Nocturnal chicken.
The general view seems to be that chickens are blind in the dark, or much like us and other daytime operators they see but with reduced acuity and more in grey scale. The latter seems more probable to me.
Then we have Dotty. She was up at 5:25 this morning (for reference to my eyes it is just getting light now at 6:55am and sunrise is officially 7:12am). For sure at 5:25 it was pitch black and cloudy so not much in the way of moonlight. I think she went to lay an egg (I will check later when it is actually light
), but she also pecked around a bit and climbed up on a platform to more easily scoff her little face from the food container. Throughout this she didn't show any signs of impaired vision at all.
I am curious how she got down from the roost where she was sandwiched in by the other Princesses. Unfortunately I had the roost camera off so I didn't see what she did, but normally she flies down. I hope she wouldn't do that if she couldn't see at all.
Sorry no pics/video - I have plenty but they are of a gray and white chicken in gray and white night vision camera so kind of dull viewing.
@BY Bob, from memory you have a night-snacker (I think it must be Hattie?), does she seem to be able to see her way around? I am wondering if a rethink of chicken night vision is needed. Just because you sleep at night doesn't mean you are blind at night!
The general view seems to be that chickens are blind in the dark, or much like us and other daytime operators they see but with reduced acuity and more in grey scale. The latter seems more probable to me.
Then we have Dotty. She was up at 5:25 this morning (for reference to my eyes it is just getting light now at 6:55am and sunrise is officially 7:12am). For sure at 5:25 it was pitch black and cloudy so not much in the way of moonlight. I think she went to lay an egg (I will check later when it is actually light
), but she also pecked around a bit and climbed up on a platform to more easily scoff her little face from the food container. Throughout this she didn't show any signs of impaired vision at all.I am curious how she got down from the roost where she was sandwiched in by the other Princesses. Unfortunately I had the roost camera off so I didn't see what she did, but normally she flies down. I hope she wouldn't do that if she couldn't see at all.
Sorry no pics/video - I have plenty but they are of a gray and white chicken in gray and white night vision camera so kind of dull viewing.
@BY Bob, from memory you have a night-snacker (I think it must be Hattie?), does she seem to be able to see her way around? I am wondering if a rethink of chicken night vision is needed. Just because you sleep at night doesn't mean you are blind at night!
