Keeping a Blind Chicken

[16 paws]

lala and Forest, thank you for your kind replies..

Yeah, I agree that something is not right and that she needs to learn to eat on her own and that she should have figured it out by now. Everything I am trying is not helping. She just stands there sometimes. I think she has no idea what she is supposed to do. She does peck- but she will peck at the walls, or peck at the terry cloth I have down for her. There is food scattered, but she doesn't seem to know what is food and what is not. Lately, she has been pecking at the walls. She seems to love it when she is outside of the cage, but it becomes impossible to control where she goes- and that can be dangerous.

Oh, I should say that I do not have her with the other chicks. I had to separate her during the first few days of life. She was just doing the same thing of standing there- and getting run over, even by mamma hen. It became dangerous for her to leave her with the others. She is separated from them and lives in her own cage. I think honestly she is very lonely. I have to leave her between feedings and I don't have much time for her, but when she hears my voice or me walking in the room she perks up and spins in circles.

The tapping does seem to arouse interest in her, but she makes no effort to peck or scratch or anything (no where near where I am tapping) .. nothing shows me that she can eat by herself. Unfortunately. She can even step on a glob of wet food and keep walking- it doesn't phase her or pique her curiosity. Maybe she has no sense of smell as well?

If I don't feed her, she sits and cries. I've thought about getting another chick to put in there with her, but I'm not sure how this would go... perhaps I better give it a try. ?

With my blind Chicken Little I kept other chicks in there with her. They learn from them. You said you scatter food around but I think you need to keep a small little dish of food for her. When Chicken Little tries to find her food she knows she is there by running into the bowl. She also likes to sit on the rim of the bowl. A sort of very low perch for her. Are you keeping her indoors? You mentioned when you walk into the room, I feel like your little chick would be happier outside and with some other chicks. I just keep CL in a small sectioned off area where she can hear and smell the other chickens. I think your little chick sounds very lonely, just having another little one in there would do her a lot of good. We all need somebody. I put little Seramas in with Cl now because they are smaller than her. and the hens are very gentle.

 

[kysilkies]

Awesome story! We've had a blind duck before, among many many other afflictions, but as long as the bird can eat, breathe and poop, we're not culling it. We've kept a silkie that lost ability to walk in sling for almost a year, chicken hospice! Lol

And we've never had trouble finding them ALL homes as well! Seek and ye shall find!

 

[Bocktobery 10]

With my blind Chicken Little I kept other chicks in there with her. They learn from them. You said you scatter food around but I think you need to keep a small little dish of food for her. When Chicken Little tries to find her food she knows she is there by running into the bowl. She also likes to sit on the rim of the bowl. A sort of very low perch for her. Are you keeping her indoors? You mentioned when you walk into the room, I feel like your little chick would be happier outside and with some other chicks. I just keep CL in a small sectioned off area where she can hear and smell the other chickens. I think your little chick sounds very lonely, just having another little one in there would do her a lot of good. We all need somebody. I put little Seramas in with Cl now because they are smaller than her. and the hens are very gentle.

Thank so much for your response... I agree with what you are saying here.

Part of the problem is I can't find another chick to put in there with her. A regular sized chick when newly hatched is about the same size as she is. I think it would outgrow her very fast. I was looking to see if anyone had some Seramas they hatched from an incubator in my area, but there are none. I have a few other serama chicks but they are already much bigger than her and they don't treat her too kindly! I know if I got 'newborns' (newly hatched) serama chicks, that they would probably accept her being different but the problem is where do I get them?!

I do agree though, she needs to be outside with other chicks. I do take her cage outside sometimes, when the weather is not brutal hot or too cold, but she doesn't seem to know when she starts to overheat- meaning she seems to stay in the direct sunlight too long and when I find her she seems half dead.... and hot. (She is panting) and I have her in there with shaded area or covered area too. She just doesn't know to move someplace else. Its as if she doesn't even realize she is uncomfortable or knows what to do about it.

Oooh... I just remembered a breeder I bought some pullets from that used to raise frizzle seramas... I think I will send an email her way... Perhaps she could help me out.

.

 

[16 paws]

Thank so much for your response... I agree with what you are saying here.

Part of the problem is I can't find another chick to put in there with her. A regular sized chick when newly hatched is about the same size as she is. I think it would outgrow her very fast. I was looking to see if anyone had some Seramas they hatched from an incubator in my area, but there are none. I have a few other serama chicks but they are already much bigger than her and they don't treat her too kindly! I know if I got 'newborns' (newly hatched) serama chicks, that they would probably accept her being different but the problem is where do I get them?!

I do agree though, she needs to be outside with other chicks. I do take her cage outside sometimes, when the weather is not brutal hot or too cold, but she doesn't seem to know when she starts to overheat- meaning she seems to stay in the direct sunlight too long and when I find her she seems half dead.... and hot. (She is panting) and I have her in there with shaded area or covered area too. She just doesn't know to move someplace else. Its as if she doesn't even realize she is uncomfortable or knows what to do about it.

