Country Life
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April 24, 2021 They may seem dim, but chickens are off to investigate the world Credit: Universal Images Group via Getty
Assumed to be the lowest in the avian-intelligence pecking order, chickens are, in fact, more like feathered imitators
of Sherlock Holmes, says John Lewis-Stempel.
Why did the cockerel cross the track? To get to the barn, where the chicken feed is now stored.
Our Maran cock, Robespierre (‘the terror of the farmyard’), on discovering that the metal feed bin was not in its usual place in the woodshed, had gone off exploring to find it.
Chickens? Often assumed to be the lowest in the pecking order of avian intelligence. The reality? The world’s most common farmed animal there are 19 billion chickens on planet Earth is not such a dumb-cluck.
by Contributor on Friday February 26 2021
Members of the Nelson Nordic Ski Team celebrate the purchase of a new PistenBully 100 snowcat, purchased with the support of the community. The snowcat will help the ski club manage and maintain its trail network for years to come. Submitted photo
With the support of more than 300 donors, including local businesses, an anonymous benefactor and significant grants, Nelson Nordic Ski Club has purchased a new snowcat to groom its cross-country ski trail systems at Apex, Busk and Clearwater, just south of Nelson.
The Club recently concluded its cheeky Love Your Club fundraising campaign, which brought in more than $30,000 in donations from local supporters attracted by the prospect of a long-term relationship with deep, luscious classic tracks and firm, rippling corduroy.
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If you’re constantly getting up from the table to see what’s going on out your window, you’re probably not going to get as much from your meal as your dining partner who stays calmly seated. And you might even miss out on the second round of servings.
Horses living in groups experience similar scenarios. In a recent study, British researchers found that “vigilant” individuals interrupt their meals to look around their environment, reducing what scientists refer to as their foraging efficiency. As a result, they tend to have lower body condition scores (BCS) than horses that “carry on munching,” said Christine Nicol, PhD, at the Royal Veterinary College in London, the U.K.