Chickens have mono-vision. The left eye is far sighted, and right is near sighted. This is the result of turning themselves in the egg so that the right eye is exposed to light through the shell, while the left is not, because it's directed toward the body.
Chickens Can See More Colours Than Us
Chickens are tetrachromatic. Chickens possess not only the three basic color cones that humans do (red, yellow and blue) but also an ultra-violet light (UV) cone. This allows them to differentiate between and see far more colors and shades than humans can.
Happy Chicken Sounds
Chickens tend to make a purring or trilling sound when they are content. They will also make soft sounds as they go about their daily activities. A sick or depressed chicken will make no noise. Alternatively, a chicken in distress will scream and make significant noise.
However, chickens do not have night vision. They can't see in the dark. But chickens can sense whether it is light or dark through the pineal gland. The pineal gland sits above her midbrain behind her eyes, and allows a chicken to sense daylight as well as the changing seasons.
From early in life, chickens have good eyesight. Soon after they hatch, chicks are able to avoid obstacles, visually moving objects, and accurately peck at objects. They can also tell the difference between shallow and deep surfaces. Chickens attain peak sensitivity to spatial detail within 48 hours after hatching.
It's not uncommon to hear a chicken scream when it sees someone it loves. This is actually a sign that it's happy you're there. Your flock may also express their love through coos and other soft noises when they're near you and content.
Chickens can recognise up to 100 faces
These faces included those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognise and pass that information on to members of their flocks.
Chickens have great memories
They can solve puzzles by pecking the pieces with their beaks to let their human helpers know which ones go where. Chickens have also been caught on tape finding treats hidden under cups.
From anticipating future events to recalling the trajectory of a hidden object, chickens are incredibly smart. They even possess self-control, holding out for a better food reward, and can assess their own position in the pecking order—both characteristics of self-awareness.
They know their own names.
Not only can chickens recognise when their name is called if it is used consistently enough, they can also recognise the names of other chickens around them.
There's no better way to gain the love and affection of your flock than to become a part of it! This could mean something as simple as sitting with them. Allow them to go about their lives with you observing and just being around. You might notice a few of the chickens wanting to sit next to you or even on you.
In short, some chickens can show affection towards humans especially if an individual becomes attached to and bonds with their human owner. This relationship is something that builds up over time and can be improved with regular interaction.
And bored chickens can quickly become a real problem. Egg eating, feather pecking, aggression, even depression - standing still staring into space, for example - are all examples of what can happen if chickens can't express natural behaviours(1,2).
Many chickens love being given affection and one key way you can give it to them is by petting them. However, they usually only allow this type of contact once they get used to you and if you interact with them calmly and gently.
Chickens can recognize up to 100 faces
These faces include those of humans! Chickens even remember positive or negative experiences with the faces they recognize and pass that information on to members of their flocks.
Protection. Some chickens may also squat as a way to protect themselves. That's why chickens squat when you pet them. Even if they are receptive to a rooster, mating is often a rough process for hens.
Chicken Hearing Range
They can hear sounds in the 10-12,000 Hz range, while the human ear generally hears sounds in the 20-20,000 Hz range, meaning that chickens can hear sounds that are inaudible to humans. And chickens have better hearing than humans below 64 Hz.
Whilst cats and dogs are happy for humans to replace their pack, chickens are not quite the same. They do recognise and bond with their owners, but they will still get lonely without other chickens, which can cause stress and shorten their lifespan as well as affecting egg-laying.
Chickens can recognize up to 100 faces—and have been found to associate the faces they remember with the positive or negative experiences. Chickens can also show love and affection for the humans who care for them, and they certainly remember the humans they know and how those humans may have treated them.
What smells do chickens dislike? The answer to this question will come down to the individual personality of your chickens. In most cases, chickens tend to have a disinclination towards smells like citrus and herbs with strong odours, such as lavender, catnip, spearmint, marigold, or chives.
Interestingly, even pre-training, most students agreed that chickens could feel hunger, pain, and fear, but were less likely to believe chickens could feel more complex emotions, such as boredom, frustration, and happiness.
Chickens can solve complex problems and have a keen sense of time. Chickens fed at the same time each day know when their caregiver is “late” and will make a racket to voice their displeasure; backyard chickens moved from pasture to run at the same time each day will wait at the gate at the correct time.
Chickens have different personalities, and you may discover that some like to be petted while others would rather sit nearby. But even if they don't like your attention, you can still get them to trust you. Their temperaments can also depend on the breed.
The story this week that chickens are capable of feeling empathy might have surprised some folk but it sure didn't surprise me. I've known chickens who were capable of love, jealousy, selfishness and lust.
But the majority of chickens aren't aggressive towards humans. Roosters are known for going rogue on their human companions. Hens are only defensive when they feel like their offspring is threatened: chicks and eggs.