Very Dumb Chicken

[RileyB]

This isn't necessarily a behavior, but rather a state of being. One of my 11 chickens, Mabel (14 weeks old...have had her for a month), is dumb as dirt. She's a beautiful, nice, docile bird that we love just like the others, but she is clearly on a different playing field intelligence-wise.

Mabel is constantly getting lost. The other birds will go out of the coop, and Mabel always "forgets" to go with them and then begins screaming when she can't figure out where they are. Oscar, one of my roos, crows constantly to help her find her way back. Some days she can't figure out how to get back in the coop, and as I said, most mornings she can't figure out how to leave the coop either. The other day I observed as she actually watched the other birds turn and go into the barn. She sat there staring at them and then began running in circles screaming because she couldn't figure out where they went. After this incident I questioned if she was blind because I couldn't fathom her being that dumb...I mean she watched where they went! But upon closer inspection she seems to see and hear just fine.

My question is, should be looking for some kind of medical condition or can an individual chicken really be that much dumber than the rest? I have no problem is she's a bit slow...I just want to make sure I don't miss anything by just thinking she isn't that bright.

 

[hangartnerchix]

Well, I can't say for sure about your girl, but I've got a little lady who is pretty, but dumb. Or pretty dumb. Our chicks have a house with a run downstairs that they have free access to at all times (it's completely enclosed). Poor Clawdia came upstairs to get a drink, and then forgot where everyone else was! She stood there almost screaming in alarm. The others could hear her, and clucked back softly, but she still didn't know what to do. Finally, half the flock went to the ramp and looked up at her and clucked, and Clawdia ran down the ramp, obviously relieved. I've noticed that about half my chickens seem more intelligent than the other half. Lucky your Roo looks out for her!

 

[jlquick30]

Before I read the end of your post, I was thinking maybe she has some sort of vision problem. I don't know a lot about chickens yet, but it sounds like she maybe has a problem? We definitely have a couple of hens that are smarter than others, but not to that big of a difference.