Most Intelligent Breed of Chicken

[chickenGRAFFITI]

Please post what you believe to be the most intelligent breed of chicken OR what your bird does that makes you believe he/she is the smartest.
Thank you!
Best,
cG

 

[popcornpuppy]

I think Delawares are the smartest. I have RIR's Leghorns, Barred Rocks, Delawares, Orps and EE's.
The weather has gotten really cold in my neck of the woods and I let my flock out each day if they chose to come out. The Delawares are the only ones I have that will go back in the coop if they get cold. The others will just lay down on the ground and fluff up to stay warm, and they don't go into the coop until chickie-round up time.

 

[cw]

barred rocks, speckled sussex, and i think guineas are really smart as well , (though there not chickens)
just cornish x aint the sharpest tool in the shed

 

[canada-goose]

Black Stars.

 

[Chickenmaven]

My Andalusians are toooo smart. One of my girls was the first to figure out how to escape the brooder. The other got into a scrape, which resulted in the loss of a toenail (!). She was patient as we doctored her injury. Now, 2 yrs. later, she is the hen (of 25+) that knows her name. She will come to us - ONLY when we call her.
Andalusians are the poodles of chickens.

 

[Miss Sebright]

Um truthfully, I had a Sebright that acted just like a dog and lived in the house too. My other one isnt as smart though

 

[c_soto1990]

I think everyone will say a breed that they have BUT the smartest are the GAME breeds! They are smart and musculer,they are the best free rangers EVER! In puertorico people dont use coops.The birds handle their own,with weasels,snakes,bats and all the wild cats and dogs.They know where to sleep and take care of themselves up 50ft in trees and know when to stop and fight and defend themselevs or when to run. The roos are so smart and dont let nothing happen to their hens as well as the hens with their chicks. They are also the best pets,they are personable and can grow a really strong bond with their owners.Before I went on vacation my roo died,so I only had ONE hen,the game hen.While in puertorico she stayed in the yard and knew where her house was and didnt wander at all.She handled her own for 2 weeks,I had someone come feed her once a day and that was it.When I came back it was night and there she was, in her little house sleeping.

 

[Tala]

Well, I think my Red sexlink and my black sexlinks are the smartest. Queenie (the red) was the first one to figure out the doggy door and also the frequent escapee (who escapes WITHOUT flying). She seems to think about things and then try them to see if it works.
My black sexlinks seem to be taking after her. They seem to observe and try stuff more than the others.



Everyone on here talks about Buff Orps being friendly and having great personalities ---- so far I've been rather disappointed in mine. They are the most boring, do-nothing, least friendly(not fearful/flighy) birds that I have.

 

[Serrin]

I think they're probably all pretty much equal. It's individuals who stand out from the crowd (or flock as the case may be) that give us the notion that one breed may be more intelligent than another. So far, we've only had GSL, BR, BO, LB and one mutt that we have no idea of what she is.

Some are friendlier than others, and some are smarter than others. And that is all within the same breed grouping.

Molly was the cutest little GSL you'd ever want to meet. She could figure things out PDQ! She was the first to figure out that when momma calls, it means something yummy is in the offing. She was the first to learn her name and when I was speaking to her specifically. This is why she always got treats ahead of everyone else.

Despite all this cleverness, she died of misadventure.

She figured out that the big old granite ware flowerpot had great scratching ground in it, just not that the darn thing would flip over on top of her. Even though I chased her out of there repeatedly. In hindsight, I so wish I had either put chicken wire over it or placed it on the ground instead of resting on one of the landscaping rocks.

Poor little Molly.

Gimpy was the most wonderful BO that ever lived! Period! No contest! (I'm sure most of you have read my very long winded posts about Gimpy Girl

) None of her sisters ever held a candle to her in the intensity of her affection for me. And she never showed that same affection to anyone else...ever! She was strictly MY baby and mine alone! Her sister FussyButt won't hardly give me the time of day. Her other sisters, who have long since passed on, had the same aloof nature to them. That's not to say that they weren't/aren't nice birds. They just were no comparison to Gimpy.

I hear lots of people go on and on about their Light Brahmas, and how sweet and affectionate they are. Mine? Nope! Nadda! Can't hardly get near them when they're out in the yard. And that's rather heart breaking. They're so soft and snuggly and I want to pet them and cuddle those wonderful soft feathers so badly!

LizzyBeth was the only one of the three BR's that was affectionate. That was due in large part to her being my "special needs" child, though I also like to believe it was just in her nature to be a loving little thing.

So, is any one breed smarter/more affectionate than another? IMHO, no. But there are certainly individuals who can convince us otherwise!

Great question ChickenGRAFFITI! Glad you asked it! I for one would like to hear more stories from everyone else. Might give me some ideas about new additions. Lordy knows I can't afford to house "stupid" birds out here! They'd never last!

 

[DDRanch]

If I had to pick just one, I would say my Black Austrolorpe. But, she is the oldest (and wisest) and head hen.