Crying, in the human sense, involves both the physiological production of tears and the emotional expression of sadness or distress. While chickens do not shed emotional tears like humans, they possess complex methods for signaling distress and discomfort.
Tears in Chickens
Chickens, like other birds, possess lacrimal and Harderian glands that produce fluids to keep their eyes moist and clean. These secretions form a tear film that lubricates the eye surface, protects against foreign bodies and infections, and provides essential nutrients to the cornea.
Unlike humans, chickens use these secretions purely for physiological purposes, such as maintaining eye health in dusty environments. Birds also have a nictitating membrane, or “third eyelid,” which sweeps across the eye to distribute the tear film and remove debris.
Chicken Expressions of Distress
Chickens communicate distress through vocalizations and body language. When experiencing pain, fear, or discomfort, they exhibit observable behavioral and physiological changes. Chicks, for instance, make frequent “distress calls” when stressed by conditions such as heat, cold, social isolation, or lack of food and water. These calls are not typically triggered by sudden loud noises but rather by sustained discomfort or risky situations.
Adult chickens also use distinct vocalizations to signal distress. A captured chicken may emit loud, repeated squawks as a warning or a cry for help. Hens observing their chicks in distress show increased vocalizations and accelerated heart rates. Body language also conveys distress; stressed chickens might pace, preen excessively, or isolate themselves. Signs of pain include abnormal posture, limping, lethargy, ruffled feathers, or avoidance of human interaction.
Understanding Chicken Emotions
Scientific research indicates that chickens are intelligent and emotionally complex animals, capable of experiencing a range of feelings, including negative ones. They exhibit cognitive abilities comparable to many mammals and other birds, demonstrating self-awareness, social learning, and the capacity for logical inference. Chickens form social bonds within their flocks, recognizing individuals and developing “best friends” with whom they interact.
Evidence suggests chickens possess a basic form of emotional empathy. For example, hens display signs of anxiety and distress when they observe their chicks in upsetting situations, indicating they are affected by their young’s emotional state. While definitively proving subjective emotional states in animals remains challenging, their complex behaviors and physiological responses strongly suggest they are sentient beings. Chickens can feel fear, with their bodies responding with increased heart rate and temperature, similar to humans. They also show signs of sadness, particularly when isolated or deprived of natural behaviors, expressing this through distinct vocalizations.