I love spending time watching how chickens interact.
But as I was watching them, I noticed they didn’t blink their eyes.
They stayed open all the time. But then, at night, I’ve seen them closed.
Was I missing something? I needed to know the answer, so I researched the question: Do chickens blink?
This article is a result of what I’ve found.
Chickens don’t blink in the traditional sense, but they have three eyelids for each eye. There’s an upper and lower eyelid for when they’re sleeping and a nictitating membrane to clean off their eyes during the day. During the day, they don’t close their eyes and use the membrane to clean and remove debris.
Digging into this question, I found many more answers to common chicken eye questions.
Read on for details on chicken blinking and other interesting eye information.
Table of Contents
Do Chickens Blink?
When we think of blinking, we imagine our eyelids closing quickly and opening up in the same amount of time.
Chickens have eyelids, but they don’t move them in the same way.
You’ll seldom see a chicken close and open its eyelids quickly. It’s just not how they work.
So in a traditional sense, they don’t blink.
If you think about this in a natural and wild sense, this is logical.
Chickens are almost at the bottom of the food chain; only bugs are beneath them.
They are prey, through and through. As such, they need great defensive instincts.
They don’t fly well, and they don’t run fast. What do they have?
Well, there’s safety in numbers, but that only works if they know when a predator is coming.
This is where their eyes come in.
Their eyes are quite amazing, as we’ll talk about in the rest of this article.
But the eyes won’t help if they’re closed.
How do they keep dirt out of their eyes, then? The next section will tell you.
The Anatomy Of A Chicken’s Eye: Chicken Eyelids Explained
Chickens have powerful eyes, with one being nearsighted, one being far-sighted, and being able to see colors in the ultraviolet range. They have three eyelids, one each at the top and bottom for sleeping, and a nictitating membrane for cleaning the eye. Chickens have much better eyesight than humans.
Nearly every bird and some pets have three eyelids, so it’s not uncommon in animals, though it may seem weird to us.
Their two “normal” eyelids rest at the top and bottom of their eyes, and they’re only used for sleeping.
Unlike humans, when they close their eyes, the lower eyelid comes up to cover the eye while the upper doesn’t move much at all.
The third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, will stay tucked away in the corner until it’s needed.
When the eye gets dirty, it’ll flick across the eye to clean it, much as our eyelids do.
Chicken “blinks,” however, are much faster than we can normally see.
It’s also worth noting that this membrane is translucent or mostly see-through.
As far as eye power goes, chickens have better eyesight all around than people do.
One eye is far-sighted, usually the left. It sees details from far away, perfect for spotting predators.
The other eye is near-sighted, usually the right. It can see tiny bugs and seeds in the dirt that we’d need a magnifying glass for.
In their eggs, growing chicks will tuck their head in one wing. This helps the eyes develop differently for their dual purpose.
Chickens see in more colors than we do too. They can see in the ultraviolet range to a certain degree and pick up on smaller variations in color than we can.
This is useful for finding food, seeing through predator camouflage, and telling if an egg is viable or not.
What Is A Nictitating Membrane For Chickens?
Nictitating membranes are a chicken’s third eyelid. It’s a translucent (or see-through) membrane that flicks across their eye to clean it when the eye is open. When this membrane flicks, it’s the closest they get to a traditional blink.
The flicking is so fast, we almost never see it.
Here’s a video of the membrane slowed down:
Do Chickens Close Their Eyes When They Sleep?
Chickens do close their eyes when they sleep, but it’s common for them to sleep with one eye open at a time. Chickens control each eye with one side of their brain, allowing them to move each eye independently and also rest one side at a time. This is useful for being on the lookout for predators, even when sleeping.
Yes, this means chickens are literally able to be both awake and asleep at the same time.
When one side of their brain is sleeping, the opposite eye is also sleeping.
Remember, brains control the opposite side of the body. This is the same for people; our right side of the brain controls our left hand.
The dominant hens in the flock will typically sleep in the middle of the coop and sleep with both eyes closed, getting the best sleep.
I guess this is one of the benefits of being the queen!
The other hens will sleep with one eye open to keep watch for predators.
It’s fascinating how they’re able to do this, but it’s a forced evolutionary need from their constant poaching at night by predators such as:
- Raccoons
- Skunks
- Opossums
- Owls
- Mink
- Weasels
Check out our article on when do chickens sleep for more sleeping information.
Why Do Chickens Close Their Eyes When You Pet Them?
Chickens rarely close their eyes when you pet them, but if they do, it’s a sign of trust in you. Closing eyes makes them completely vulnerable, and it’s the greatest sign of trust in your care for them to close their eyes with you.
Chickens aren’t quite like dogs or cats who appreciate petting, but some do recognize the grooming as a chance to bond with you.
Chickens tend to like being “pet” along their backs, on their chest, and rubbed near their tails.
Always make sure you pet with the direction of their feathers so as to avoid discomfort or even pain.
Commonly Asked Questions
Why Do Chickens Eyes Close From The Bottom?
Why do our eyes close from the top? Our top eyelids are longer.
Chickens’ lower eyelid is the longer one, so it’s the one that moves more.
There is an upper eyelid, but it barely moves. Some people think it doesn’t even exist, but there is one there.
Do Chickens Make Eye Contact?
Chickens won’t usually make and keep eye contact, but they will watch you.
If they do keep eye contact, it’s a sign of trust.
If it’s a rooster, though, it’s a sign of a challenge.
Some owners believe eye contact is important for bonding with your pet chickens.
I don’t know if it’s the eye contact itself or simply getting the chickens used to your face.
Chicken do recognize faces and familiar pets, so take some time to get down on your knees and look at your chickens.
Who knows? They may end up running up to you and following you when they see you!
Can Chickens See Their Eyelids?
Chickens see through their third eyelid, the nictitating membrane.
Chickens don’t see through their other two eyelids. When their eyes are closed, they can’t see at all.
This is why you’ll often see chickens sleeping with one eye open.