Caring for a Blind Chicken

The Coop

As I mentioned, BC’s coop and run should be medium-sized, hazardless, and streamlined. It can’t be too big because she could get lost, and can’t be too small for her buddies to live with her.

The coop should have:

• A flat, soft floor/bedding
• Ground-level laying box
• A low roost in case BC decides she wants to roost, and a higher one for her buddies
• Optional indoor feed and water; that depends on your situation
• And everything that a normal chicken coop needs: doors, windows, a rug, a stove, a toilet, a chandelier, etc.

The chicken-sized door should be ground-level and easy to get in and out of without being a trip hazard. I always recommend automatic doors, but this is optional for your situation.

The Run

BC needs a medium-sized run on flat ground where she can exercise while being safe from predators and from getting lost.

Your run needs:

• To be free of things such as sharp items, trip hazards, and objects that BC could get stuck behind/in
• To be an even shape with walls that she can follow right back to the coop
• Feed and water dishes placed near the coop so she doesn’t have to go far to get them
• Textured flooring or at least different-feeling ground around the food/water containers and around the door to the coop. This helps BC know that she is close to those things and makes navigating easier. Texture can be anything from grass, dirt, straw, or mats that have a different feeling than the rest of the enclosure.
• A water-proof roof so BC doesn’t get wet if she gets stuck outside in the rain
• Everything that a normal chicken run needs (predator-proof fencing, clean environment, picnic table, etc.)

If BC struggles to get inside the coop at night and textured floor outside isn’t helping, consider making a funnel or ramp leading to the hatch. Pinky, my blind hen, was using a slightly-slanted wooden ramp with funnel-like walls that directed her right to the hatch. See pic below!