advice thread

[little chickady]

I started this thread for chicken loves new and experienced I have only had chicks a few days but I found out something that I though would be useful. Four days ago my girst chick hatched she was energetic and ran into everything even the wall repeatedly though dhe wound not eat for drink until I held a very wet mash to her beak same with water today I realized she's blind it explains everything even though her eyes look fine.

So please post advice here random or through experiance about strange behavior in chick

 

[chooks4life]

Blind chickens can and do have good lives if someone is willing to set things up for them in a way they can learn to manage. You'd need to restrain her to a cage permanently in all likelihood though. There are some threads on this site about blind chooks, might help to search them for info on it.

Best wishes.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Aww....poor baby! Blind chicks do take a bit more work to keep alive, but it can be done. Get a water fountain system set up so she can follow the sound of the water to drink. Keep the food in the exact same spot every day so she can find it. At first you will need to sprinkle food all around the floor near the feeder and tap with your fingers at it so she hears this. She will step on the food and this is good. She will feel it and know it is there. Tap in the food bowl as well. Eventually she can learn where the food is too. Keep it right next to the water fountain and again, never move the feeder or the water system.

Good luck with your little baby. I hope she makes it ok. If at any point her quality of life is not up to par, you might consider putting her down.

Enjoy this tiny baby!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Blind chicks are sure a challenge.I've raised them before. He learned how to eat and drink and even followed me outside by listening to where my voice was.The trick is to get them used to you. Then start to train them to do different things. Teach them where the food and water is by tapping it. Make sure they are of a different material i.e. use metal for the feeder and plastic for the water so she learns which is which by the sound.

Good luck!

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

BYC has a very useful learning center

It takes a special person to take cars of animals with special needs so that is one lucky chick ...

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Hopefully everything goes well in raising your blind chick. Good luck.

 

[drumstick diva]

I have read posts on various threads concerning blind chicks. Some people have found that another chick or older bird will become it's companion to guide it along. In rarer cases some other animal does the guiding, a dog, rabbit etc. Stranger things have happened.

 

[chooks4life]

I have read posts on various threads concerning blind chicks. Some people have found that another chick or older bird will become it's companion to guide it along. In rarer cases some other animal does the guiding, a dog, rabbit etc. Stranger things have happened.

Agree. They generally seem to find a companion who helps them but even alone they appear to manage surprisingly well. Reminds me of stories of wild animals that are blind, whether alone or with families, they can sometimes compensate and survive.