Do chickens learn from past mistakes of others?

[matthewschickens]

I had some chickens free ranging in an area of our property. One was down there one day and never came back. Neither did the chickens ever go to that area again.

So, do chickens learn from past mistakes of others?

Matthew

 

[Imp]

Quote:
In a sense they do learn, but probably not because of other's past mistakes. More likely they just know that the chicken boogymonster lives there. In my experience they will forget soon. Are you sure the chicken isn't down there on a nest? Sorry if you lost her.

Imp

 

[loverOFchickens]

My opinion:

Yes and no.
They do not learn from a single experience. If another chicken is say getting in the flowerbeds to dustbath and gets squirted then no they do not. But if they get in the flowerbeds daily and get squirted every time then eventually they will associate the flowerbeds with being squirted.
On the other hand if I recently had bought two new hens and this is their 1st day free ranging they will follow the others exsample. So if my flock comes when I call and they see everyone else going chances are they will go too. Posative chicken peer pressure.

 

[woodmort]

They don't even learn from past mistakes they make.

 

[matthewschickens]

Imp,

Yes

She's been gone over a year.. Maybe it's because I didn't have a roo

Another story... though it doesn't really go with this topic but it kind of does...

I had a rooster. When he started crowing it sounded terrible for a while and the hens never liked him. Now I got another one. He didn't crow for a long time.. when he did.. It was perfect.. I'm guessing the hens were gossiping and he got a hold of it.. They like him

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Well you know girls cannot resist a little sweet talking.

Imp

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I think it depends on the chicken and the situation.

Case in point; one of my two Faverolle pullets was violently murdered a few months ago from a coon attack. Both girls were raised together and didn't know any other chickens. They were being kept separate because they were too young to live with the adults at the time. They were all they had. After one was killed, her flock-mate, having to watch her being ripped through a cage and eaten alive, was traumatized. The survivor, to this day exactly, is terribly paranoid of anything that crosses her path, actually screams if we're holding her and she doesn't want to be held, is very anti-social with the flock, and basically is sometimes too afraid to even eat with the other chickens. They can all sense her fear and pick on her as a result. But one thing is for sure, the bullying came AFTER the paranoia. I know this bird is now damanged for life. Having to watch a terrible fate claim her friend changed her. It wasn't a mistake that she learned from, but me and my family both knew this animal before the attack and see how much of a difference there is. But we love her very much.

Just as well, we had a bantam hen who liked to hop fences before we closed it off. One day she was attacked by a hawk, and managed to escape losing nothing but a few feathers. Next day, she was back over the fence again.