Oooh... I just remembered a breeder I bought some pullets from that used to raise frizzle seramas... I think I will send an email her way... Perhaps she could help me out.

.

I would try and make sure her whole area is shaded so she cant be in the direct sun. Cl does that sometimes too, doesnt know to get out of the sun. They are still young so just protect her til she learns. Good luck with the Seramas.
Marie

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Marie, thanks..

I will do that. Today I started working on plans for a small coop/cage for her to be outdoors. I'm also working on trying to find some companions for her- might take a while- I'm thinking about ordering some hatching eggs again- can she wait another 19 days or so? I wonder!

Took her outside today and she loved it... she bit off her first clover petal and was so excited she moon walked backwards about 20 yards, peeping all the way.. when I picked her up she quickly ate it and seemed so content.. I'm very happy about it. Hopefully she will do that again and again until she gets the hang of it. So, yeah, there's hope for her yet! Only worried she won't get some stones in her gizzard to process it- can you put chick grit in a chick's mouth for them? If so, how much should I give to her?

Anyway, thanks again!

 

[16 paws]

Marie, thanks..

I will do that. Today I started working on plans for a small coop/cage for her to be outdoors. I'm also working on trying to find some companions for her- might take a while- I'm thinking about ordering some hatching eggs again- can she wait another 19 days or so? I wonder!

Took her outside today and she loved it... she bit off her first clover petal and was so excited she moon walked backwards about 20 yards, peeping all the way.. when I picked her up she quickly ate it and seemed so content.. I'm very happy about it. Hopefully she will do that again and again until she gets the hang of it. So, yeah, there's hope for her yet! Only worried she won't get some stones in her gizzard to process it- can you put chick grit in a chick's mouth for them? If so, how much should I give to her?

Anyway, thanks again!

Is she eating on her own yet?
I would put a little grit in her mouth, I dont think it would hurt. Have you tried to wet or ferment her food? She may like that and you can feed it to her if she wont eat it by herself. That is so awesome about the clover!
Do you have any pictures of her?
Until you get her a room-mate put in a feather duster and see if she likes to cuddle with it. Maybe a little music softly playing would help her not be lonely.
Good luck,
Marie

 

[Bocktobery 10]

No, she's not eating on her own yet. I did put two dishes in there for her- shallow ones- one for food and one for water. She just walks through them. She spends a lot of her time pecking and scratching- mostly pecking but she does not actually eat much, if anything. (She spills her food when she walks through the dishes) How I know this is that her crop is never full like her hatch mates's crops are. Theirs are stuffed full almost all day because they are eating constantly. This little one spends a lot of her time pecking at the walls. I get the feeling she wants out of the cage or is trying to understand why she is confined or can't move past that boundary.

She's been biting me now when I put my hand in there. And I do mean BITES! Very hard and very long held. I even speak before I pick her up, using the same terms (words) I always do so that I do not startle her. So I don't know where this is all coming from, behavioraly... I have a feeling she is frustrated out the wazoo with her disability. I also think she may be more hungry that I think. I feed her about 4 times a day. I'm up to 15cc's of food a day that I feed her via syringe. She does not sit still for that very much anymore when feeding. She squirms a lot. She is feisty and fights, but eagerly eats up the food quickly. I fill her crop each time. I make sure I do not overfill it either. After I am done and put her down, she goes back to pecking and scratching at the ground... its strange.

At this point, I'm thinking she is not only blind but brain damaged. However, having said that, she does not act too oddly, just that she is not picking up on things .. like you said, she should be eating on her own now. She should know where her food dish is and able to find it. She should know how to drink by herself. She should know how to find her water dish. I can tell you this... I put a heating pad in her cage wrapped in a towel and made it into a tunnel for her to crawl into for warmth. She now is finding that tunnel and spending more time in it. At first, she ignored it. Now she seems to hang out in there more... and best of all, she FINDS it on her own, which tells me she may not be as mentally incapable of finding things as I thought she was. Who knows what the difficulty is about. I'm still trying to figure it all out. This is a really difficult case, but I certainly appreciate all your suggestion! They are helpful. Thank you!

I'm thinking the loneliness factor is the number one problem... and I think that can compound everything else with her health to great detriment.. She needs a living warm creature with her at all times. I remember some study a person did with Reese's Monkey's and nurturing and it seemed like it was SO important that a baby gets that warmth and attention of a mother, otherwise, its health just deteriorates, same with mental capacities. I have not been able to provide for her as a constant- and maybe too erratically. I hope to find something suitable for her soon and that its not too late.


More pictuers of her to come. She is very behind in growth. She really has not grown too much at all, but is growing- albeit very slowly. Just not as fast as the hatch mates. They are huge now compared to her. I don't think this is a good sign for her health though, sadly. All of this that I write about is not a good sign for her health. i will keep trying though. She is feisty as heck! I think she wants to live, just frustrated to exhausting levels. I feel so badly for her!

