Blind chick?

[SHillChickMan]

I have an 8 day old chick that seems to be blind. It’s eyes are always closed and it doesn’t move quickly (carefully not lethargic) around the brooder, but it seems otherwise healthy. I’ve witnessed it eating and drinking and it is obviously getting enough to survive or it would have died by now. Any advice?

 

[staceyj]

Does it have eyes?
Do they ever open?

Could you post some pictures?
Or even a video of the chick in action. Upload to YouTube or similar video platform then provide a link.

Although blindness isn’t impossible, It’s also possible that your chick is sick rather than blind. They tend to close their eyes when they don’t feel well.

How are everyone’s poop looking?
Pictures of that, and your general brooder setup would would help as well!

 

[staceyj]

My concern is coccidiosis.
It can wipe out a whole batch of chicks in a couple of days.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, hope BYC is treating you well!

I personally would cull as I don't have time, energy, or space for special needs birds and if it ended up being a rooster would be eaten anyways and I don't want it breeding forward in my flock if female. It isn't because I am heartless.. it's because I have goals and limits. I would not have been able to make that decision early on in my breeding and hatching adventures.

Anytime in the past I wasn't sure what to do with a hatch-ling that had obvious issues but I could tell would survive (splay leg or such)... Then things NEVER improve with age and weight (and teenage flock dynamics can be brutal) but only become more pronounced and I still had to deal with it anyways but after more time, energy, and heart have been devoted.. it's an even MORE difficult decision. And for me part of hatching responsibly means making the tough calls that are in the best interest of the entire flock including myself the keeper.

Staceyj makes an excellent point... where did these chicks come from?

Hoping for a positive result!

8 days is too early for coccidiosis IMO...

What is being fed? How many chicks in how much space? Any supplements?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be dipping it’s beak into the water, and trying to show it the food. Make a small saucer of very watery chick crumbles to eat. If you have electrolytes, such as SaveAChick or Poultry NutriDrench give it some. PND is good to have around, and you make give a drop or two as a boost. Make sure the chick has a clean bottom and no pasty butt.

 

[SHillChickMan]

Does it have eyes?
Do they ever open?

Could you post some pictures?
Or even a video of the chick in action. Upload to YouTube or similar video platform then provide a link.

Although blindness isn’t impossible, It’s also possible that your chick is sick rather than blind. They tend to close their eyes when they don’t feel well.

How are everyone’s poop looking?
Pictures of that, and your general brooder setup would would help as well!

 

[staceyj]

Hey there.
I got an alert that you came back but I’m not seeing a comment or follow up.

 

[SHillChickMan]

Sorry it’s been a few days. I’ve been working a lot of overtime at work. The chick seems to be doing ok so far and is eating and drinking. I’m beginning to think it may just have poor eyesight. There is no pasty butt and I usually only have one or two episodes with each batch of chicks. It is in a brooder with 27 other chicks that were hatched out of eggs from my backyard flock. They are eating medicated chick feed and I have given them both vitamin/electrolyte water and fresh water since putting them in the brooder. The brooder is approximately 20 square feet with two heat lamps which allows them plenty of room to move away from the heat if they get too warm. Other than appearing to not see very well and notgrowing as fast as most of the others, the chick is acting normally and even scratches the pine shavings near the feeders. At this point I may wait and see andif there isn’t improvements just cull it when I cull the “extra” roos.

 

[Ranchwithaview]

Sorry it’s been a few days. I’ve been working a lot of overtime at work. The chick seems to be doing ok so far and is eating and drinking. I’m beginning to think it may just have poor eyesight. There is no pasty butt and I usually only have one or two episodes with each batch of chicks. It is in a brooder with 27 other chicks that were hatched out of eggs from my backyard flock. They are eating medicated chick feed and I have given them both vitamin/electrolyte water and fresh water since putting them in the brooder. The brooder is approximately 20 square feet with two heat lamps which allows them plenty of room to move away from the heat if they get too warm. Other than appearing to not see very well and notgrowing as fast as most of the others, the chick is acting normally and even scratches the pine shavings near the feeders. At this point I may wait and see andif there isn’t improvements just cull it when I cull the “extra” roos.

How is it doing? Was it culled?