Uh Oh. I dont know if this is a good thing...but i have one smart chicken on my hands. Today i walk out and its running around loose...when it sees me it hops onto a chair, onto a table, onto my shoulder...and finally flutters into the house. It's not really allowed in there so it does these little tricks. I have to chase after it and all the while it's making weird gurgling sounds! Turns out it dug under the chicken wire..and sort of tunneled out! I don't know if this is normal...but i think the chicken and i have a relationship. when im in the yard...it'll start to dig where my foot is pointing. when i take a few steps and stop...it'll start to dig a sort of hole all over again. It's only 2 months old...wonder what else it'll learn.

DM of CA

-- DM (muhawi@aol.com), July 20, 2001

Answers

LOL! We used to have chicks that would perch on our knees if we sat out on the front porch stoop. Also had a goat that would steal peanut butter sandwiches from my son and play fetch with a stick!

-- Stephanie Nosacek (pospossum@earthlink.net), July 20, 2001.

I'm telling you! I believe there's more than a few gears that turn smoothly in their little bird brains. My little banties amaze me...who woulda thought a chicken would remember that a block of ice feels good to stand upon in 100*+ heat? Within seconds after i dump out that block of ice in their "cool spot", my white tail jap hen is standing on that ice. she knows if feels good; and more amazing, she remembers it's nice and cold to sit on. :-)

-- Buk Buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), July 20, 2001.

Well, I have to tell you I've had chickens most of my life and have never had them do anything like that. I just have to know what breed you've got!!!

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), July 20, 2001.

Hmmmm... I'm beginning to contemplate vegetarianism.

It's not a purebred chicken...i know it's part brahma...it's got the feathery feet. It's a bit on the small side though. bantam? maybe it's also part gopher? A friend of mine just purchased the little chick at a store that had a bathtub full of them...and gave it to me.

who would've thought. All i know is that that chicken isnt going to end up in any soup while I'm around.

I've learned to use that digging to my advantage though. if i want to plant flowers, I just put my finger down...and scrape at the earth...then that damn chicken will come running at full speed,half flying...and start digging up a storm...i literally have to throw her to the side to stop her from digging so i can put the seed in the hole she's made. then its the whole process all over again. AH, it's nice to have a little help. Believe it or not...as a chick it wouldnt eat bugs...so i used to kind of poke at a little bug if i found one...if i saw a bug that i wanted to get rid of...id point at it...and the hen learned to eat them. I guess now when there are no bugs to be seen...the hen thinks she has to dig for them. Because there just HAS to be one at the end of my finger. and she keeps on going...and going..and going...

DM

-- DM (Muhawi@aol.com), July 21, 2001.

Any chance your poultry as seen "Chicken Run"?????? :)

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), July 21, 2001.

Any chance your poultry as seen the movie "Chicken Run"?????? :)

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), July 21, 2001.

Darn, it's embarassing when you don't think the post went through and you hit the button again!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), July 21, 2001.

Chickens do learn to dig out under the fence! Our scratch pens are lined with BIG rocks (they can move the smaller ones), pieces of old lumber, and pieces of old fence wire around the edges.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 21, 2001.

Mine come running when they hear the sliding glass doors open because they know I usually throw scraps off the deck.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 21, 2001.

We had a rhode island red who liked people much better then chickens and would walk staight up a wire fence using her wings as balance to get out to be with us. sounds like this chick thinks you are its mother, be prepared for years of a lap chicken.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), July 22, 2001.

I suggest you breed it with Bill Clinton (I'm sure he will agree). You might wind up with an oxymoron - an intelligent democRAT! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 23, 2001.