 

[Fizzybelle]

I've yet to read the whole thread (sorry, I will though), but I just wanted to stop and say thank you for this thread. My year old silkie Agnes is going through some eye illness of some sort. She's got a follow up at the vets with both the avian vet and the ophthalmologist on Monday. I'm doubtful the vision in her left eye will improve, but I hope her right eye will heal. Best they can deduce, some infection elsewhere inside her is causing these symptoms in her eyes. If the two types of antibiotics, and two types of eye drops she's on don't work, then that will mean blood tests most likely to further determine a cause. Fingers crossed for good news on Monday, at least for her right eye. I've just been very upset for her and how she and I will cope if she goes blind. This has given me some hope, and likely I'll need to make some alterations to her life to ensure she's comfortable. Putting her down is not an option, not unless she had no quality of life at all. My little chicky deserves a happy life, so I'll do my best. I'm just very fearful of the immediate road ahead as answers are still forthcoming. This has helped though relieve some of that stress.

 

[16 paws]

I've yet to read the whole thread (sorry, I will though), but I just wanted to stop and say thank you for this thread. My year old silkie Agnes is going through some eye illness of some sort. She's got a follow up at the vets with both the avian vet and the ophthalmologist on Monday. I'm doubtful the vision in her left eye will improve, but I hope her right eye will heal. Best they can deduce, some infection elsewhere inside her is causing these symptoms in her eyes. If the two types of antibiotics, and two types of eye drops she's on don't work, then that will mean blood tests most likely to further determine a cause. Fingers crossed for good news on Monday, at least for her right eye. I've just been very upset for her and how she and I will cope if she goes blind. This has given me some hope, and likely I'll need to make some alterations to her life to ensure she's comfortable. Putting her down is not an option, not unless she had no quality of life at all. My little chicky deserves a happy life, so I'll do my best. I'm just very fearful of the immediate road ahead as answers are still forthcoming. This has helped though relieve some of that stress.

We are all here to help each other out. It is hard at times but the rewards are great. Just do the best you can at the time and everything will work out. Some times things are just out of our control. That is when my faith comes in and I know someone that knows more than me is in ultimate control. Whew, what a relief that is....
Marie

 

[16 paws]

No, she's not eating on her own yet. I did put two dishes in there for her- shallow ones- one for food and one for water. She just walks through them. She spends a lot of her time pecking and scratching- mostly pecking but she does not actually eat much, if anything. (She spills her food when she walks through the dishes) How I know this is that her crop is never full like her hatch mates's crops are. Theirs are stuffed full almost all day because they are eating constantly. This little one spends a lot of her time pecking at the walls. I get the feeling she wants out of the cage or is trying to understand why she is confined or can't move past that boundary.

She's been biting me now when I put my hand in there. And I do mean BITES! Very hard and very long held. I even speak before I pick her up, using the same terms (words) I always do so that I do not startle her. So I don't know where this is all coming from, behavioraly... I have a feeling she is frustrated out the wazoo with her disability. I also think she may be more hungry that I think. I feed her about 4 times a day. I'm up to 15cc's of food a day that I feed her via syringe. She does not sit still for that very much anymore when feeding. She squirms a lot. She is feisty and fights, but eagerly eats up the food quickly. I fill her crop each time. I make sure I do not overfill it either. After I am done and put her down, she goes back to pecking and scratching at the ground... its strange.

At this point, I'm thinking she is not only blind but brain damaged. However, having said that, she does not act too oddly, just that she is not picking up on things .. like you said, she should be eating on her own now. She should know where her food dish is and able to find it. She should know how to drink by herself. She should know how to find her water dish. I can tell you this... I put a heating pad in her cage wrapped in a towel and made it into a tunnel for her to crawl into for warmth. She now is finding that tunnel and spending more time in it. At first, she ignored it. Now she seems to hang out in there more... and best of all, she FINDS it on her own, which tells me she may not be as mentally incapable of finding things as I thought she was. Who knows what the difficulty is about. I'm still trying to figure it all out. This is a really difficult case, but I certainly appreciate all your suggestion! They are helpful. Thank you!

I'm thinking the loneliness factor is the number one problem... and I think that can compound everything else with her health to great detriment.. She needs a living warm creature with her at all times. I remember some study a person did with Reese's Monkey's and nurturing and it seemed like it was SO important that a baby gets that warmth and attention of a mother, otherwise, its health just deteriorates, same with mental capacities. I have not been able to provide for her as a constant- and maybe too erratically. I hope to find something suitable for her soon and that its not too late.


More pictuers of her to come. She is very behind in growth. She really has not grown too much at all, but is growing- albeit very slowly. Just not as fast as the hatch mates. They are huge now compared to her. I don't think this is a good sign for her health though, sadly. All of this that I write about is not a good sign for her health. i will keep trying though. She is feisty as heck! I think she wants to live, just frustrated to exhausting levels. I feel so badly for her!

You are doing great, just do the best you can for the little one and have faith....She just may surprise you. Like with the cave, thats wonderful. Cl had a mama heat pad cave and loved it.
Marie