Smartest breed of chicken

[Chickassan]

My Dominiques are the biggest thinkers no doubt, their observation and problem solving capacity is actually a bit concerning at times.
Not dumb chickens, not at all.

 

[CarpCharacin]

I think that chickens in general are smart birds, but I think it's hard to know exactly how smart they are without being able to compare them to something, and as discussed previously, I don't think it's really that useful to compare chickens to humans, or even other animals that aren't birds. I think something that can be used to differentiate smarter chickens from dumber ones is how quickly they adapt to new situations. The smartest chickens will adapt the fastest, and the dumber ones will take longer.

 

[varidgerunner]

I've had a lot of chicken breeds through the years. Intelligence is a human construct, don't see chickens building anything resembling a society capable of interstellar travel any time soon. What we have to make the basis for our assumptions on chicken smarts are things like problem solving, speech recognition, and situational awareness, plus the ability to learn stupid parlor tricks to amuse humans, (if you really count excellence in that last one as a "smart" or desirable trait.)

All I really have to make my assumptions are things like, occasions where birds have found "stupid" ways to die or end up in a "stupid" predicament. Then things like figuring out how to defeat mechanical barriers (open cages etc.). Then things like raw survival ability, including things like picking good nesting and roosting sites. The birds that roost directly above the dog kennel or the hog pen, under an overhanging conifer branch just seem "smarter" to me. When you find out the same birds are the ones with the most ingenious, and inherently safest nesting sites it makes you draw conclusions. Finally you have the ability to learn "stupid parlor tricks". Oddly enough, the breeds that have excelled at all of the above, also reign supreme in this last category, for me anyway. I will admit. I don't spend a lot of time teaching birds tricks, but when I do, they aren't going to get many lessons.

However, I do know of a professional dog trainer that did quite a bit of work with Asils in problem solving, obstacle course, and obedience related exercises. I was fortunate to witness a showcase of his work, and having experience with my own Asils,I drew my own conclusions as to why he used Asils in this case, seeing as how he also kept about every strain of American Game known to man. He might not have had any American Games from Missouri though.

 

[Shadrach]

I think that chickens in general are smart birds, but I think it's hard to know exactly how smart they are without being able to compare them to something, and as discussed previously, I don't think it's really that useful to compare chickens to humans, or even other animals that aren't birds. I think something that can be used to differentiate smarter chickens from dumber ones is how quickly they adapt to new situations. The smartest chickens will adapt the fastest, and the dumber ones will take longer.

That probably leaves cockroaches the smartest creature on the planet then.
I'm good with that.

 

[CarpCharacin]

That probably leaves cockroaches the smartest creature on the planet then.
I'm good with that.

LOL

 

[Chickassan]

Sort of hard to even question chicken intelligence after they've trained people to feed them, build their houses, remove their parasites, and remove their excrement.
They could even have similar discussions on what type human is most intellegent depending on how well they perform.
You just never really know....

 

[h2oratt]

I have some Egyptian fayoumis. They have learned to fly into the garden to graze and fly back into their pen. They never fly into the dog area. My others breeds to fly into the dog area.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

....They could even have similar discussions on what type human is most intellegent ....

I thought the most intelligent humans are the ones that go out of their way to let you know they're smarter than you

 

[007Sean]

From my observations, my bantams in general seem to be a bit quicker on the uptake than my large fowl birds. This could simply be a result of the large fowls being lazier, as most of my LF breeds are heavier, slower-moving ones. I haven't noticed a variation in intellect based on breed, personally. There are smarter and, well, dumber individuals of most of the breeds I've owned. I wouldn't say any are outright dumb, however.

I admit that this opinion could be from the experience of owning other poultry, though, because anything looks intelligent when you compare it to Guinea fowl. (I'm joking--please don't hurt me, Guinea people! )

 

[centrarchid]

It is time for an outright competition to get past the anecdotes. My stock is from Indiana.