Chickens originate from the green forests of Southeast Asia. They have a very different look on light according to humans. It's crucial to take it into account when we manage the barn, away from natural sunlight. This short video reports on how chickens see the world.
Main difference (2) - chickens perceive up to 240 frames per second, humans barely see 25 to 30 frames. If the frequency of a lamp is lower than 200 Hz, a chicken will observe flickering. For poultry, a standard fluorescent lamp looks like a stroboscope and causes a lot of stress in the barn.
Main difference (1) - besides having a light intensity perception peak in the green wavelengths (550 nm) like humans do, chickens have two extra peaks in the near infrared (700nm) and the near ultraviolet (400 nm) wavelengths. Chickens perceive sunrise long before humans do. They also have more hues in their visual spectrum. Poultry behaviour is largely influenced by light.
