When you look at a chickens face and head it can be difficult to see what’s going on, there are all sorts of dangly bits along with parts of the face which has skin and other parts which are covered in feathers.
If you take a really close look you’ll see that there are parts of a chickens face which you might never have thought about or realized that it’s even there, but in this jumble of facial features are there any ears lurking about?
Chickens do have ears, although they are not externally prominent like in humans or other animals. Their ears are located on the sides of their head, covered by feathers, making them less visible. These ears are fully functional, allowing chickens to hear and respond to various sounds, an important aspect of their survival and communication.
Read on more to find out more about the location of a chickens ear, how well they can hear and learn a surprising fact about how ear colour can have an impact on the colour of a chickens egg.
Where are chickens ears located?
A chickens ear is located on each side of its head and behind the eye. It’s protected by fine hair-like feathers which are angled in a position to allow the chicken to hear properly.
Just like us, chickens have ear lobes just below the ear its self and these usually grow in size as the chicken gets older.
The image below shows a close up of one of our own young chickens faces so you can see where the ear and earlobe are located. It’s easy to miss the fact that chickens actually have ears until you see them up close.
Do chickens have good hearing?
Chickens have very good hearing which is key for communication amongst the flock because they constantly communicate with each other using a range of different sounds.
Chickens will use their good hearing to their advantage, not only to listen out for each other but to listen out for predators and potential dangers too.
A chickens hearing is so good, they can actually hear a chick making ‘peeping’ sounds when they’re inside the egg.
Can chickens hear you call?
Chickens can hear you calling or whistling from some distance and if you allow them to free-range using the same call each time you feed them is a really good way to get them to come to you when you need them.
Chickens will quickly learn to recognize your call especially if they can associate it with food.
They will also recognize and hear other sounds which they associate with you such as a door opening or the sound of their food bin opening.
If you want to develop a call to get your chickens to come to you, the following post explains how to do this:
How to get chickens to follow you
Chickens ears and egg colour
Many people believe that the colour of a chicken’s earlobes will determine the colour of a chickens eggs and generally, this is true.
It’s not just the colour of the earlobe it’s also down to the colour of the chicken’s feathers too, but there are exceptions to the rule because some chickens lay green or blue eggs, which don’t correspond with the ear colour.
Generally, a chicken with red or dark earlobes will lay varying colours of brown or beige eggs while chickens who are all white such as the Leghorn will lay pure white eggs.
Keeping a range of chicken breeds of similar size is a good way to get a mixed egg colour.
This article was first published on November 11, 2020 by Pentagon-Pets.
Currently, we keep mainly hybrid chickens which all have red ear lobes along with one leghorn (who lays the white egg) and they produce varying shades of eggs – see the image below:
More FAQ’s about chickens ears
Chicks have perfectly formed, tiny ears which grow in size as they get older. Chicks can actually hear their mother clucking and calling while they’re inside the egg which helps them to bond with their mother before they’re even born.
Chickens can get ear infections which are also known as ‘Ear Canker’. An ear infection can make a chicken feel and appear unwell and can also be identified by a cheese-like substance which appears around the ear. Ear infections in chickens can be treated using antibiotic drops.
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I hope this post has helped you to find out more about chickens ears! You might also like the following chicken-related articles:
7 tips on how to get your chickens to like you
Pentagon Pet is the owner of this article that was first published on November 11, 2020.
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This article and its contents are owned by Pentagon Pets and was first published on November 11, 2020.
