If you’re raising chickens, you likely know that these animals need to be entertained, being entertained will keep them from behaving destructively towards themselves and other birds.
Entertainment will also help them stay healthy and happy which will help them produce more eggs. So, do chickens like mirrors? This article looks into it
Chickens do like mirrors, mirrors are a form of entertainment for these birds. Chickens interact with the reflection of themselves in the mirror and they enjoy playing with the lights that are reflected in the mirror.
Table of Contents
Do chickens like mirrors?
Chickens like mirrors, they find them entertaining. Mirrors are entertaining to chickens because they can play with the lights that reflect on them. They also enjoy playing with their reflections in the mirror.
Some birds may enjoy the mirror so much that they will start to throw a fit when you try to get them away from the mirror, keep this in mind if you’re thinking of adding one to your coop.
However, some of these animals will not react well to the mirror. They see their reflection as another chicken and they may even fight it depending on the bird’s personality. If the bird is easy-going, then it will try to scope the other bird out
Adding a mirror to your coop is a great way to keep birds from getting bored. When chickens become bored, they can start to engage in some unhealthy habits like picking themselves, fighting other birds, and becoming aggressive.
Keeping them busy is good for their health and good for the overall health of the flock.
What to look for when purchasing a mirror for chickens:
If you’re looking for a mirror for your chickens, any mirror will do, just make sure that it is hung securely in their coop. If the mirror is not secured, the birds may accidentally knock it down.
When purchasing mirrors, make sure that it is an unbreakable mirror, this will prevent the chickens from being injured by any broken glass should the mirror fall.
Anything can be used as a mirror, if you don’t have a mirror available, you can use a reflective surface.
Why do people put mirrors in chicken coops?
People put mirrors in chicken coops as a way to entertain chickens.
These animals can get bored easily and you can’t always be there to entertain them. Putting a mirror in their coop will keep them busy even if you’re away from them for a long period of time at work or elsewhere
How do I stop chickens from becoming bored?
Chicken swing:
Swings are entertaining for more than just children, if your chicken has become bored of all of its toys, you can add a swing to their coop.
Chickens will swing on the swing and be entertained for several hours, more than one chicken can swing on the swing at a time and this is a great way to alleviate boredom for the animals
Treats:
Giving chickens treats can be a nice way to spoil the birds with both food and entertainment. Treats that you can offer your bird include dried fruits, feed cakes, peanut butter on old stumps, cracked corn, and nuts.
Your chickens will enjoy pecking at their favorite treats for fun and they will get a nice snack along the way
Tetherballs:
This is an easy to install and affordable way to keep chickens entertained. Adding a tetherball to your chicken’s coop will give the birds something to peck. Because the ball moves around, it becomes even more entertaining to the birds.
You can use foods like lettuce, cabbage, apples, and watermelon rinds for the ball, replace it when need be
Dust bath:
Chickens love a good dust bath, these can be created almost anywhere on your property.
Not only do dust baths keep birds entertained, but they also maintain the bird’s feathers, keep lice away, and they are a fun activity to do that helps get some exercise into the bird’s routine.
When creating a dust bath, make sure that you use loose and fine soil, you may want to add sand to keep the dust bath in bath condition
Perches:
Chickens can be entertained by something as simple as a perch. Adding a perch in your chicken coop will allow the birds to move up and down the perch seeing the coop and other chickens from a whole new view.
You can add perches of different heights, A-frame perches, stumps, or even sturdy branches can be used in the chicken coop. Moving these perches occasionally will also add excitement to the bird’s life
Do mirrors scare chickens?
Mirrors do not scare chickens but these animals can become aggressive towards the reflection of themselves in the mirror, chickens don’t understand that it’s their own reflection that they see.
Some birds can become angry at the reflection thinking that it is a threat, it can even try to fight the reflection.
If you have roosters you may want to avoid keeping mirrors in the coop. These animals can become aggressive and won’t take kindly to “another rooster” in the coop
Do chickens recognize themselves in the mirror?
There are only a few animals that are able to recognize themselves in the mirror, these animals are able to pass the mirror test. Chickens are not one of these animals. Animals that do recognize themselves in the mirror include:
- Chimpanzees
- Elephants
- Gorillas
- Magpies
- Dolphins
- Rhesus Monkeys
- Orcas
- Pigs
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes chickens do like mirrors they are entertained by the moving light in mirrors as well as what seems to be another chicken in the mirror. These animals do not realize that it is their own reflection that they are seeing.
Roosters will not react well to mirrors, they see their reflection as another rooster in the coop. The rooster may try to fight its reflection.
Animals that do realize that they see themselves in the mirror include chimpanzees, elephants, gorillas, magpies, dolphins, rhesus Monkies, orcas, and pigs.
Other ways to keep your chickens entertained include chicken swings, treats, tetherballs, dust baths, and perches
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can I shoot a hawk attacking my chickens?, Chicken behavior with humans, what is normal?, What do chickens do all day? all you need to know, Why do chickens chase you? all you need to know