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

[av8rwife]

My batch comes if they hear a bag rustling!! They are spoiled. They look for a treat when I put them up - sometimes I will put in some scraps to help draw them to the coop when I'm ready to leave. Then if they see me walking toward the compost pile they come running because they know that I'm about to throw out some stuff.

 

[HappyHenMama]

My barred rock is the smarty pants. But only if it benefits her. Like a cat. I caught her trying to bury grapes until the frenzy was over so she could eat hers in peace. My rooster, Nugget, almost has roll over down. He will do anything for a treat. He started it all by mimicking my Bichon's behaviors. If the dog talks back, treat. If the dog sits, treat. So now dear, sweet Nuggie is doing the same. Silly boys.

 

[AZ_HenHouse]

My broody just showed me how dumb I am and how smart she is...

Star went broody a little over 3 weeks ago. Found her some fertile eggs (she loves hatching eggs) and she happily set. Then her sister went broody a week later. Thought it would be nice to share the eggs. well she turned out to not be that dedicated of a broody and gets off the nest multiple times a day-lets others set on them and lay eggs. I have been trying to collect the unfertile eggs and just leave the marked one but you know sometimes I just leave them if I am not sure.
Well in broody #2 nest I noticed that a dark speckled egg went missing several days ago....hhhmmm not thinking much of it. Then today we just found 2 chicks hatching under Star (broody 1). Check nest 2. Realize that 2 green eggs are also missing. hhhhhmmmmm

really check the nest and realize not a single egg is marked in nest 2 and they all look like eggs from our girls. Seems Broody 1 (Star) has been collecting all the fertile eggs in her nest and leaving the unfertile ones for undedicated broody #2 to sit on..lololol

Well apparently Star is much smarter than I am about fertile eggs.

 

[meeerylou]

well our White Turkeys have figured out how to unlatch our gate and let the rest of the turkeys out!!!!

 

[Tom Sturdivant]

I have a Barred Rock hen that has suprised me with a few smart things.
She never liked the chicken nipple waterer; she prefers to dip her water. So while I had a concrete block under it to help a smaller bird reach it she figured out that she could push her upper side aganst it and make a depression in her feathers that filled with water and dip it out of there.

A few days of the week I would go into the pen and sit on a wooden block and hand feed them some scratch, around 5-6 PM "Happy Hour". She wanted it enough to jump up on my lap which was not typical of her hands-off attitude. A few days later around happy hour I went to the edge of the pen away from where I had previously entered. Instead of running to the fence with the other hen to see if I had a treat, she went and stood on the wooden block looking at me.

 

[Courts Clucks]

Is your Roo a barred rock as well?

If this was directed at me then, no. Nugget is a mongrel. My roosters carry traits from several breeds so I call them Tramps (think Disney). The barred rock was a surprise! She(or he, we are not for sure yet) ended up in the EE cage somehow at the store. LOL. oh well "Karen" has to stay bc that is my husband's fave.

 

[elsasmom]

My barred rock used to join in when I threw a ball for my dog.
I'd throw the ball and Bridget would race my dog for the ball.
Then she'd run back with the dog and wait for me to throw again.
My dog got bored and quit before my hen. LOL

 

[GrandmaChickie]

I have a Dominique named Tink, who knows her name, and recognizes a beer can or bottle from across the yard! My husband lets her share with him! Crazy man! She also leads the rest of the flock up on the deck and pecks at the back door for treats! She will jump up on the arm of my chair, and when I say, "Hello, beautiful Tink." she responds "Hello, beautiful Mama." In chicken-speak, of course. Then there's our little bantam chochin, Bellatrix, who has learned that my husband will stop the Doms from chasing her out of their dustbath holes. So when another chicken approaches her, she looks at it, then looks at my husband, then looks back at the chicken like, "Just you wait. You are so going to get iiiiiiitttt!" Actually, now that I think about it, my husband has just spoiled them!!!