Can chickens smell?

[IggiMom]

Someone told me that chickens have no sense of smell. Does anyone know if this is true or not? I cannot think why they wouldn't be able to smell--others birds can. How do they know what to eat if they cannot smell it?

Just wondering.

Catherine

 

[The Chicken People]

Maybe thats why they eat their own pooh? No sense of smell?

 

[shandiane78]

Some people think they smell, but I think they're just fine.

 

[welovechickens]

Mine smell like feathers, and if they happen to step in something icky, then they stink for awhile.

 

[chauqg]

Link below for entire article

Chicken Sense

By Dr. Clive Dalton and ScienceDaily.com
16 November 2008
Senses in Poultry, by Dr. Clive Dalton

Smell

Not much is known about how important smell is to poultry.
Hens are not keen on food that smells of mould or is sour, so presumably smell is involved in this feed rejection.
It’s suggested that birds can definitely smell blood.

 

[Illia]

Pretty sure they do smell - My girls shake their heads in absolute disgust to any food they don't like, and especially if they are curious about poo - Wow they don't look at it again.

 

[Armageddon]

I've also ready they have no sense of smell....but they must have TASTE because they do have their favorites!

 

[jeslewmazer]

If they can't smell, then why do they have a nose? I think they can smell but it is not that good. Each sense has a dominant one and the rest decent. So smell is probably at the bottom of the totem pole. This is what I think.

 

[msgenie516]

Quote:
I don't know if they can smell or not but I would guess they have a nose so they can breathe. Maybe they can breathe through their beak/mouth but then they would look like they're panting all the time!

 

[IggiMom]

Quote:
Thanks!

I will check it out.

We have the swarming ladybugs here, which smell truly horrible, and I notice there is not one bird, not even the Guineas, that will eat them.

Catherine