Are they giving me the ‘stank eye’vv

[Bear1978]

I’ve notice my 5 week old chicks at times when I’m holding them and/or talking to them will turn their head to the side and intently look at me with just the one eye that’s on the side of their heads that’s facing me..

Has anyone else noticed this before? Is it they are trying to stare deep into my soul? Understand the gibberish that’s coming out of my mouth? Or they irritated and just giving me the stank eye??

It’s kinda creepy. I’m expecting them to chirp up and say, “Dude.. Really? Why you talking to a bunch of chickens?”

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chickens have one near sighted eye and one farsighted eye. As the embryo develops, they place the head under one wing. One eye faces the shell and the other is covered. That's why they look at you out of one eye.
They have better eyesight than we do. The distance eye is always looking for predators. The close eye is looking for tiny movements of bugs in the soil.

 

[Bear1978]

I never knew that!! Fascinating!!! Chickens are a very interesting species of bird! Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

In the same way, check it out if a plane or a hawk flies overhead, and one sounds an alarm. Nearly all of them will cock their heads so the eye with good distance vision will point upward, to keep an eye on whatever alarmed them.

 

[aart]

Chickens have one near sighted eye and one farsighted eye. As the embryo develops, they place the head under one wing. One eye faces the shell and the other is covered. That's why they look at you out of one eye.
They have better eyesight than we do. The distance eye is always looking for predators. The close eye is looking for tiny movements of bugs in the soil.

Is distance always one side(Left or Right) and close up the other....
.....or does it vary depending on how chick was tucked into the shell?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is always the same. The left eye is covered by the wing, the right eye is exposed to light near the end of incubation and then develops nearsightedness for searching for food. The left eye operating independently like birds of prey and watches for predators coming from afar.

Chickens have far better eyesight than humans except at night. Besides having the same cones in their eyes as humans, they also have another cone to see infra-red light. That gives them even better ability to see tiny seeds and movement like bugs.

 

[Bear1978]

So fascinating!!

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I always figured they are just checking me out. Just being curious. They do it when I'm near the brooder as well

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Chickens have one near sighted eye and one farsighted eye. As the embryo develops, they place the head under one wing. One eye faces the shell and the other is covered. That's why they look at you out of one eye.
They have better eyesight than we do. The distance eye is always looking for predators. The close eye is looking for tiny movements of bugs in the soil.

Wow, you learn something new every day! I always assumed they just saw better to the side and that's why they look at you that way.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

https://www.val-co.com/10-interesting-facts-chicken-vision

I felt the need to fact check this and found some other cool chicken vision facts if anyone is interested! Chickens are so awesome.