# How long does it take a to train a chicken to peck at a light?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-to-train-a-chicken-to-peck-at-a-light/778940>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-to-train-a-chicken-to-peck-at-a-light/778940 "2017-02-03T22:57:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-to-train-a-chicken-to-peck-at-a-light/778940/1 "2017-02-03T22:57:33Z")

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See query.

[Please stand and remove your hat.](https://youtu.be/XfPBfMGLf9Q)

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-to-train-a-chicken-to-peck-at-a-light/778940/2 "2017-02-04T00:11:38Z")

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[“I guess this means no live entertainment with dessert.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RZQTloQuVs)

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**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-to-train-a-chicken-to-peck-at-a-light/778940/3 "2017-02-04T01:53:18Z")

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I could teach a tame chicken to peck at a light (not search for a specific light, that would take longer) in about ten minutes, depending on the chicken. It’s not a hard task. For one thing, they peck at things to find out what they are. You reward when they peck at a light. Pretty soon they peck and look for the treat. Simple.

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**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-a-to-train-a-chicken-to-peck-at-a-light/778940/4 "2017-02-04T03:24:15Z")

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That’s how they taught chickens to “play” tic-tac-toe in those arcade games that were popular in the 70s. The chicken didn’t actually select an X or an O when it was the bird’s “turn.” A computer inside the machine turned on a light and the chicken was trained to peck a button in response for a reward. The computer would display the X or O in response to the human’s move.

[Tic-tac-toe playing chicken.](https://www.google.com/amp/s/snaughty.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/people-we-all-look-up-to-6-the-tic-tac-toe-chicken/amp/?client=lightning)