Blinders (poultry)

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a horse with something on the sides of their eyes that looks like big goggles? Those are called blinders! They help to keep the horse focused on what's in front of them and prevent them from getting scared or distracted by things on the side.

Well, sometimes farmers put blinders on their chickens too! These are little plastic or metal things that go over the chicken's eyes and have a small hole in the middle for them to see through. It's kind of like they're wearing little tiny horse goggles!

Why do farmers do this? Well, chickens can get pretty stressed out when they're kept in close quarters with other chickens. They might start to peck each other or fight. But if they can't see the other chickens very well, they're less likely to get into fights! So blinders help keep the chickens calm and happy.

Plus, blinders can help chickens lay more eggs! When chickens can see other chickens, they might get jealous or competitive and not lay as many eggs. But if they can't see each other very well, they're less likely to get into egg-laying battles and more likely to focus on laying their own eggs.

So blinders are a simple tool that farmers use to keep their chickens calm and happy, and help them lay more eggs. Thanks for asking, kiddo!