Chickens Are Not Smart...

I like my chicken flock. They have lots of personality and are fun to watch. But they are not smart. I read a lot of books about backyard chickens and did tons of research online before making the commitment to raise my own flock, and I read more than once that chickens are much smarter than people give them credit for. With my limited experience in raising chickens I feel I can say with confidence that chickens are not smart. Some are clever, I will go that far. Nickie knows that I set the colander full of treats on top of the coop while I dole them out, so she jumps up on top of the coop and help herself. Maybe that isn't a good example, since Nickie prefers it when I hold her treat in my hand so she can daintily nibble on it. See? Not smart.

Every night I go out into the yard while the chickens are roaming free and I bring them treats in an old yellow colander. They are smart enough to recognize that this colander holds chicken goodies, like spinach or tomatoes or pasta or some such. Every night I sit in my same chair along side the coop and set the colander on the coop. Nickie gets that, none of the others do and actually that is probably a good thing. Just about every night, Nickie and Shirley rally at my feet and demand a snack, while Esther, Mary and Bev run back inside the coop and pace excitedly back and forth along the chicken wire barricade, peeping loudly and wondering where their yummy treat is. I have to get out of my seat and guide them to the outside of the coop and over to my chair. Esther will snatch a treat and run back into the coop at least two or three times before it finally clicks that the goodies are being distributed on the outside. Not smart.

Probably the not smartest thing that chickens do is they poop in their food and water. I mean really, who does that? Just about every other animal in existence realizes that pooping in their food is bad policy. It's not even like they are pooping in their dining room or kitchen, they are pooping in their dinner plate. Totally gross. I still like them though. They are hilarious and watching their silly antics is a great stress reliever. But they are not smart.