Chicken closing eyes

[kelleyayers1]

We have a D'uccle hen who closes her eyes when we pick her up. None of our other chickens have ever done this. She is fine when you put her down or before you pick her up. Anyone else ever have a chicken do this? It's like she is blocking out reality or to much stimuli.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

I think that if there is no other symptom and is fine when you put her down then I think she will be fine.

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

Mine all do that but I make Jay Leno look like Brad Pitt... so I don't blame 'em.

J/K.. I've seen that behavior with lots of birds. We had a goose years ago who would "fake sleep" every time we had to care for her or five shots. My wife picked up on that and started doing the same before beef injections. Joke is on her.

 

[traciiann]

We have a D'uccle hen who closes her eyes when we pick her up. None of our other chickens have ever done this. She is fine when you put her down or before you pick her up. Anyone else ever have a chicken do this? It's like she is blocking out reality or to much stimuli.

hi i was looking to see if anyone else was experiencing this behavior with their hen because my silky girl just started doing this. she is just about 1 and she’s never done this. she is a pet and she’s with us and we hold her all the time and she’s never done this?

 

[Mrs. K]

It is a defense mechanism. A lot of prey animals, fake being dead. It is the struggle that inflames the predator to the frenzy to kill. A lot of animal predators (not all) don't eat anything already dead.

When chickens go limp, it is not because they are relaxing and feeling safe, it is because they hope you think they are dead.

Mrs K