A Chicken’s Quirky Vision

If chickens sometimes act in quirky ways, it may be because of their vision

 

It’s easy for people to assume that animals see things the way we do, but that’s not the case  Animal vision varies greatly  Like most birds, chickens see the world differently than their human caretakers

 

Anyone who has filled an empty bird feeder is often surprised to see chickadees, nuthatches, and other wild birds almost immediately flap in for lunch How do they know delicious seeds are in a feeder that has been empty for several days? Chickens do the same thing Open the back door with

Chicken’s Vision and Memory Helps Find Snacks

Anyone who consistently shares tasty kitchen scraps with their chickens knows how eager the flock is to dine on pizza crusts, wilted lettuce, or even scraps of rice recovered from the sink strainer Chickens enthusiastically greet a person approaching with treats But how do they know they are about to enjoy a snack?

 

Chickens aren’t dumb bunnies They’re smart All they need to do is see a person carrying a bowl or small bucket with treats once or twice and every time they see it again, they’ll know the dinner bell’s ringing With great enthusiasm they’ll rush out to greet