Have you ever had a group of chickens that's just smarter than the rest?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Ok, here's the backstory. We have four cohorts of pullets going right now. The oldest are Tetra Tints from TSC that I bought because I just couldn't wait for the chicks to come in the mail this year. We also have some we were given at Easter, some (the same age) that we were given because someone wanted their kids to have chicks but didn't want chickens (weird, I know), 40+ that came in the mail from a hatchery, and 13 still in the brooder that were fertile eggs from our farm and a local elementary school hatched them. Whew!

Anyway, I just finally combined the oldest birds and the hatchery birds into a run together. They've been getting to know each other for a week through the fence, but the oldest birds have had full run of the place b/c I just didn't have a place to keep them. Now the oldest birds, the Tetra Tints, are confined to a pasture for the first time, ever.

The Tetra Tints are hanging out at the gate. THE GATE! I put them in over the top of the fence. I have no idea how they know it's the gate. It's freaking me out. None of the other birds have figured out that it's the gate.

Anyone else have a group of amazingly intelligent birds?

--Erika

 

[n8ivetxn]

It's almost creepy!

 

[Rusty's Ranch]

We always said Penny (our RIR) was not a chicken, but an alien in a chicken suit! She figured out the dog door and taught the others how to use it too

She understood english, obeyed commands when she felt like it, and would carry on conversations with you! Poor thing passed away recently ... she will be very, very missed.

 

[moetrout]

Don't get over excited about your birds new found "intelligence". Are you sure it's not the location that it likes? Is there shade there or anything else that might appeal to it? I've not seen my chickens do anything I would really deem as intelligent, unless eating their own poop counts??? Maybe I just have a group of dummies?

 

[galanie]

Chickens are smarter than we give them credit for usually but that's not to say they are all that intelligent. They just don't have very many ways to show it. But hanging at the gate? Mine cleverly look for a way out of the fence 2 feet from the gate with it wide open. hehe.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Mine too! They run back and forth trying to find the way out - and it's just another 2 feet away! Goobers

Or - they forget how to get out of the run and stand there staring at the others who managed to find the open gate - in the exact same place it was the day before

 

[chickathon]

One of my chickens, Blush, hopped up on the top step of the porch and clucked to remind me that I was forgetting to putt them up. Upon seeing that I was getting her message she hopped down and was waiting at the bottom of the steps to lead me up there. I guess she though because I was a little late that I forgot where the run was. Cheeky bird! She's the one in my profile pic.

 

[n8ivetxn]

How sweet!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Don't get over excited about your birds new found "intelligence". Are you sure it's not the location that it likes? Is there shade there or anything else that might appeal to it? I've not seen my chickens do anything I would really deem as intelligent, unless eating their own poop counts??? Maybe I just have a group of dummies?

See, that's what confused me. It's the same as everywhere else, except it's the gate. The whole pen is made of snow fence and the gate is just the rest of the roll tucked in between the wooden post and a metal post, so it doesn't even really look different.

Actually, these six are just all around smarter than the rest. They were the first of the current crop to figure out that "here, chick chick chick" means treats. I have 40+ young birds that still don't get that yet.

 

[n8ivetxn]

That's hilarious! They still don't get it?! If I say "chick, chick, chick," I better have something

Otherwise, I might lose a limb when the piranhas come stampeding!