My chicken has vision problems

[Jajika]

Lately my Thelma, an Araucana about six years old had trouble seeing. When she goes to peck at something, she misses it. I've observed her attempting to bite a piece of spinach and she misses it completely.

Fortunately, she is eating well in my trough feeders, so I know she is getting nourishment. She still dirt baths, walks around, sleeps up high and is still as sweet as ever.

I've never noticed this problem in all my years keeping chickens. Is this unique to the breed? Is there anything to do? I'm keeping a close eye on here to be sure she is eating etc. Thanks

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Can you post a picture of her eyes? Do they look cloudy or dulled? Misshapen?

 

[Jajika]

Lately my Thelma, an Araucana about six years old had trouble seeing. When she goes to peck at something, she misses it. I've observed her attempting to bite a piece of spinach and she misses it completely.

Fortunately, she is eating well in my trough feeders, so I know she is getting nourishment. She still dirt baths, walks around, sleeps up high and is still as sweet as ever.

I've never noticed this problem in all my years keeping chickens. Is this unique to the breed? Is there anything to do? I'm keeping a close eye on here to be sure she is eating etc. Thanks

I waiting for some help to photo her eyes. Thanks

 

[Jajika]

OK. I have two pics for you.

 

[Jajika]

Here a better pic of her left eye

 

[Eggcessive]

Is her other eye the same color or is the left eye more grey in color or faded that the other?

 

[Jajika]

From what I can tell, both eyes look exactly the same.

 

[Eggcessive]

Ocular Mareks disease can affect the eyes, causing a loss of pigment in the iris, and it may become grey and have a mishsapen or pinpoint pupil. It causes blindness. There are other causes of blindness in chickens such as a cloudy pupil or cataract, eye injfections or injuries, vitamin A or E deficiency, and in survivors of epidemic tremors (AE virus. )

 

[Jajika]

Thank you so much. So if she has this, which sounds likely, her vision will continue to deteriorate?

So I need to keep an eye (funny) on her to see that she is still able to eat and watch her behavior in terms of dust bathing etc. She does get a full diet of commercial feed, some high end scratch, as well as fruits and vegetables and always fresh water.

 

[Eggcessive]

I wasn’t saying that your chicken has Mareks disease, but only wondering if you think that might be a problem. Mareks has other manifestations in chickens. Someday in the future, if you ever lose her, you might want to get her tested. Chickens who lose their eyesight can sometimes do well in a familar setting. Just keep an eye on her and make sure that she can find food and water. Here is some reading about the eye form of Mareks:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext...Preventing Mareks Disease in Small Flocks.pdf