When Chickens Get Smart!

The other day I went into one of the chicken runs to pick some of the grapes which were hanging from the canopy. While I was in there, I thought I may as well pick off any that weren't looking so good and let the chickens have them. Knowing that they have a tendency to get over eager and jump up to try and grab them, I was holding the bunch up near my head. My big, heavy australorp, Pancake, was looking up at me, calculating as usual. She isn't at the top of the pecking order, so she doesn't rush in for food, in order to avoid the wrath of the matriarch. She instead calculates while everyone else is diving in blindly, usually missing the actually treat, then casually steps in, takes it with a well directed peck, then ducks out and is off to enjoy it in peace while everyone else is distracted and wondering where it went.

That day I thought that was what she was doing. Watching the grapes being dropped for one that could safely be snatched from under the noses of the other hens. The next second she'd jumped 5 feet and snatched the bunch out of my hands before I knew what was happening and was at the other side of the run in a split second. She's so big and hefty, I wouldn't have believed she could jump that high, never mind in such a controlled way as to be perfectly on target.

The dynamic of the chicken flock is often so much like you see in people, I quite often feel like I learn a lot from them about some of our more animalistic behaviour. Some of them aren't the brightest, but some of them are so cleverly calculating that even low down the hierarchical ladder, they thrive. Sometimes when I approach the run with something for them to eat, there might be only one out, but she'll inevitably emit an excited noise which alerts the whole flock to the fact that food could be coming and they all come charging out. However, you might get the occasional hen who is more calculating and approaches quietly, giving no hint that she's enjoying treats through the fence and getting them all to herself.

Recently I was cutting the grass in front of the run for the rabbits and Cutie, a hen who is particularly crazy for greens, crept over to me, quietly looking at me with her pleading eyes. So I gave her some of the shorter clippings as I continued harvesting and the rest of the flock were none the wiser for the whole time as I worked my way across the length of the run.

A rooster’s job is to protect and care for his flock and a good rooster is not stupid. He will be on alert to danger and I've seen one of my boys set off a call when he spotted a large raptor circling. He didn't stop until most of his hens were safely under cover, then as the bird of prey came directly overhead he and the last two hens froze, before slowly and cautiously, step by step, making there way into the coop. The only thing he didn't realise was that the raptor was never going to attack, because it could see the wire which covers the run.

My big boy, Roast, will take treats from our hand and chunter for his hens, dropping the food for them or letting them take it from his beak. He knows that they need it more than him as they're laying and has a more urgent tone if it's something high protein. He will search for food for them and call them over whenever He thinks he's found something. He also knows when they don't need it in winter, because they're taking their laying break, and will guzzle down his favourite bits before they can take them from him.

He's the bouncer when the hens start fighting and will either put his ample self between them or give the antagonizer a good telling off, unless its his flock queen, in which case she's always in the right. He knows better than to side against her!

He doesn't often crow, but when he does he knows I'll come. Mostly when I get there he just runs away from me because he realised he's not supposed to crow and will either get punishment hugs in front of his girls or go back in his carrier in the shed for a bit. However, sometimes I get to the run and find that the water has been tipped over and is empty and I wonder if that's why he crowed, to alert me to the crisis.

These intelligent creatures like company as much as we do and have taught me a lot in my time caring for them.

~○♤○~

This is my response to the @ecotrain question of the week.

~○♤○~

---

You can also find The Miniature Smallholding on:

Instagram
Facebook
YouTube