One eyed rooster

[chickengeorgeto]

The left eye on chickens is for distance....

What was not said is that all chickens use their right and left eyes for different purposes. Chickens also see different light spectrums than humans do. Also their color vision is not anything like ours.

I assume that you good folks have heard the old saying that someone is looking at something "COCKEYED" well the adage comes from the habit of chickens favoring one eye over the other to "see" different perspectives of the same object or looking at the world "SIDE WAYS" or with their heads cocked to one side thus favoring one eye over the other.

 

[red horse ranch]

I don't agree with those who are saying to cull him and get another rooster. Give the guy a chance! He may not have the best vision for protecting the hens but that doesn't mean he won't try. And when you have a good rooster that isn't aggressive and has all the other good traits that you like, I think he's worth keeping.
I had a hen that was blind in one eye since she was only a few months old. She still lived over 8 years and did fine with just one eye.
Just had to put my 2 cents in!

 

[aart]

Here's a short but good article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/information-on-chicken-eyesight.67301/

This article copied the fovea part of the one I quoted and linked.
This article does a lousy job of crediting sources.

But he would have to have both types of fovae in each eye, wouldn't he?

I inferred that the double fovea is present in both eyes, but it wasn't crystal clear.

 

[Carolrich]

Thank you aart!

 

[Carolrich]

This article copied the fovea part of the one I quoted and linked.
This article does a lousy job of crediting sources.

I inferred that the double fovea is present in both eyes, but it wasn't crystal clear.

Ok! I found this article on bird eyes in general and I quote from the article: "Many birds don't have a single fovea (per eye), like we do, but two. (The details differ between species, but I believe the following applies to many species except birds of prey.) They have a temporal fovea, which is like ours in the sense that it looks straight ahead and offers binocular vision (i.e. the temporal foveas of both eyes point in the same direction). But birds also have a central fovea, which points sideways and is, obviously, monocular (i.e., the central foveas of both eyes look in opposite directions)." Source: http://www.cogsci.nl/blog/bird-brains-and-fish-eyes/165-a-bit-about-birds-looking-sideways.
I am not sure if this means that Stanley can see far distance or not. His brain would have to perform the switching between fovea.

 

[Carolrich]

I don't agree with those who are saying to cull him and get another rooster. Give the guy a chance! He may not have the best vision for protecting the hens but that doesn't mean he won't try. And when you have a good rooster that isn't aggressive and has all the other good traits that you like, I think he's worth keeping.
I had a hen that was blind in one eye since she was only a few months old. She still lived over 8 years and did fine with just one eye.
Just had to put my 2 cents in!

Be sure to read the reply I posted to "aart" about the fovea in bird eyes. Thanks for your cheering message

 

[SurferchickinSB]

hello! I have a 13 to 14 week old rooster (barred rock) who lost his left eye due to an infection. (We went to a vet and he was on antibiotics, drops and oral for around 20 days .We kept him separated from the rest of the flock.) The infection is gone but his left eye is gone. I am beginning to integrate him with my eight 15 week old hens. I am doing this slowly and using the integrating processes I have read about at BYC. The hens chase him around mercilessly whether in the large fenced area or free range . I fear he becomes very stressed. So I keep him separated by a fence so they can see each other but not interact unless I am present to monitor. I haven't put him on the roost with them at night yet. He is adjusting to the loss of his eye as well as integration. Any thoughts?

I think I would just go extra slow. He is at a real disadvantage with only one eye. I have a BCMarans that is blind in 1 eye due to pecked as day old and infection. Mine can only see food on 1 side and animals just know when one is different and mine just keeps to the outer edge because the rest will pick on it if it gets in their way. It is the smallest and it is slowly getting it's confidence back and I make sure it get's treats on the sly because it waits till everyone else is done. I just don't let the others see what I am doing