# I did a test today



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It involved four of my oldest birds and one that is several years younger. 

Don't laugh, I didn't have anything else pressing at the moment and decided this would prove a point. That chickens do recognize their names.

No special setting, just the troops in their normal habitat doing what they do. No treats used as a bribe. As a matter of fact I never entered the pen.

I said Head Tuck's name first, her head immediately turned towards me. No one else reacted. Next I did King, he immediately reacted to it with a "Oh, no, here she comes to mess with me again! attitude. No one else moved.

Next I did Bobble, his response was much the same as King's and the same result with the rest.

Then Allie, her head went straight up and swiveled around looking for me. A true sign she needs another hair cut. Even if she had seen me I would have gotten the evil eye not to come any closer.

And Chicklett. A four year old monster. Call her name and you get a growl as a response. 

So, if you ever wondered or worried whether or not chickens can learn their names you now know they can.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

That's cute. 

I can't test this theory because I go near my birds and they all scream "THE FOOD BRINGER IS HERE!" and come on the tear. Although Marshmallow would come when you called him and quickly scuttle across the house in search of you.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I so wish Marshmallow had turned back up.

Mine know the routine so there is no food bringer cries when its not the right time of day. Of course mine are all old as dirt so the routine is firmly in place.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

The worst thing is, we actually found Marshmallow's brother up for sale. And we bought him, pawned him off as the original Marshmallow, and he lived in the house (so he wouldn't go missing you see) until 3 weeks ago when he got something wrong with his crop and went downhill. We just found him down in his cage one night with vomit and drool leaking out of his beak. Crop was really fleshy like it had a big air bubble in it, but nothing solid was in it and anything I fed him would just pour right back out of his beak. I tried to bring him round but he passed two days later. He ate nothing different the day he took ill, he came out and had his Cheerios for breakfast like every morning and I put him back in the cage with grower, scratch and water. 

I took it hard than my daughter did. Marshmallow 1 was great, but Marshmallow 2 was amazing. That's him in the picture with the cats.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

We aren't destined to have a Marshmallow I guess.


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## littlelimabean (Oct 21, 2014)

Fiere, my condolences to you for losing both of your Marshmallow boys. The way you described Marshmallow 2 sounds just like an impacted crop. I had this once and it is described as feeling like a water balloon. I had a girl who had that and it required surgery and as most of us who spend the money to try to fix them they pass from another ailment not soon after.

I like you test Robin, my flock exists of only 9 birds now. When I step out into the yard and I don't see one and If I call their name they will come sometimes it takes me 3 or 4 calls but they appear. Chickens are smarter than "non chicken people" give them credit for. I have this extra noisy/whiny black sexlink, Henna. She is always fussing. I can have the back door shut and I hear her going on and on and I yell Henna! she stops fussing. Henna is so obnoxious, I record her on my phone when she is fussing and make it my ring tone! And if you play their own sounds back to them (especially if you record the "call to alarm") that will set them all off into a fuss!


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

That what we suspect. I felt absolutely nothing in his crop that could be causing a blockage, which was the only thing. Normally you can try to sort of remove the offending item, or at least help break it down. 
I did all I could for him, he unfortunately didn't respond to it. Poor little guy.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ah, Fiere, that is not supposed to happen. There is the issue of sour crop but the fact he came to get his cheerios makes that less likely since they really don't want to eat anything with that. All they want is water.

Mary that is so darned funny about the recording. Now I'll have to try it. I had one of those constant complainers, it got old after a while. I'm down to nine myself now.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

He didn't want water or anything. He was fine in the morning, we went out for the day so he spent it in his cage, and late in the evening I went to top up his feed and water and he was flat on his belly with vomit oozing out of his beak. He was very listless and weak. He couldn't of gotten into anything as I was with him the entire time he wasn't caged and the feed was ok, it's the same stuff all my other birds were eating and none of them got ill.

All I know is that it wasn't respiratory, his crop was very odd, he had no swallow reflex nor appetite, and everything put in his throat would come right back up as soon as his head flopped over. I was feeding him a liquid diet and tubing it down his throat to try to keep it in him.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Makes me wonder if he had some sort of stroke. The whole thing is rather odd with how he went from fine to not.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Yes, chickens are very good about knowing their names. Even those that were given to me who had no name and were 6 months old, were able to learn their name I gave them within a few days. They're also very good about knowing where I stash the treats and letting me know what they want. With 9 chickens hollering at my garage door when I'm in the house then running to the treat bucket on the shelf, was a pretty good clue to me.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Too bad we don't have a place to post these experiences where all those people declare they're just chickens can see them.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

They peck on the door for treats. The roosters crow by the windows. They are looking for my husband. He gives them crackers or a piece a bread when I'm not looking.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

nj2wv said:


> They peck on the door for treats. The roosters crow by the windows. They are looking for my husband. He gives them crackers or a piece a bread when I'm not looking.


