tiny, harmless velocoraptors.
mmmm chickens!
@BebstersBlog2@xanga - Flexitarian. hahaha
wait..that was a joke..
right?
@amberALD531@xanga - That must be one huge chicken you work in.
The animals we eat are relatively intelligent, there is no argument. I'm not sure if they do it with chickens, but I do not approve of the Halal-style method of animal slaughter, which I think does not involve anaesthetic. Grossly evil, cruel, and inhumane, and done to appease those who believe in imaginary friends. I think all animals should be put to sleep before they're dismembered for the meat market. Besides that, I'm a guilt free omnivore. Perhaps if I eat pork, I'll have a clearer conscience
.
@ShimmerBodyCream@xanga - Danggiittt. I definitely meant to put kitchen.
Hey. Don't make me feel guilty for eating chicken.
I wonder if the chicken feels my sense of satisfaction after I eat it.
@QuantumStorm@xanga - hilarious!
@kingsaul@xanga - kfc is the biggest fast food chain in china and an average kfc has 2 floors and is crowded at all times. so the love for chicken is universal=D