Every animal has ears that are used to hear things around them. The ear can be seen clearly in plain view. As for chickens, you may be looking for something that is similar to a human’s ear. Since chickens don’t have an ear structure as we do, you may wonder if the chickens have any ear.
Do Chickens Have Ears?
Yes, chickens do have ears. It’s located on each side of their head, behind their eyes. It’s difficult to see their ears since it’s covered over by feathers.
If you want to see their ear, just brush back the feathers on the side of their head. Then you should see the hole, which is their ear canal.
Their ear is similar to those of a human. They have an outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, and earlobes. The color of the lobes varies with the chicken breed, which will be in the shade of white, brown, black, or a mixture of it.
Chickens middle ear consists of a single bone and cartilage structure called the columella. The columella transmits vibrations of the sound to the inner ear. The inner ear function is to analyze the vibration.
In the inner ear, there are special nerve ends that absorb and transmit information to the auditory nerve. This nerve is where the sound is decrypted.
Do Baby Chickens Have Ears?
Chicks have ears that are formed when they are inside the egg. The ears will grow in size as they get older.
Baby chickens are capable of hearing their mother clucking and making other sounds while they are in the egg. This helps the chicks bond with their mother even before they hatch.
Do Chickens Have Good Hearing?
When it comes to hearing, chickens can hear very well. This is needed for communication among their flocks.
Chickens communicate with each other using a range of different sounds. Each sound will help tell the other chickens in the flock about what’s going on.
Also, their hearing is to help them to listen out for predators and other danger nearby.
The chicken’s hearing is so good that they are able to hear a chick making ‘peeping’ sounds while it’s inside the egg.
Where Are Chickens Ears Located?
If you look at your chickens, you may not notice their eye at all. By examining closer, you can see that they do have ears.
A chicken’s ear is located on each side of their head, and it’s right behind their eyes.
It’s difficult to see their ears since it’s protected by fine hair-like feathers. The feathers are angled at the correct position to allow the chicken to hear properly.
The ears are similar to humans as they have ear lobes too. As the chickens grow older, the ear lobes will get bigger as well.
Can Chickens Hear You Call?
Chickens have very good hearing and able to hear you calling them even from a far distance.
The chickens will learn to quickly recognize your call if it’s associated with food.
Also, they are able to hear and recognize the sounds such as door opening and the food bin opening.
It takes practice for them to recognize your sound. Start by calling them every day and make sure food is involved. Within a week or so, the chickens will start to know your voice and come running.
Can Chicken Recognize Their Name?
Yes, chickens are capable of recognizing their name. However, it will take some practice to get them used to their name.
To get them to recognize their name, you should call them at a very young age. Call them every time that you are near them.
Also, when calling them, makes sure to have food ready for them. When food is involved, they are more responsive to your calling.
Chicks are smart and after a while, they know who feeds them and gives them treats.
On the other hand, adult chickens are much more stubborn and will require more time to train them to recognize their name.
When the chickens know your voice, they will start to listen to their name, follow you around, and come to you when you call them.
Do Chickens Get Ear Infections?
Yes, chickens do get ear infections. This infection is known as ‘Ear Canker’.
An ear infection will make the chicken feel and seem ill. Also, it will cause them to not hear that well.
The infection will appear as a cheese-like substance that will appear around the ear. If you notice this, you need to take care of the ear infections right away. It can be treated using over-the-counter medicine such as an antibiotic drop.
If the infection is not treated soon, it can lead to other serious health issues.
Also, this can be a problem if there are threats nearby such as predators. The chicken will be unable to hear the rooster’s warning crow and will not be able to run for safety in time.
Related Questions
Does chicken ear color determine egg colors?
When it comes to the color of the chickens’ eggs, the color of the chicken ear will determine it.
The color of the chicken’s feathers also determines the egg color as well.
A chicken that has dark or red earlobes will usually lay beige or brown-colored eggs.
On the other hand, a chicken that is all white, such as the Leghorn chickens, will lay white eggs.
