09/03/2026
I’ll call this: Strange Chicken Thing of the Day
What is the strangest or most surprising thing you learned about poultry when you first got them? Put your answers below.
Strange Chicken Thing: Nictating Membrane.
Birds have an extra eyelid called a nictating membrane. Instead of going up and down, this eyelid goes front to back, see the picture with the finger pointing to the membrane. The function of the membrane is to lubricate and cleanse the eye as well as protect it. Although it may look as though the bird has a cloudy eye when the membrane moves across it, this is perfectly normal. Since this membrane is semitransparent birds can still see when the membrane covers the eye, see the pic.
From: Parasites, diseases and disorders of poultry: recognizing and treating.
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