Blind 3 Day Old Chick

[jenlhake]

I am a first time chick mom. I just got 5 chicks. One from the moment I got it was not well. The first day I thought it was ill and probably would not make it til morning. I just kept trying to get it to drink. I woke and found her (for the moment anyway) still lethargic, but stronger. I watched them for hours and through hours of observation and testing I have discovered that she is not sick. She is blind. Day two was better I kept putting her by her water. Today is day 3 and she drinks by her self and now has figured where the water is kind of by running into that corner. She is not developing as quickly or as strong. Mostly I think because she is not taking in the calories of the others because she cannot always find the food. I have scattered crumbles on the bottom so she can also peck for them, but am concerned she may also be eating pine shavings. I started this morning giving her full fat organic plain yogurt by hand which she loved. She is getting bigger and stronger and pecking aimlessly but now somewhat happily (not chriping incessantly). I would love any other suggestions.

On a side note this is a genetic defect of Rhode Island Reds which is not uncommon. The poultry industry has not try to breed out the characteristic because it found blind chickens produce more eggs. I just hope to provide her a safe and happy home. Or him as the case may be.

 

[ebonykawai]

I hatched a chick last month that was blind. Mine didn't have retinal degeneration, though. It's eyes were deformed. The eyelids were too small and didn't match up with the eyeballs, if you know what I mean, so even though the chick had eyelids partially open, it still couldn't see. I ended up culling it. It was getting picked on and had lost a big tuft of fluff.