So, they rat your husband out the same way our dogs do because my husband slipped them something forbidden.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Mine do that. But they're ratting me out. Oops.


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## littlelimabean (Oct 21, 2014)

Fiere, I just read what is going on with Marshmallow 2 and you said he is spitting up everything he eats. I encountered a very similar problem in another chicken (my Zelda) Robin advised me to look in her mouth, she was right on track. I did not see anything in her mouth, but when my vet looked he found a grape sized tumor in her throat! He said it was inoperable. He tube fed her as you are doing. He did that because he recommended I put her to sleep and by giving her some nutrition I could have a day or so to digest the horrible news. 

I am so sorry and sad that you have to watch your bird in that state, but I know you are being a good caring chicken parent. Take a look in his mouth if it is not too much to put him through.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Yeah my chickens know their names, and a few of them don't have names even now. I think I have way to many hens, and when I have 7 reds and only 1 comes close to me the 1 gets a name and the rest are just hey you. But when I call Rose she comes running right over. However they all assume I have food and then they all come running.

I have a Delaware that is a stalker though she even knocks on the back door if I haven't been outside for awhile. I caught her peeking in the bathroom window the other day when I got out of the shower. I told her it's a good thing she wasn't a rooster. The kids have named her spy, she hides behind things and peeks out at us and if we look she turns away like she wasn't doing any thing. She isn't friendly at all, hubby brought her in yesterday and I got wing slapped, he said she was trying to help him fix the truck, she was grabbing his tools out of the tool box.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hildar, its obvious we've all had certain birds around for a while to have names, for us to recognize personalities. I'll bet the Delaware wishes she could be warm and personable so she acts like the little boy pulling pigtails because he likes the little girl.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Oh yeah that would be my little stalker, she even rant and raves at me if I don't try to pay attention to her, however she wont come near me when I try and get some loving from her. The few times I have put my hand out I got her to attack my hand. However she sure wants to see what we are doing all the time. She followed me all over the yard today while I was doing chores.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

LimaBean, Marshmallow 2 passed away a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I'll never know what happened to him.

Hildar, I have some roosters who are quite curious like that but take it as a personal insult if you try to pet them. They take treats from you no problem though lol.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I try not to handle most of my roosters to much. I found out the hard way with one of our big boys that once that they get to friendly, they can turn on you in a minute. This is why the only 2 roosters that I actually handle are Stormy and my little game rooster speed. Even little man being a cripple has his days when he will puff himself all up. This morning I sort of ticked him off by putting odd ball in there then removing her. He puffed himself all up cripple or not he figured I deserved a booty kicking for taking her away so quickly. However Oddball was scared of him and when she went to the back corner the girls on the outside started grabbing at her, and tore a piece of her comb off. So she is back to her old pen again for awhile. I am moving it later today for a few of my odds and ends to go into. Leg horn rooster and a few odd hens that I have that are just for eating eggs.

Speed is in the house which will leave Oddball all by herself, so I figured if I moved her in with little man I would have it made. Speed is very ill, he can't handle the cold. So that means about 3 more weeks of him being in here. I will have to do some work tonight to see how I can fix things.

I have a very strange NN that is laying white eggs, she may end up with the other eating egg hens. If I can catch her lol, and I have been stalked already this morning by the Delaware.


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## rich (Mar 9, 2013)

robin416 said:


> It involved four of my oldest birds and one that is several years younger.
> 
> Don't laugh, I didn't have anything else pressing at the moment and decided this would prove a point. That chickens do recognize their names.
> 
> ...


In 1984 we had a rooster that roamed free he would roost in the trees. I could call his name day or night and he would come.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

My NN lay green and blue eggs. Since they aren't technically a breed they can lay whatever colour you breed them to. I phased out my EE in favour of the NN because they have that little extra quirk


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Fiere said:


> My NN lay green and blue eggs. Since they aren't technically a breed they can lay whatever colour you breed them to. I phased out my EE in favour of the NN because they have that little extra quirk


You know I remember when Turken first hatched out and I was so disgusted to have gotten her, and now I want hundreds of them I love them they are just to me one of the best breeds out there. NN's will always be on my land from now on, they all just seem to have that loveable way to them. Turken wormed her way into my heart in the first week of her life, and now she has me hooked on all NN's.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

How could you not love them? This is my new addition a friend bred and selected for me. Blue homozygous naked neck. Hopefully we will get a barred and a couple Frizzles from the next few hatches and I will have a lovely assortment of colours.


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