Are Poults Stupid?

[Coops Dad]

Both my BBB 's and Red Bourbons will stand out in the rain until I shoo them inside. Then they'll sit on the hay bales I put in there as a roost, or stand around and poop. The coop is 8'wide, 10' deep and 6' tall with solid walls and a 3' wide door in front and two 2' wide x 1' tall screened windows. The windows have awnings over them to keep rain from blowing in.

Is standing in the rain normal for 8 week old poults?

 

[sourland]

Normal and poults in the same sentence constitutes an oxymoron.

 

[Skipper7410]

My royal palm poults weren't too bad...but my bourbon reds...well let's just say they're a few fries short of a happy meal...

 

[Coops Dad]

My royal palm poults weren't too bad...but my bourbon reds...well let's just say they're a few fries short of a happy meal...

The BR's are first to jump into the coop when I remind them but the BBB's... gah, the BBB's... they're the special ones in my flock. Seriously, my Cornish X's are smarter. The BBB's are friendly and have great personalities but they'll stand out in the worst rain of the year and I think they'd let my dog bite them to see what HE tastes like.

 

[R2elk]

The BR's are first to jump into the coop when I remind them but the BBB's... gah, the BBB's... they're the special ones in my flock. Seriously, my Cornish X's are smarter. The BBB's are friendly and have great personalities but they'll stand out in the worst rain of the year and I think they'd let my dog bite them to see what HE tastes like.

People too often mistake instinctual behavior for intelligence or lack of intelligence. A turkey's instinctual behavior is not the same as a chicken's instinctual behavior.

Turkeys are more capable of learning than chickens are which indicates a higher intelligence.

 

[Coops Dad]

People too often mistake instinctual behavior for intelligence or lack of intelligence. A turkey's instinctual behavior is not the same as a chicken's instinctual behavior.

Turkeys are more capable of learning than chickens are which indicates a higher intelligence.

They exhibit cues that indicate their intelligence, and they seem to be adept at training my wife to bring them treats by being very cute and friendly. OTOH not getting out of rain that merits entering an ark instead of a coop doesn't show great instincts either, lol.

I have a couple of hay bales pushed together at the long ends as a roost for my BBB's and a 2x4 set flatways with the edges rounded about 4' off the floor as a roost for the BR's but they all seem to prefer the hay bales at this point.

 

[R2elk]

They exhibit cues that indicate their intelligence, and they seem to be adept at training my wife to bring them treats by being very cute and friendly. OTOH not getting out of rain that merits entering an ark instead of a coop doesn't show great instincts either, lol.

I have a couple of hay bales pushed together at the long ends as a roost for my BBB's and a 2x4 set flatways with the edges rounded about 4' off the floor as a roost for the BR's but they all seem to prefer the hay bales at this point.

Turkeys are not true coop birds. It is not natural for them to go to a coop for protection.

I have an area that has a roof and one wall on the south side that the turkeys will congregate under for protection from rain and hail and to seek shade from the sun. They do nothing to avoid the weather when on their outdoor roosts at night no matter what the weather or temperature is.

They are by their very nature outdoor birds.

 

[Huntmaster]

Turkeys are not true coop birds. It is not natural for them to go to a coop for protection.

I have an area that has a roof and one wall on the south side that the turkeys will congregate under for protection from rain and hail and to seek shade from the sun. They do nothing to avoid the weather when on their outdoor roosts at night no matter what the weather or temperature is.

They are by their very nature outdoor birds.

Agreed my turkeys never roost indoors or go in a 3 walled roofed building with roosts. Building only gets used by nesting hens because I have large nesting box in a corner, and a feeder in there. Learned not to worry about anything indoors for my birds most my pens since then only have area roofed for roosting and cover around pens for wind protection and shade.

 

[Isadora]

I remember when I was a teenager and discussing poultry intelligence with my uncle. I made the comment that, in my experience, the chickens seemed a little more intelligent. And he said, "That's like asking them, 'Hey Guys, what's the average rainfall in the Amazon basin?'
The chickens talk amongest themselves and then say, "We don't know."
The turkeys talk amongest themselves and say, "What was the question?"
His point was, neither have high IQs

 

[MysteryChicken]

Agreed my turkeys never roost indoors or go in a 3 walled roofed building with roosts. Building only gets used by nesting hens because I have large nesting box in a corner, and a feeder in there. Learned not to worry about anything indoors for my birds most my pens since then only have area roofed for roosting and cover around pens for wind protection and shade.

My Bourbon Red roosts indoors with the guineas, & chickens.