HELP!!!!!!!!

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MamaHen8

MamaHen8

In the Brooder
Apr 13, 2016
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two of my five baby chickens both had only there left eye closed. almost like it was sealed shut. does this mean there is a rooster in my flock that is pecking at them that i don't know about yet? or did they just get poop or something on there eye? please help!!!
 
You can take a damp towel and gently wipe the eye area and see if it helps unstuck the eyelid. At this age babies will peck each other's eyes. It does not necessarily mean they are roosters. Babies are curious and eyes are Shiney. Mine have done it a few times. They tend to do it to lighter chicks who's eyes stand out even more. My guess is that this is what's happening. They usually stop doing this when they get a little older. Unless there is some eye infection going through the flock (which I doubt ) my guess is one or more are pecking eyes. If you watch closely you might catch them in the act like I did. If you catch them you can "discipline " them with a gentle "peck" from your finger. But like I said, the behavior usually stops as they grow and usually no permanent harm is done. I hope this helps and wish you the best. I know this behavior can be shocking when you see it for the first time, but it is quite common and has nothing to do with the sex of the bird.
 
Thank you SOO much for the help!!! that makes a lot of sense. I sat with them last night for awhile to see if i could catch them in the act, but nothing happened. I will keep that damp towel in mind. Thank you again!!!
 
I keep a bag of shiny marbles handy for when I first get baby chicks. Scattered around on the brooder floor, they are an excellent distraction from tiny, shiny eye.

Also, if you have shiny silver duct tape you can snip off tiny squares and stick them around on the brooder walls. I guarantee chicks will spend far more time pecking at these items than each other's eyes.

There's an axiom to keep in mind when you have the problem of a chick or grown chicken being singled out for different appearance or an interesting feature. If you can duplicate the different feature, multiplying it in the brooder or run, it will diffuse the attention from the single to the multiple. It's like the bank robber whose description included a bright red hat hiding in a crowd of people all wearing bright red hats. The police don't know whom to focus on.
 
Great idea!! My Barred Rock went right for my Silver penciled Rocks eyeball. Shes a lighter color as well as lighter eyes. I watched as she got pickled right in the eye! I felt so bad for her. I saw it happen one other time after that and haven't seen it since thank God. They soon outgrow that behavior! Thank goodness.
 
teah! i have 3 that are dark and 2 that are more of a butter color. but thank you all so so much!! those are great ideas! they are growing so quickly, so i'm hoping they will grow out of it soon, but the marbles or duct tape is a great idea. thank you all so much!
 

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