Facial Recognition

[LundFamilyFarm]

What are opinions on facial recognition in chickens. Would putting a photo of your face in the coop aid with the chickens recognizing you and feeling more comfortable when you enter the coop? Maybe placing the picture on their feeders. Wondering if this would aid chicks more than adults.

 

[Debbie292d]

Chickens can recognize many faces, even up to as many as 100, and they remember them as being kind or otherwise. Usually, trust is gained through interaction. I guess I've not heard though of owners putting their pictures in the coops but who knows, you might have a great idea there!

Welcome to BYC btw!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I doubt it would hurt but I'm not sure it would help when chickens spend much of their lives staring at your ankles.

I think if anything vocal cues and sticking to a routine are more helpful. I greet them the same way each time, and say goodbye the same way each time. I can tell them there's a treat coming so they know to run to me. And they know when it's time for breakfast to appear, or to get released for some yard time, and start gathering in anticipation before I'm even outside.

 

[BobStuart]

Maybe put food in a fake hand for them to eat out of too.

 

[Sally PB]

I use vocal cues for my birds too. They know the good morning song, the chickie snack song, and the good night song.

 

[K0k0shka]

Recognizing the face on a real live human (which chickens can do very well), and recognizing that a piece of paper represents the face of a real human, are two separate things that get processed in separate ways. I'm not sure the chickens would care enough to look at the photo beyond an initial investigative glance. To them it's a piece of paper first and foremost, and after investigating it and finding that it's neither a threat, nor a source of food, they will probably proceed to ignore it. The best way to get them used to you, is to spend actual time with them.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I always sing the same songs when they see me, you may steal a song if you like

~Babialy birdies, baby-baybee birdies, baby-baby-bay-bee birds.

I also sing-
~Hi-ya watha birdies, Hi-ya watha birds, Hi-ya watha birdies, Hi-ya watha birds.

They are used to those songs since I would also sing those songs when they were in the egg.

If you have young chickens they may not like you until they start to lay.

 

[BobStuart]

I sing lullabies to my chickens or the national anthem to my chickens but the only words are spoken in chicken(took-took). They get all excited thinking I brought them food.

 

[JChipowsky]

All of ours have been raised from young chicks/hatched inside our house. I talk to them a lot. Now that they are outside I have a chair that I take into the run to visit with them. I'm the main caregiver, my boyfriend helps when I work too early. They definitely know us and always come to the fence to say hello and where's the food. I'm the only one who does treats and they swarm the fence when I go outside.
For their safety they are in a completely enclosed run and coop. They usually run right back inside when they get out (when I'm trying to take them in food and treats). I don't think a picture would help. I don't think they would understand it past the not food stage.

 

[Mrs. K]

Soooo how do you know a chicken recognizes a face? Mine recognize humans coming to the coop, but truthfully, they react to me just like they react to my grandchildren, even though I see them every day, and they see the grandchildren 1-2 a month.

I think they might recognize voices better, but even that I question. Often times, I don't talk to them, and they really don't act different than when I do.

I think the are mostly aware of my motion. When that motion appears, good things happen.

Mrs K