Is my chicken an exception?

[Arizona Chicken]

Hello, I lost 2 out of three chickens on Fsthers Day due to heat. I always keep water and feed both in the house and outside. Tiger Lilly now knows when she gets hot to come in through the doggy door. Every night when she's ready to go to sleep she comes in and goes to a bathroom closest to the kitchen and jumps up on the sink to perch and stays there until morning then who ever gets up first puts her outside. Do I have an exceptionally smart chicken or is she a creature of habit?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join us here! I'm sorry to hear you have lost 2 of your birds, that's very sad. I would say Tiger Lilly is a very smart bird in my book! She seems to have figured out a very good routine.
Will you get more birds to keep her company?

Good luck for the future and enjoy BYC

 

[Arizona Chicken]

Hi, yes I would like to get a couple more chickens but not until it gets cooler out. I've been researching and like the silky chickens. One of my chickens that died on Father's day, had feathers on her feet. She was so cute when she ran. But now Tiger Lilly gets lots of love now that she's the only one. I'm just so amazed that she knows to come in the house when it gets to hot for her and even more amazed that when it's her bed time she heads straight for the bathroom and stays there until morning until one of us gets her and puts her outside! What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

It sure does sound like she is enjoying all the extra attention
Here are some threads and articles on keeping your chickens cool in the summer ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=Keeping+chickens+cool#


I have 11 polish, 3 hybrids, 1 bantam Orpington, 1 polish X hybrid and a young Pekin cockerel. Oh and 16 more Pekin eggs in the incubator due to hatch this coming Friday

 

[Arizona Chicken]

Wow, you sure have a nice selection. Do you raise them for the eggs or do you sell them? I seem to make pets out of anything that comes my way. Tiger Lilly is not laying every day now that she has the run of the house and back yard. My contractor and good friend made a lovely place for my chickens but now that I'm down to just one and plus the heat I don't keep her in the enclosed area. My chicken enjoys my cat and our dog. Funny how the dog and cat seem to know that Lilly is another one of the family.

 

[Arizona Chicken]

Oh, and thank you for the website.

 

[drumstick diva]

Yes, I do think she is a very clever hen. I also think she prefers being a house pet, to being a fully fledged chicken. There is a chance that later on, she will not want to associate with other chickens because she will feel she is beyond that - she is family member. Lots of folks do keep chickens as house pets. You may want to check out "people with house chickens," to see if you are interested in that. If you want to get more hens when the weather cools - and hope they keep their mind on egg laying duty - you could let them have the coop .

Would love to see pictures of your very smart hen.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!