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Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: csa1cm@gondor.mcs.surrey.ac.uk (Caroline McInnes)
Subject: Chickens need cuddles, too!
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 94 16:02:44 GMT

Check this out in today's The Times (from England), p.10 Thursday September 8 1994 edition:

SOOTHING VIDEO TREAT COULD EGG ON CHICKENS

Poultry farmers could have more productive hens if they installed video screens showing chickens being stroked. Studies indicate that hens tht are deprived of human contact are likely to be more anxious and prone to poor egg-laying and growth.

Dr Bryan Jones, of the Roslin Institute in Midlothian (Scotland), said yesterday that tests showed that picking up and stroking a chicken improved its mental health. However, it was not feasible for the farmer to handle every chicken in today's huge commercial flocks, he said, and further tests showed that for a chicken to watch another one being stroked had the same effect.

The scientists believe that poultry farmers should visit hen houses more frequently and stroke some of the hens in sight of other birds.

Screening a video of a chicken being stroked might have a similar soothing effect. Dr Jones said there was evidence that chickens would respond to projected or televised images.