What's The "Smartest" Thing You've Seen a Chicken Do?

[fishnet1971]

the smartest?
Watched 'Bird chase my hubby across the yard when he yelled at me.

That's my BOY!!!!!!!!! you GO Bird!~

 

[Joz]

Not chickens, but....

I was visiting a friend in Florida, and her next door neighbor had chickens. While I was chatting her up about her setup and whatnot, I heard a RATATATATAT! Living in New Orleans, I spook when I hear loud gunshot-like noises. The neighbor laughed at my distress, and told me what it was.

She's got a bird feeder hanging on her rear porch. I don't even remember how many different kinds of birds show up, but it's a lot. One of which is a woodpecker. When the woodpecker gets crowded out of the birdfeeder, he hops up onto her gutter and makes a big loud RATATATATATAT! to scare all the other birds away, so he's the only one left with the food.



Now, all y'all who've mentioned clicker-trained chickens running agility courses have a serious responsibility to post some links, y'herd?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

The chickens are not as fast as a dog though the agility course, but they can be trained to at least complete a course with a few steps. Here is one link to operant conditioning clicker training on youtube:

 

[OwlLover]

We used to bring our chickens in when the temperatures got too hot (almost lost Nappy, the blue Andalusian to heat stroke!)
Now, when it gets hot again, they stand at the door to come into the nice, cold AC.

 

[little_grey_bantam]

Ladybird could find me anywhere when I'm napping.

When she was broken, she hobbled on one foot, hopped on her the bed and crawled next to me.
Years later and if I leave her kennel opened, she'll find me.
There are many times, I fall asleep on the couch and wake up to her hoping on my chest.

The best one was one night early in the morning, I was in REM, half eyes opened, closed, and I saw her pacing back and forth... 20 minutes later, she hops on the bed, crawls to me and starts digging a hole under my arms.

THAT is smart.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Those are good stories and both good examples of chickens being motivated by something other than food

 

[sianara]

Mine is kinda a sad story. It was several years ago and one of my hens Bianca (white leghorn) was very ill (I didn't know for months that she had eaten a section of fiberglass insulation that I had failed to cover up-I've never forgiven myself for that!) and one day she had ventured out into the yard when one of the other girls Serena (brown rosecomb leghorn) ran over and started pecking her viciously on the head. Well, my most favorite girl ever Cosette (white bearded polish) stepped in front of Serena and leaned over on top of Bianca to stop Serena from pecking her. Serena gave up and walked away and Cosette sat down next to Bianca for the rest of the day. If I hadn't been standing right there I wouldn't have believed it.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

Smartest thing? Staying on my lap I guess... Althought that doesn't take too much brain.. Mine aren't all that smart

 

[lvchicken]

My 17 week old Golden Spangled Hamburg, Lovebug, is a flying machine. Today she got out of her six foot fenced in run by flying over it. All of a sudden, I saw her fly 30 feet without touching the ground, on top of the chicken coop, and into her run. After I recovered from the amazement, I went to make sure she was ok lol

 

[lvchicken]

Scooter&Suzie :

Smartest thing? Staying on my lap I guess... Althought that doesn't take too much brain.. Mine aren't all that smart