My chickens are very loving and affectionate, which I should think is a pretty complex emotion. They follow me around everywhere (and not for treats) and when I sit down they all jump upon my lap to be hugged. Actually, some of them are more considerate and instead of brazenly jumping on my lap they first tug at my clothes to let me know that they would like to be petted. However, they are very demanding. They will go to sleep if I keep stroking them, but if I stop petting them for a second they open their eyes and make annoyed sounds to let me know that I better keep stroking them!
And also i can't really have more than one hen on my lap at a time because they peck at each other (would that be jealousy, which I guess is also a complex emotion?).
Another smart thing I've noticed that my rooster does:
My rooster is very aggressive, and I've read your supposed to show him who's boss. So i was chasing him around, trying to catch him. He has a little trick that prevents me from being able to grab him:
I have a circular fence around my peach tree that's about six feet in diameter. My rooster runs around and around it when I chase him! I noticed this, and it seemed to me kind of silly of him, but I later realized it was actually very clever, because I absolutely could not catch him!!!!!
And I read that chickens are as intelligent as some primates, understanding that hidden objects still exist, a concept human toddlers cannot even grasp! Chickens have good memories, being able to recognize over 100 other chickens and remember them. They have complex social relationships and have many different ways of communicating with each other both vocally and orally.
Another smart thing I've noticed that my rooster does:
My rooster is very aggressive, and I've read your supposed to show him who's boss. So i was chasing him around, trying to catch him. He has a little trick that prevents me from being able to grab him:
I have a circular fence around my peach tree that's about six feet in diameter. My rooster runs around and around it when I chase him! I noticed this, and it seemed to me kind of silly of him, but I later realized it was actually very clever, because I absolutely could not catch him!!!!!
And I read that chickens are as intelligent as some primates, understanding that hidden objects still exist, a concept human toddlers cannot even grasp! Chickens have good memories, being able to recognize over 100 other chickens and remember them. They have complex social relationships and have many different ways of communicating with each other both vocally and orally.