Landlady said her goodbyes this morning, with an admonition that I should check to see if the new chickens are using their waterer. She set them up with a five-gallon bucket with one of those push-to-drink nipples, and she was concerned that they wouldn’t figure it out. Having gained some experience with the stupidity of chickens, I considered that a valid concern.
So when I went to visit this afternoon I noted that the bucket wasn’t completely full, but of course I had no way of knowing how full it had started out. The chickens were all bunched up in a corner so I caught four at random, held their heads and bumped their beaks against the water nipple. Each, of course, acted like I was the crazed axe murderer they’d always feared but after only a few minutes, as I stood in a far corner and watched, either the same chickens or their observant and identical flockmates started paying a lot of attention to that water nipple. And very soon there was quite a crowd of little chickens frantically bumping the nipple.
Now of course I have no doubt that Landlady already did that same thing at least once. So maybe it’s just coincidence. Or maybe they learned it once and forgot. Or…hell, I don’t know. I’ll keep an eye on them.
Good for you, saving baby chickens from their stupidity. After all, we superior beings are moral creatures and must guide and cherish them…until they grow plump and juicy. Yum.