How do chickens recognize people and other chickens?

[big greg barker]

My new flock has been around me since they were a day old,so they know me and S.O. like kids know their parents. My first chickens were full grown when we got them, so we all wore name tags.........

( I know, not helpful)
I would say famimiarity and conditioning.

 

[buck431397]

It's by sight. According to recent research on chicken intelligence, chickens can remember up to 100 different faces. Chickens have excellent sight.

Wow. is this for real? Chickens are smarter than they look! That is so amazing how much they are capable of and what we give them credit for. Seems like they recognize and remember things just like we do. Probably a combo of sight sound, sense, maybe even emotion, connection, etc.
I would imagine also that as prey animals they can sense the intention of predators, so they can also probably sense when they can trust a person, such as us or our friends, and when they need to be naturally leery of a new predator (people) in their space.​

 

[Asiatic]

I think it's vision and sound because if I go out side with a hat on my roo has a problem with me until I speak.

 

[chookchick]

My chickens watch me in the kitchen from their run. It is about 50 ft. away and it is kind of eerie. They will stop whatever they are doing and give me the "chicken eye" (head turned to one side, then the other).

 

[baldie]

I know mine recognize by sight and sound. First off, they all come to the edge of the pen or right up the back steps...so they know what door I use and look right in. When they hear the door open and shut, they all make noises which I assume is them telling each other I might be coming with treats. And Oh my, if I say "wheres mamas babies" in my high pitched only for animals voice, the freak out, wanting me to go see them and of course bring them treats. But they can spot a hawk a mile away. Is that sight or senses???

 

[Chickn chick 46]

It has always amazed me how chickens can spot a flying predator and give the alarm just seconds before it even comes into view.

My chickens aren't too in tune to new people, I think they could care less unless you have treats! The chicks see my 4 year old and run up to the fence. They love it when she hangs out with them.

 

[buck431397]

My chickens watch me in the kitchen from their run. It is about 50 ft. away and it is kind of eerie. They will stop whatever they are doing and give me the "chicken eye" (head turned to one side, then the other).

when mine are on the deck and i look at them through the window they give me the chicken eye. its funny that they can see through the window! i know my dog is dumber than that!​

 

[CallyB57]

Not sure I'm in the right forum as my topic is slightly off from what I'm reading, but here goes.
I have a LBrahma who lays 3 different types of eggs, which is totally weird to me. One of her eggs is a medium sized solid brown egg, another is a medium sized speckly brown egg, and one day a week, she does not lay an egg, but the day after her 'skipped' day, she lays HUMONGOUS sized non-speckled brown egg. Every week it is the same thing...she has been laying for around 5 or 6 weeks now. The HUMONGOUS (I'm thinking it's a tad larger than a jumbo and quite heavy) egg is always a double yolked egg. This week she should lay another HUMONGOUS egg and I will take a photo of it and post it here. Does anyone know why a cheeken would have such a weird laying habit? Is it apt to continue like that? Thanks for any answers on this mystery.

 

[RL]

Now that I have been thinking about this more, I should be working instead; they do rely on sight and sound more than anything else. I am not sure what they rely on more though sight or sound. I guess it is just like us; we too rely on sight and sound in our world too. I guess we are not so removed from the animal world after all.

It’s just interesting to watch these little creatures that you have always been told were stupid and see that yes, at times they can be pretty scatter brained -at least in our eyes- yet you also can see how intelligent they can be. They have a very good associative learning capability as they can put two and two together very quickly. I think it only took my chickens a minute to associate the shovel with worms and grubs. Now it’s very difficult at times to dig a hole, as soon I bring out the shovel the birds come running and are never more than a few inches from it and thy inspect every shovel full of dirt, the shovel and the hole. There have been many times bringing up the shovel full of dirt and a chicken on top. My cockerel will get a little miffed at times because he is not as quick or as fast as some of the hens so he misses out on most of the good bugs. He is just too funny at times.

Maybe that is it; chicken inelegance is based on a high capacity for associative learning. They associate sights and sounds with safe, danger and food -which is probably a very good thing when you are pray. So I am guessing they rely on sight and sound equally, but how much of that is just inbred instinct.

 

[buck431397]

Maybe that is it; chicken inelegance is based on a high capacity for associative learning.

Ha hah! Chicken inelegance! I guess that was a typo, but it sure is funny! i suppose what we often think of as out chickens being "inelegant" is actually "intelligent"


HA!