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

I don't know if this qualifies as smart, but I have 4 Delwares who will untie my shoes and follow me around. They love the ties on my hoodie, too. They were the first to fly out of the box. All the hens will come when they see me because I am the only one who feds them, but if I'm a little late, they will throw themselves against the screen door to open it. (alas-it works). Also, I got to noticing that whenever I take a picture, there is at least one Delaware!

My Delaware is the smartest out of all of my chickens, and always has been. She's my rooster, and I know if something isn't right out in the yard because of whatever call she's using. Food out... water out... there are different calls. Let us out of the coop, etc. She catches mice for me, and is the first to figure out a new food. I can even lean out and call her by name, and she comes running. But being smart isn't always the best, though. She's also a gold-digger. If she comes up to me and sees that I don't have anything for her, she's gone. She doesn't stand around like the other chickens, hoping I'll come up with something. She's done.

I've heard from several people that Delawares are very smart.
 
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I once had a leghorn who would run up behind me and peck my shins until I tipped over a rock for her to eat the bugs underneath! She also learned that she would get treats if she hopped up the steps and pecked the door
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I couldn't believe it when I found her trying different doors when I didn't let her in after she tried the first one!
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I have a Barred Rock hen that is the sweetest, most loving chicken I have ever seen. Two years ago I lost my first chicken to hawk attack and I was devastated. The next day I went out to the run and sat in my lounge chair where I go out and read and just cried. Millie who had not been very personable before,came and hopped up on my chest and rested her little face against my cheek and just sat there for 15 minutes while I cried. Since then she will sit on my chest and read with me for an hour or more. Also every morning when I let the chickens out I will sit on the coop steps and Millie will hop up on my legs. I then say "Millie give mama a hug" and she inches over closer and lays her head on my shoulder and I give her a squeeze. She then inches back a little and sticks her face right up in my face so I can give her a kiss on the head. She will just sit there and chatter with me for about 10 minutes or so and when I say I love you and have a good day she hops off and runs to be with everyone else. In the last 6 months I have lost a couple other girls and Millie has been so sweet, She just does AMAZING things!! Never any food or treats involved. She is my sweetheart that is why she is the one on my pic :)
 
My Delaware is the smartest out of all of my chickens, and always has been. She's my rooster, and I know if something isn't right out in the yard because of whatever call she's using. Food out... water out... there are different calls. Let us out of the coop, etc. She catches mice for me, and is the first to figure out a new food. I can even lean out and call her by name, and she comes running. But being smart isn't always the best, though. She's also a gold-digger. If she comes up to me and sees that I don't have anything for her, she's gone. She doesn't stand around like the other chickens, hoping I'll come up with something. She's done.

I've heard from several people that Delawares are very smart.

I had some Delawares the first year I had chickens, and I loved them. They were super smart, as I remember, and super beautiful. I got rid of them because they were picking at the other flock members, though.
 
Today I let my two week old chicks out to forage for the first time and my other (older) juveniles came to investigate. One went to peck so I clucked and made a sudden move to scare her away and the whole dozen chicks came to hide around my feet
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I guess they have bonded to me after all! It was the first time they came to me (I've been assuming they thought of me as the scary hand that brings them food) AND the first time they were out "in the wild" so I think it was pretty clever of them to flock around me instead of getting frightened off into the field!

Also my alpha hen learned her name after just 2 calls over the course of a week, when I would find a tomato worm in the garden, hold it out to her and call "Daisy!" Today on the third such attempt I barely got her name out and she started waddle-running from across the field!
 
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My show girls will hiode behind me if the other chickens are being mean and hide in the nestboxes and none of the chickens can figure out where they are. Also when i first introduced them they would wait at the door to the run rush out take a treat and run back in so they wouldn't get caught
 
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Hysterical! Can't say that I have ever thought of a chicken "stampede" Oh my gosh!

My two bard rocks are the smartest of my 8. The first to show up for treats, the first to come out on the ramp. No one brave enough to step off the ramp yet.
 
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.
 

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