Chickens don’t exactly have a reputation of being the sharpest creatures in the animal kingdom. Yet, talk to anyone who raises chickens and they’ll tell you that they are far more intelligent and social than we often give them credit for. For example, chickens can recognize the faces of 100 other chickens and find their way home just days after birth.
Guest host Rachel Feltman talks with Sy Montgomery, author of the new book, What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird, about her own flock and what she’s learned about chicken intelligence.
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Segment Guests
Sy Montgomery
Sy Montgomery is the author of What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird. She’s based in Hancock, New Hampshire.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Shoshannah Buxbaum
@Shoshannah_BuxShoshannah Buxbaum is a producer for Science Friday. She’s particularly drawn to stories about health, psychology, and the environment. She’s a proud New Jersey native and will happily share her opinions on why the state is deserving of a little more love.
About Rachel Feltman
Rachel Feltman is a freelance science communicator who hosts “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week” for Popular Science, where she served as Executive Editor until 2022. She’s also the host of Scientific American’s show “Science Quickly.” Her debut book Been There, Done That: A Rousing History of Sex is on sale now.