On Sunday February 17, we had 9 chicks hatch out of 18. These eggs came from our own ladies and consisted of silkies and EE's. I am a grad student and stay pretty busy at the beginning of the week so I have just been checking on overall health and feeding/watering the chicks who are in a brooder in an extra room in our house. A couple of days ago I noticed a little chipmunk brown EE spending a lot of time around the light. Yesterday I noticed that after I held this little chick she would slowly walk away and tilt her head. Yesterday I had my suspicions and today I am sure, this sweet little girl is blind. Her eyes look to be shaped to small. I can put my finger up to her and she does not blink. She also closes her eyes a lot. I spent some time just "observing" the brooder to see if and how she was eating/drinking. She actually tilts her head and listens to the other chicks and I saw her find her way to the food bowl. She is a slow eater but she was eating. I also watcher her peck and hold on to the feathers of a serama chick who is 1 1/2 weeks older but about her size. Does anyone else have a blind chicken? I know her life will be challenged but I am willing to put in some extra work to give her a quality life. I realize free-ranging and being with lots of other chickens will not be in her future. Will my little chipmunk have a quality life? I understand she may not make it and I plan on making a cage for her and another docile chick. Any thoughts, suggestions, comments on blindness in chickens?
If food and water are provided consistently in the same place, the chick may thrive. Such chickens must be protected from predators (even more so than normally) and aggressive flock mates. She has potential for a good life.
