A bird is a bird is a bird?

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:
My chickens daily agenda reads like this.

Eat-Preen-Sleep-Poop and they repeat this all day until bed then it's the next task -Roost-Preen-Sleep-Poop.
Of course this routine is interrupted by and occasional egg laying

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

Are all domesticated birds similar in intelligence/behavior/personality?

To answer that specifically with respect to behavior/personality, no. My parakeet is obnoxious, way too smart, temperamental, and very lovable, my finches are ridiculously dumb, and the chickens are very curious, fearless, silly birds. M

chickens don't talk...or do they????ep

Funny you should ask...I just read in a recent issue of Backyard Poultry (I can look up the issue if you're interested) about how chickens communicate with each other, and it seems that it has been established that they make 24-30 separate calls that have meaning, split between age and gender (i.e., a hen makes different call from a rooster, and both make different calls compared with chicks). It was VERY interesting, especially with the example story that the author used at the end...I have been out with the girls while they are hunting worms in the garden mulch, and sometimes I find some before they do. They will ignore me if I speak in human, but I started making little squawks at them like they do to each other and they appeared to pay attention to that ( as in, they both looked at me, and then followed what I was pointing at and ate the worm).

So I think that they do talk, and that one can communicate with them given enough experience.​

 

[Wifezilla]

They will ignore me if I speak in human, but I started making little squawks at them like they do to each other and they appeared to pay attention to that

That's because your accent is bad and they are trying to figure out what you are making all that noise about!

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

Maybe I should tape some feather to my fingers when I'm squawking to see if that helps

Do you think I could find a Berlitz language lesson for chickenese? That might improve my accent

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

GoldenSilverLaced - that is fascinating!

I wonder if anyone will decipher the Chickenese language. Wouldn't it be fun to understand what they say about us?

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

Here is the info on the article I mentioned about chickens communicating:

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/4-1.html

The article's title is Health: Fowl Language by Gail Damerow; she is the author, as far as I know, of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. I assume from this that she's isn't only some crazy chicken lady but is also knowledgeable and a good source.

Unfortunately it is not available to read online, but perhaps your local library has copies? That's how I get it.

 

[Over Easy in Adna]

My story to 'prove' chickens are ummmm....not smart.

1. Give your chickens free choice food.
2. Wait until they are all happy and content.
3. Move the food bowl 1 foot.
4. Watch the riot begin as all the chickens act as though you have never given them food before.

 

[Jennie5193]

Quote:

I can't believe I'm reading a "Are chickens smart?" thread...

This is cracking me up!

Almost as funny as the lady a couple of months ago freaking out because she'd bought 75 day old chicks that were supposed to be pullets - but they all had spurs! (she was calling one of the toes a spur!

)

I'm not making fun... it's just funny! I think it is wonderful that people in the suburbs (myself included!) are trying to get back to basics.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Over Easy -

 

[Ladyhawke1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7975260.stm


Smarter than you think.