Caring for a Blind Chicken

GodLovesU said:

Bookmarked!

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Barnette said:

Thank you!!

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karen67crazychickenlady said:

My hen was attacked by a raccoon 3 days ago in broad daylight, and bit her comb almost all the way off, he also got her eyes, IDK if she is blinded in both eyes, but one eye is completely white....I am heartbroken, my chickens are my pets, my babies, and I am at this point not sure if she is going to make it....are there any medications that can be given to her to help with swelling and pain...I need answers, thank you for posting this article, she has a level lot that she can run in, but no buddies.....very worried about her, and anxiously awaiting your reply, TY in advance....

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kittyvamp1884 said:

Ebony (our 3-year-old Black Australorp) became our house chicken after having a run in with our foxhound, Revan. She had an abdominal wound that took many months to heal, and she acclimated to living with us in the house full time while recuperating. We didn't know at the time, but Revan suffered from osteoarthritis; a battle that he lost in June. One day last March, Ebony jumped up on my daughter's bed, not knowing Revan was lying down there, and he snapped.

The resulting injury included another abdominal wound, head, and throat trauma. She was blind after the attack with pupils that no longer constricted. I tube fed her through the worst of the initial healing, and she eventually regained the desire to eat on her own. After many months, and the complete recovery from her other wounds, her sight did not return. At this point, one of her eyes has the glassy appearance of a fully dilated pupil that never constricts but is otherwise normal, and her other eye has an unresponsive but normal pupil and is deflating. She will most likely lose this second eye.

All in all, she's healed up quite well, and is acclimating to living without vision, but she will never return to the flock. She spent so long inside recuperating from the first injury that she no longer knows the area outside, and is no longer part of the (rather entrenched) pecking order.

She has a large dog crate in the house, with a cat "food and water fountain" that allows her to hear when she's near the food and water. She finds it without issue, and is very aware when she hears food hitting the dish. Heck, she knows the sound of the mealworms container even before it hits the dish. She gets scraps from our dinners, and eats the regular home mixed feed the rest of the flock gets. She also gets treats, and I mix grit into her food to make sure she gets that too. She hasn't laid an egg since the injury, so she does not currently get oyster shells, but I do offer her the occasional egg shell when I make her eggs. She's not usually interested in the shell... But very interested in the eggs...

Also in her crate is a a three-tiered spice rack with traction material added that she uses like steps to climb to perch at night. Another of these spice racks creates the perfect set of steps for her to get out of the crate and move around in what we lovingly call her porch which has two small dog beds that she hangs out in. I've thought about adding a covered litter box dust bath, but I'm still negotiating that with my husband.

She spends quality time with us as her flock all day everyday. (I work from home and my two teenage daughters are homeschooled, so there's always someone snuggling our Mamacita.) We take her out back for dust bathing and free-ranging opportunities several times a week as the weather allows, and several of our hens lay their eggs inside the house, so she does interact off and on with them while they're inside "visiting".

I've been trying to convince my husband to get a friend for her... a non-human companion that can be a full-time inside flockmate. (Other than our puppy which she understandably does not want to interact with.) Possibly a bantam chicken, lovebird, or cockatiel. The main issue (other than my husband's objection to additional house pets) is that Ebony was really high up in a pecking order before her initial injury. She might be more likely to bully her new flockmate then befriend them. They'd have to be docile enough to not take advantage of her in her vulnerable state, but dominant enough not to allow her to bully them. I'd love suggestions if you have any for a companion.

I've attached some pictures in case they're helpful to anyone. If anyone wants to see pictures from during the healing process, message me directly.

For context in the images:
1. The second story crate is where one of our rooster sleeps at night to save the neighbors
2. The crate and cube at the top is where a few of our hens lay their eggs during the day.

This is right in our living room behind the couch in the center of everything happening in the house.

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GodLovesU said:

I’m trying to write an article on keeping house chickens. I would love for you to post your story here. I may be able to use some of the information and/or her story in my article.

