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

[Chocolatier]

Our band of five was "helping" dig potatoes last weekend. After watching for a bit they enthusiastically joined in and started moving dirt. Of course they were mostly in the way but got an "A" for effort. The next day they went to the same area, unsupervised, and dug up three more we'd missed. After finding one, uncovering it and clearing out around it they'd move on to the next and the next. They didn't try to eat any so it wasn't done for food.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

my hens come running to me when they draw the attention of a rooster they dont like, tonight one hen very deliberately walked around the dogs, hopped onto the poarch and sat in the chair next to me, while the roo who followed her couldn't get very close.

When he moved on she watched, then hopped down and gave him the slip in the other direction. Tell me she didn't know what she was doing.

 

[MaureenL128]

My one girl I call friendly chicken comes running when I snap my fingers. She knows I snap when there are bugs around. I turn over logs in the yard for her and as soon as she hears me snap, she knows there's gonna be a yummy snack waiting!

 

[Carrie Lynn]

My banty prefers it when I moisten her crumbles.
When they are dry, and some are on the ground, and water is nearby, she dips her beak in the water and uses it to wet the crumble. She will do this a dozen times so it's obvious it's intentional.

 

[GardenGal]

So clever!

 

[joneus]

Achickenwrangler#1 :

my hens come running to me when they draw the attention of a rooster they dont like, tonight one hen very deliberately walked around the dogs, hopped onto the poarch and sat in the chair next to me, while the roo who followed her couldn't get very close.

When he moved on she watched, then hopped down and gave him the slip in the other direction. Tell me she didn't know what she was doing.

To some degree, my girls do that too! Its like they know that Mom is a safe, "no breeding zone" because they all come up to me & hang out when my 5mo cockerel gets a bit too interested in them!​

 

[BusyBlonde]

My chickens know when I get home. They run to the upper corner of their pen, and if I go in the house before I visit them, T-Rex (my head rooster) crows until I head their way. They only do this for me, not my husband. In fact, he was the one who 'processed' the extra 5 roosters and the old flock of Golden Comets we had, so they are pretty quiet around him, like they don't want to attract his attention!

 

[flgardengirl]

My blue copper Marans rooster is my guard roo. I can sic him on any other naughty rooster that tries to attack me. I just yell, "Whistle, Get him!" and point at the offender (naughty roo) and Whistle will run up and wing dance around the bad roo and then if he doesn't back off he will kick his but from one side of the run to the other. He also waits outside his coop to make sure all the other chickens go in (the ones in his group) and then will kinda herd in the stragglers. Then he sits in the doorway until I come and shut the door. Only then, will he jump up on the roost with the others.
I have also watched him give "lessons" to other younger roosters in an adjoining pen on how to scratch and call the girls for food, call out alert for hawks, wing dance etc. They met every morning by the fence and the younger ones actually copied what Whistle was doing. I never thought much of roosters until I observed all this.

So all these post got me thinking and leads to question: Does anyone breed thier smartest roosters exclusively to smart hens and have you observed the same behaviors in the offspring?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Here is a link to an article about crafty chickens based on the same research that specklesmom mentioned: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/cunning-chickens-use-complex-communication.htm

and a link to the Science magazine article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_21_170/ai_n26710825/

 

[ChickInDelight]

My darling Penny shown in my Avatar, walks into the house every time I leave the back door open. She has made it through one of the 2 doggy doors (must make 2 to enter the house). She has flown into a window screen trying to get into the house. She has almost made it inside cars several times. She is determined to be where I am. She also comes when her name is called. I can usually get her to jump up on things like porch rails.

I think she wants to be a dog. Feedstore Rhode Island Red.