Chickens sneeze! But you knew that, right? You probably saw the YouTube video that went viral over the holidays – but there is so much more to chickens than just their obvious adorableness.

Did you know chickens can do math? They might not “scratch three times” when you ask them what 2+1 is, but they are capable of mathematical reasoning and logic to a greater degree than human toddlers are. That’s right, sorry moms – chickens know more about the transitive inference (if A>B and B>C, then A>C) than your kid!

And speaking of kids and chickens, you know that game of peek-a-boo that human infants love so much? Chickens aren’t nearly as entertained by it — in fact, unlike human babies, they are smart enough to comprehend that when an object is taken out from their line of sight, that object still exists.

Chickens also have communications skills on par with primates, they use sophisticated signals to convey intentions, they can solve complex problems, can express empathy, and they can be deceptive and cunning!

Even more interesting is that when chickens sleep, they also dream. About what we’re not sure, but it’s been shown that just like us as well as our dogs and cats at home, chickens experience REM sleep.

While we’d like to imagine these highly social and intelligent birds are dreaming of a more compassionate world where they are free from the horrors of factory farming, we’re fighting everyday to make this a reality. We’re striving to change the world for chickens – and for all animals. The first and most effective step we can take is to leave animals off our plates You can start today at TryVeg.com,

Are you ready to take the next step? Join our efforts now by becoming a member – or renewing your membership.

By working together today, we’re building a kinder tomorrow.