In recent years, scientific research has uncovered remarkable insights into the intelligence and emotional lives of farm animals such as pigs, cows, and hens.
These studies not only challenge our understanding of these animals but also cast a harsh light on the inhumane conditions they endure in factory farms.
As evidence of their cognitive abilities grows, so too does the ethical imperative to rethink how we treat these sentient beings.
Pigs: Emotionally Intelligent and Socially Aware
Pigs have long been recognized as intelligent animals, but a 2021 study published in Scientific Reports takes our understanding of their emotional intelligence to a new level.
The study revealed that pigs can recognize and respond to the emotional expressions of other pigs, demonstrating a high level of social awareness. When exposed to sounds of joy or distress from their peers, pigs exhibited distinct behavioral changes, indicating their ability to empathize with one another.
This capacity for emotional awareness makes the conditions of factory farming—where pigs are often isolated, confined, and denied any form of social interaction—even more disturbing.
Pigs are capable of complex problem-solving tasks and can learn from experience. For example, they can operate simple mechanisms to obtain food and are able to quickly learn and remember these tasks. Their ability to solve mazes and navigate complex environments has been compared to that of dogs and even young children.
In addition to their problem-solving skills, pigs have a remarkable memory. They can remember the locations of food and other resources over long periods, demonstrating a level of spatial memory similar to that of humans.
Pigs have shown a high degree of communication skills. They have a complex system of vocalizations and body language that they use to communicate with each other. Moreover, they can learn to associate human words and actions with specific outcomes, showing a degree of understanding that parallels that of dogs and young children.
Pigs’ cognitive abilities are often compared to those of a 2 to 3-year-old human child. This comparison is based on their problem-solving abilities, social complexity, memory, and learning capacity.
Although pigs are not at the same cognitive level as adult humans, their intelligence is significant and comparable to that of young children in several areas.
Cows: Skilled Problem-Solvers with Complex Emotions
Cows are often dismissed as simple creatures, but a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychology challenges this perception by revealing their problem-solving abilities.
Researchers found that cows can learn through trial and error, demonstrating complex decision-making skills. In the study, cows were presented with a puzzle that required them to manipulate levers to receive food. Cows have been observed remembering the location of food sources and can navigate complex environments to reach desired goals.
Not only did the cows learn the task, but they also exhibited signs of excitement and satisfaction when they succeeded.
Socially, cows exhibit a high degree of intelligence, similar to dogs and comparable to some aspects of human social behavior.
Cows are known to form strong social bonds with other cows and can recognize individual members of their herd, showing preferences for certain companions. They also engage in complex social interactions, establishing social hierarchies and understanding social cues from their peers.
In terms of emotional intelligence, cows experience a range of emotions, such as fear, anxiety, joy, and even excitement, and they can express empathy towards other cows in distress.
This emotional complexity suggests that cows are capable of emotional responses that are more sophisticated than previously thought. When comparing cows to humans and dogs, their cognitive and emotional abilities are closer to those of dogs and young children.
This level of cognitive ability, combined with the social bonds cows form with each other, makes the crowded, stressful environments of factory farms particularly cruel.
Sources: Marino, Lori, et al. “The Psychology of Cows.” Animal Behavior and Cognition, Nawroth, Christian, et al. “Farm Animal Cognition—Linking Behavior, Welfare and Ethics.”
Hens: A Natural Understanding of Numeracy
Hens are often seen as less intelligent than other farm animals, but a 2022 study in Animal Cognition reveals that they possess an innate understanding of basic numeracy.
The study showed that hens could distinguish between different quantities and even perform simple arithmetic tasks. When given the choice between two sets of objects, hens consistently selected the larger set, demonstrating their ability to comprehend numbers.
This finding adds to the growing body of evidence that hens have cognitive abilities far beyond what is typically recognized, making their treatment in factory farms—where they are often confined to small cages with little mental stimulation—especially inhumane.
The Ethical Implications: Rethinking Factory Farming
These studies reveal that pigs, cows, and hens are far more intelligent and emotionally complex than previously understood. They are capable of empathy, problem-solving, and even basic mathematical reasoning.
Yet, despite this growing body of evidence, millions of these animals continue to suffer in factory farms, where their cognitive and emotional needs are ignored.
The conditions in factory farms—marked by overcrowding, confinement, and a lack of social interaction—are not just inhumane; they are an insult to the intelligence and emotional capacities of these animals.
As these studies show, pigs, cows, and hens deserve far more than the bare minimum required for survival. They deserve lives where their cognitive abilities are recognized, their social bonds respected, and their emotional needs met.
For those who advocate for animal rights, these findings reinforce the urgent need to challenge the practices of factory farming. It is not just a matter of reducing suffering; it is about acknowledging the rich inner lives of these animals and ensuring they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
As science continues to uncover the depths of their intelligence, the moral case for ending factory farming becomes even stronger.
