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Posted on 05/31/2014 6:43:00 PM PDT by lee martell
I work at a group home in Novato for disabled adults. I enjoy the job and my co-workers. I also like the city of Novato, a little to the north of San Francisco. Novato is a decent sized town, at 27 square miles, and a population of about 52000. There is a comfortable balance of the urban and the rural in this city. Many neighborhoods have started to keep a small group of chickens in their backyards. I believe roosters are allowed too, if they don't raise too much ruckus. I was at the group home today in the staff room, updating the medication log, when outside the rear window I began to hear a peeping noise. That peeping noise turned out to be one of the large hens that live in the house behind where I work. I was on hold with the pharmacy, and I heard this bird chirping out some sort of remarks to her sister hens. It sounded for all the world as though she was telling them something over and over that made the other two hens roar and cackle with laughter.
It was hysterical, I was on hold, with the pharmacy, and I listened as the lead Hen told her story a second time, but at a higher octave, and with a different ending. The other hens acted as though they had just heard the dirtiest, wildest joke ever to be told in a Novato backyard. They laughed for a good ten minutes. You know how contagious laughter can be, right? I soon also felt like laughing, but about what? When the pharmacist returned on the phone with my medicine orders, I was just about to explain to her why I was sniggering, but I thought no, she's gonna wonder if I'm in need of 'medication' myself. So I said nothing. Being from Detroit, I was not around many live chickens growing up, but after being in Novato a few years, I can now say I know the difference between how a Hen clucks vs how a Rooster clucks. I think they may have been reacting to a greedy pair of Blue Jays that kept coming by to help themselves to the Sunflower Seeds on the ground. Anyone else had such an experience listening to 'A Hen Party"?
I’m not convinced they even have a brain, so a sense of humor would be a stretch.
Those must have been Democrat chickens.
Environment also plays a role. In general, the free range chickens and the Asiatic breeds best adapted to the free range, exhibit the most intelligence.
Yes, I think hens gossip, but I'm inclined to think what you interpreted to laughter was nothing more than a group reaction. Hens will cackle when they lay an egg. They will also cackle when other hens cackle. They may even give a short cackle of satisfaction when their favorite rooster mounts them. And they will resist when a rooster they don't care for tries.
Said rooster may even get a beat-down by their favorite rooster.
Democrat chickens are also known as turkeys. This is typical turkey behavior. In all my years of raising chickens, they either had sense to come in from the rain or, if it was a warm and not uncomfortable rain, they would exploit the opportunity to find worms, roots or other edibles exposed by the wet ground.
Chickens need a good sense of humor. Considering how certain much bigger and more dangerous critters view chickens as “food.”
We have 22 Norwegian Jaerhon hens and two matching roosters. Got them three months ago.
Went out to the barn one day last week and heard them making some unusual noises behind the barn. A more constant chattering.
Rounded the corner and saw them all in a semi-circle with a big wild turkey in the center. The were all chattering away. Like the turkey was saying “You’re new in the neighborhood. What brings you to these parts?”
And all the chickens were telling their stories.
I completely believe your explanation.
Ducks are really funny to watch. There’s a gang of them that hangs out in a nearby park with a pond iand I always get a kick out of them. There are also geese depending on the season but they have nowhere near the personality of those silly ducks.
I have two neighbors here in Neighboring San Anselmo who keep chickens and they are very entertaining indeed. I cant say I know much about their banter other than I enjoy their unintelligible hootenanies.
“Said rooster may even get a beat-down by their favorite rooster.”
_______________________________________________________
Where I live, Roosters are a favorite pet of the men.
There are about six of them tethered next door, within 20 feet of where I am sitting. Cock fighting is a favorite men’s sport in the Philippines, even though I rarely see it.
One does not need an alarm clock here, as the roosters are in full cry at the first hint of dawn.
Ducks can’t fart. Fact.
I laugh, watching them run around after their head is cut off.
Mr. Mercat and I lived for about six weeks with some friends and their two parrots, Arturo and Farout. They hated each other. Arturo only spoke Spanish and Farout spoke English. Actually they mostly just chattered but Arturo chattered with a Spanish accent. They would stalk each other and each of us. The only animal I’ve ever lived with who could stare down a human. Weird.
...and capons speak with a distinct lisp.
Having grown up around chickens I think they’re as intelligent as almost any other birds. However; if you want really smart birds you’re talking CROWS. Remarkable birds. I had several as pets. My father found them while out hunting. ..babies that had fallen out of their nests.
Your story brought this lyric to mind
they do take after democrats dont they!!
“They keep trying to cross the road all the time, don’t they?”
Chickens were put on earth for two reasons, the first being to show Libtard babies how to walk. The second is to show armadillo how to cross the road. Many chickens get run over when they become irritated from having to retrain armadillo after each coffee or lunch break.
‘Tis tough being a chicken.
And then they fry you.
My grandfather managed to breed some four-legged chickens. He figured he would make a lot of money selling drumsticks to KFC. But he counted his chickens before they were cotched.
You see, the problem was they were impossible to catch. Once they got up to speed they could outrun a car. You see them from time to time, these chickens in the mist.
“Ducks can’t fart. Fact.”
True, but a duck can out shit a seagull.
Little is as nasty as some Muscovies walking down a side walk, unless it is some Canada geese.
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