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

[indi]

The coolest (not necessarily the smartest!) thing my roo has done is catch one of those little helicopter things that fall from trees mid air mid jump!!!!

 

[humi chick]

when ever hawks are flying overhead, my silkie rooster and hen make a special sound. all the chicks line up against the wall and their parents stand still.
this act, although smart, is also a sign of loyalty and parenthood.

 

[GardenGal]

Wow, that's really cool, humi!

 

[blitz1027]

I have a barred rock hen named gator bait the whenever they're feed gets low she grabs hold of the feeder with her foot and shakes it causing the chain holding it up to clank up against the side of the metal feeder. The first time we heard it we were like whats that noise? We walk over there and she looks at us like hey running low on food over here.

Most folks that don't raise chickens think they are stupid but I am here to tell you that are rather intelligent.

 

[rebbetzin]

Back in 2008, when I first got my chickens, they didn't always lay in the nest box. One morning I was searching through the straw on the floor of the coop to see if there were any eggs there. One of the young hens was watching me intently. I was thinking to myself, "Now I wonder if there are any eggs here?" As if in answer to my thought, she came near me, scratched back the straw, and there was an egg! She looked at me like, "Is this what you're looking for?" It was a very odd moment, I felt she had read my mind.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Quote:
That's a cool little story. I guess we will never know for sure if she understood that you were looking for eggs, but it sure seems like she was trying to help you out.

By the way, I checked out your BYC page. Such a cute coop and flock you have.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Quote:
Welcome to the forum, humi chick. My roosters make a warning noise for hawks, too.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Here is an interesting thread with a picture of a a hen looking at herself in the mirror: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/623079/chicken-admiring-herself

A lot of animal studies on intelligence focus on an animal's ability to recognize their reflection in the mirror. Although this is not proof of self recognition, this hen is really interested in examining her reflection.

 

[sager:)silkies]

what a story and thank god ur ok ur rooster is very smart

 

[scratch'n'peck]

what a story and thank god ur ok ur rooster is very smart

I bet you were commenting on this link. It was one of the most amazing chicken stories that I ever came across on BYC!

Check out this link to read about a smart and heroic rooster: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=597941&p=1

IF YOU EVER NOTICE SOME SMART CHICKEN BEHAVIOR, DON'T FORGET TO SHARE IT ON THIS THREAD