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kittyvamp1884 said:

I'd be happy to. Looks like it's kind of a general thread, do you want me to just copy and paste the story, or are there specific additional details that you think would be helpful?

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kittyvamp1884 said:

Ebony (our 3-year-old Black Australorp) became our house chicken after having a run in with our foxhound, Revan in (May '24). She had an abdominal wound that took many months to heal, and she acclimated to living with us in the house full time while recuperating. We didn't know at the time, but Revan suffered from osteoarthritis; a battle that he lost in June. One day last March, Ebony jumped up on my daughter's bed, not knowing Revan was lying down there, and he snapped.

The resulting injury included another abdominal wound, head, and throat trauma. She was blind after the attack with pupils that no longer constricted. I tube fed her through the worst of the initial healing, and she eventually regained the desire to eat on her own. After many months, and the complete recovery from her other wounds, her sight did not return. At this point, one of her eyes has the glassy appearance of a fully dilated pupil that never constricts but is otherwise normal, and her other eye has an unresponsive but normal pupil and is deflating. She will most likely lose this second eye.

All in all, she's healed up quite well, and is acclimating to living without vision, but she will never return to the flock. She spent so long inside recuperating from the first injury that she no longer knows the area outside, and is no longer part of the (rather entrenched) pecking order.

She has a large dog crate in the house, with a cat "food and water fountain" that allows her to hear when she's near the food and water. She finds it without issue, and is very aware when she hears food hitting the dish. Heck, she knows the sound of the mealworms container even before it hits the dish. She gets scraps from our dinners, and eats the regular home mixed feed the rest of the flock gets. She also gets treats, and I mix grit into her food to make sure she gets that too. She hasn't laid an egg since the injury, so she does not currently get oyster shells, but I do offer her the occasional egg shell when I make her eggs. She's not usually interested in the shell... But very interested in the eggs...

Also in her crate is a a three-tiered spice rack with traction material added that she uses like steps to climb to perch at night. Another of these spice racks creates the perfect set of steps for her to get out of the crate and move around in what we lovingly call her porch which has two small dog beds that she hangs out in. I've thought about adding a covered litter box dust bath, but I'm still negotiating that with my husband.

She spends quality time with us as her flock all day everyday. (I work from home and my two teenage daughters are homeschooled, so there's always someone snuggling our Mamacita.) We take her out back for dust bathing and free-ranging opportunities several times a week as the weather allows, and several of our hens lay their eggs inside the house, so she does interact off and on with them while they're inside "visiting".

I've been trying to convince my husband to get a friend for her... a non-human companion that can be a full-time inside flockmate. (Other than our puppy which she understandably does not want to interact with.) Possibly a bantam chicken, lovebird, or cockatiel. The main issue (other than my husband's objection to additional house pets) is that Ebony was really high up in a pecking order before her initial injury. She might be more likely to bully her new flockmate then befriend them. They'd have to be docile enough to not take advantage of her in her vulnerable state, but dominant enough not to allow her to bully them. I'd love suggestions if you have any for a companion.

I've attached some pictures in case they're helpful to anyone. If anyone wants to see pictures from during the healing process, message me directly.

For context in the images:
1. The second story crate is where one of our rooster sleeps at night to save the neighbors
2. The crate and cube at the top is where a few of our hens lay their eggs during the day.

This is right in our living room behind the couch in the center of everything happening in the house.

Click to expand...

GodLovesU said:

@Barnette, I believe I may have a blind chicken. She is a ten-year old Easter Egger and both of her eyes look cloudy. If I post a picture of them could you tell me what you think?

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Barnette said:

Sure, you can post the photos here!

Some other ways to tell if your chicken is blind other than just the appearance of the eyes:
- Wave your hand in front of and on the sides of her face and see if she reacts
- Carefully watch the way she walks to see if she stumbles or bumps into things
- Shine a flashlight in her eye and watch if the pupil constricts and if she blinks or moves away

Hope this helps!

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