Do chickens use scent to find owners?

[huevos ranchero]

I am new to back yard chickens but am absolutely loving it. Had my 5 hens, Marguerita, Chulita, Negrita, Tequila and Rosita for 5 months now and they have free range of 2 acres. Each morning I let them out of their locked coup and relock it when they return to the coup before sunset. Last night, I stayed up most of the night to make a cushion for my wagon wheel bench that is in my front porch. Placed the new cushion on the bench in the early a.m. To my surprise I found them all the girls later in the day sitting on the new cushion. They have NEVER EVER been on that bench prior to today. And we had to remove them several times today off of the bench; they kept returning. My husband had to turn the cushion up on its side so they wouldn't sit on it. Does anyone know why this may have happened? Are the chicks drawn to my scent on the newly made cushion? Weird. The coup is quite quite some distance from the front porch so I know they could not of seen me place the cushion on the bench. Any ideas?

 

[Briza]

I was going to post that birds don't have very good senses of smell in general but as I double checked my knowledge on the internet(a lot of things they taught me in school I later found out were not completely true or became outdated ) I ran into information suggesting that it may be that they have a better sense of smell than was once believed.

However, we don't know that for sure yet. Is there any other reason they might have been attracted to it? Was the cushion an unusual color compared to other things you have in the area?

I will say that my chicks can tell the difference between my hand and my other-half's hand but I don't know what tips them off.

 

[huevos ranchero]

No the cushion is a chocolate brown with wagon wheels on it. And they just wouldn't stay away from it today and they never appeared to ever notice the bench before. All I can imagine is that it was heavily scented by my touch because I worked on it for several hours non stop. I know it had nothing to do with chicken scent or chicken food scent because I always wash my hands after putting them away for the night. I worked on the cushion after dinner and finished it at 6 a.m. Had to do a lot of customizing on the cushion because of the bench wagon wheels. I am definitely not a seamstress by trade.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

It's interesting that the chickens find the cushions so attractive. I have read that chickens have a sense of smell that is about as sensitive as humans, so that would suggest that it is not the smell of the cushions. I have never noticed chickens engaging in sniffing behavior like cats and dogs do, so I don't think they identify us by smell. Chickens do seem to notice novelty. My chickens like to check out new stuff in their surroundings. Maybe they were curious at first and then decided your cushions were way more comfortable than sitting on the ground, Ha.

 

[prostar]

It's interesting that the chickens find the cushions so attractive.  I have read that chickens have a sense of smell that is about as sensitive as humans, so that would suggest that it is not the smell of the cushions.  I have never noticed chickens engaging in sniffing behavior like cats and dogs do, so I don't think they identify us by smell. Chickens do seem to notice novelty.  My chickens like to check out new stuff in their surroundings.  Maybe they were curious at first and then decided your cushions were way more comfortable than sitting on the ground, Ha.

Lol could be! Had a couple girls when they were still in the brooder decide to check out a folded up sleeping bag we'd used as a "dog bed" - so my mutt could have a comfy place to hang when we were spending time with the chicks.

Needless to say, they took it over...

 

[huevos ranchero]

It must be curiosity because now they are looking in the window into the house from their new found perch. (My bench and new cushion) Do they hear my voice? LOL Need to take some pictures the next time they do that!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

It must be curiosity because now they are looking in the window into the house from their new found perch. (My bench and new cushion) Do they hear my voice? LOL Need to take some pictures the next time they do that!

Yes, keep your camera handy. I would like to see a photo. The picture of the chicks on the sleeping bag is cute. My Barred Rocks have a way of taking over things, too.

 

[prostar]

It must be curiosity because now they are looking in the window into the house from their new found perch.  (My bench and new cushion)  Do they hear my voice?  LOL  Need to take some pictures the next time they do that!

They do...though my girls in their adolescent phase are starting to get selective hearing...especially when they're free ranging...but I walk up to their coop/run right away they're running up. I say "chick chick chick" they're up all the sooner. They start associating your voice with treats and ...yeah lol

 

[huevos ranchero]

They are so adorable when they come running. I call out "girlie girles, hey girlie girlies" and they come running for a treat! Waiting for eggs....should be coming by the end of this month. Their nesting boxes are built onto the side of the coup. They have welded wire bottoms so the pine shaving go right through it down to the floor of their run/coup. What nesting material do you use in their nesting boxes?

 

[huevos ranchero]

They are free ranging now will see if they come looking for me since I am house cleaning today and not gardening. What do you use for nesting material for laying eggs. Mine are about due to start and their nesting boxes are wired mesh bottom so their pine shaving fall thru.