If my chickens see me digging, they come running because they know it's grub time. When they are hungry, they ALL come running to me like all heck is broke loose and follow me to the feed buckets. I have 2 Barred Rocks (Mean Doris and Nice Doris...named by my 3 year old), who will peck my legs, and love to ride on my shoulders. I taught my Silkie roo, in about 5 minutes, that when I had a little bucket in my hand, that he would be awarded a treat (grubs), and afterwards he followed me all over the garden. My turkeys also know when grub handout time is, too.
I have a very special Buff Orp who believes she is not a chicken (and I'm not so sure she is, either). She is NOT a 'flock member', but prefers to be a loner. She will lay eggs in my garden and scream at me until I find the egg, at which point, only THEN will she be quiet. She also slept on the porch one night, and the next morning, I heard a pecking noise, opened my front door, and in she came, pretty as you please. I didn't even really spend that much time with her as a chick, but we became good friends just past her adolescence, and she would always be right by me when I was gardening. She also loves to chase the Mastiff away from his food and gobble it up
I would say that most animals have an intelligence all their own, chickens being no exception. I also happen to own an African Grey whom is so creepily, absolutely, mind-blowingly intelligent that is is FREAKY. So, yes, birds are quite intelligent creatures!
She's also the one that sits at the picnic table with my children in the summertime. We've put a plate of food on the table in front of her, just to see if she would lose her manners she would jump up on it. But no. She sits politely on the bench and eats like the other nice kids.
