What's The "Smartest" Thing You've Seen a Chicken Do?

[Redcatcher]

And what are their breeds, ages and genders? This has to be something that you've seen one of your own chickens do, not something you've seen on YouTube or whatever.

This would have to be my six month old Madagascar games (pullet and cockerel). They have deductive reasoning capabilities that rival a cat or dog. Mine can distinguish 18 different shapes for a reward. They can also count or keep track of numbers up to 10.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I don't know if it qualifies as 'smart' or not, but all my chickens do things that contradict the common thought that 'chickens have a poor sense of smell'.
How do you know yours count / keep track of numbers? That's really amazing!

Lisa

 

[Redcatcher]

I have 18 different foam cutouts of shapes, same color....Clover, diamond, square, triangle ect. They choose the correct shape for a reward, up to 18. After that the shapes confuse them since they look similar to one another. I'm now trying different colors to see if they can choose the yellow diamond over the blue one, ect.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

My rooster just got his "Masters of Fine Crowing!

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

I finally got 2 rosecomb/silkie mix bantam hens to land gently in my hand for a treat, instead of clinging to my chest like apes. I'll try to give you a video.

The rosecomb/silkie mix roosters were masters at landing gentlemanly in my hand. I think the little hens only tried sheepishly, they were shy while their bolder rooster brothers were getting all the attention. The roosters just seemed smarter, too.

 

[gootziecat]

I have 18 different foam cutouts of shapes, same color....Clover, diamond, square, triangle ect. They choose the correct shape for a reward, up to 18.

I would be most interested in how you were able to get them to understand what it was you were asking of them. It would be fun to try this on other breeds to test their intelligence.​

 

[stormylady]

My chickens held a egg laying 101 class a couple of years ago when my first chicken Peaches laid her first egg. Not sure if its considered smart but I though it was funny, one day we were out side and all of the chickens were in there yard and I turned around and everyone was gone so I went and checked in the coop and all of the girls were lined up in a simi circle around peaches , she was laying her first egg and you could have heard a pin drop just little peeps here and there and honeycomb my roo at the time was standing over her with his wings spread out so you couldn't see peached and all the little girls were trying to peak under and over his wings trying to watch her but nobody moved any closer. I didn't know that they did that It was soooo funny to watch.

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:
Wow, cool story.....very wierd but cool!!

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Wow, cool story.....very wierd but cool!!

I know it! weird! but I couldn't believe it was happening I remember posting the story a long time ago when they first did it. It was when I first got my chickens I didn't know what was going on til I found her egg a little bit later. And never seen them do it since. LOL chickens do such silly things.

 

[kstaven]

Smartest thing I have ever seen a chicken do is run when they see an axe!