[suziequeue]

I have just had an interesting exchange with my cockerel.

All is quiet here and the sun is shining.

Mr cockerel comes trotting up to me (they are not hand tame or anything). I swear he had a worried look on his face. What was he trying to tell me? No food? No water? Checked both and found plentiful supply.

Check nesting boxes. Three hens. Where are the other four?........ mmmmmm - where ARE the other four???...... and my good Marans to boot.

Look in all the usual places. Mr Cockerel is trotting along beside me. It's as if he knows that I am looking for them too now. He gives a few cockadoodles. No response. I am steeling myself for pools of feathers and already scolding my OH 'cos I'll bet he didn't count them in last night 

Eventually I find them under the back hedge.

Mr Cockerel comes round the corner of the house and sees them. Happy reunions all round.  Much clucking and chooking

I am amazed. How did Mr cockerel get me to help look for his hens? How did he communicate that to me?.... or am I just reading too much into it?

Anybody else had similar experiences?

[HelenVF]

Lol, that is one clever cockerel!

Helen

[doganjo]

They're not as bird brained as people say.  My neighbour was looking after mine one weekend and when I came home she said 'Do your hens and cockerel's talk to you?'  I just waited.................... 'Harrumph, well don't believe me then - Well they were talking to me, and if you think I'm mad that's fine'  I reassured her that they talk to me too.

[Hassle]

Does you cockerel answer to the name of Lassie? 

[suziequeue]

Or Skippy?? 

[chrismahon]

Chester came over looking rather troubled a few days ago. He started talking to me and wandered over to his feeder and started talking again -the feeder was empty.


All our cockerels communicate if there is a problem. Sometimes it is difficult to work out what they are saying. But they all rely upon us to resolve their problems as there is a mutual respect thing happening.


They are always fed treats first which they then call their hens over to, as if they provided the treats.


We never step between them and their hens (unless by accident).


If we pick up a hen they will come over to defend her and we have to explain what we are doing. They walk away happy if we talk to them. They are far more intelligent than they are given credit for. Unfortunately they sometimes react by instinct and are chastised for it. Some are just nasty, but taste nice.

[Eastling]

Very clever lad, Mine would have turned and had a go at me after I had found his girls!

[Mammyshaz]

Fab. I'm going to ask our young males if they fancy a chat tomorrow, and see what they say 

[little blue]

they're not as daft as people think!

And they'll always tell you when they're out of water, or its tea time, or there's something wrong (like a pigeon flying over!!)

[graham-j]

I try not to pay any of my cockerels any attention,it always seems to be the tame hand reared ones that end up playing up and spuring people.

Graham.

[chrismahon]

I should add that I only became fully aware of our 'relationship' with our cockerels after reading Sue's book 'Talking Chickens'. Up to then we just seemed to be lucky with nice ones. The penny then dropped and we even modified our behaviour slightly, with great results. So now they talk to us to say the feeder is empty etc., or at least we are now listening properly.

[graham-j]

A bit less talking from mine wouldn't go a miss especially at 4.30am.

[Alicenz]

That is so cute - and yes when i think about it mine do communicate to, its just im so used to it so i dont even think about it.  One of mine i didnt know what to call him - the name simon came into my head !  Simon?!!  Weird name for a rooster! Well that became his name and he seemed quite content to answer to it!

[NormandyMary]

At night now we have a little routine which I love. I get the boys (the goats) into their house and give them their food and their treat, the chooks come to the door of the goat house and watch them until I shut the door. Then I say "come on then, home we go" at which point, they about tail and run over to their compound and into their house. I then put some food inside to keep them going and shut the door. Its so sweet!

[lindaball1961@gmail.com]

I'm convinced they are far more intelligent than we realise - my 2 cockerels constantly amaze me with their care of their girls, I find it very humbling to watch. In fact, since we decided to keep a couple of boys I have learned so much more about chicken behaviour that I otherwise would never have seen. I wish humans were half so caring as my boys-I'm sure they would die for their girls