Blind Chick!

@Callender Girl @BesideStillWaters

thank you both for the advice! I have great news!

Andei is doing amazingly! Today i helped her with her preening, but I noticed her left wing was slightly cleaned. I think she has slightly more sight in that eye. Both eyes don’t react to light, she she reacts to shadows and bright lights! All this to say, she’s learning how to use her limited sight! I watched her at the food dish today, but she didnt eat much. That’s okay, any progress is progress. I picked her up, got her slightly wet chick feed, and got to work.

right now, she’s on moist chick food. It’s soppy enough it doesn’t fall away when she pecks it, but it’s a solid all the same. Lik… chunky mashed potatoes. Anyway, I let her peck off my finger. I am left handed, which works out, because that’s her stronger eye. I never had to put it on her beak, and once I gently tapped her beak, she went to town. She tried again to eat out of the dish and got a dozen good bites in, and the rest I fed off my hand until she was full. shes still not doing well with watering herself, but she’s a very good patient. And, now, she’s started to peck at the dropper instead of making me dribble it down the corner of her beak into her mouth.

so, that’s the good news! The bad news is I believe her issue is hereditary :(. One of her sisters, ironically the one who is the cuddly mommy chick, also started to lose weight. I picked her up, and checked her eyes. They reacted, but not as strongly as I’d like. She reacts to fingers in her face, but, again, not as strongly. She drinks and drinks and drinks, but i think because the food is stationary, she struggles. So, I’ve been setting her on Missandei’s mushy left overs and letting her have her fill. Her sheathes are also not preened off, but they’re better than Andei’s. I wouldn’t be shocked if the one other who looks similarly and isn’t gaining as fast is also visually impaired. So, no hatching eggs from these girls!

i called RK. They offered for me to return the chicks and they’d replace them. Replace them? Hah! Not a chance! The girls are doing great, they sleep in a cuddle puddle, they eat and eat and eat, and it seems my extra dish of mush is really popular.

pic: Missandei, the black chick, and Brienne, the white chick. Brienne is the visually impaired mommy chick
0ADD6746-ABC3-4E59-8250-8443A94B8A11.jpeg
 
I'm so glad to hear about Andei's progress. Sorry to hear she appears not to be the only one facing extra challenges.
Yeah , that was why I called RK . I was trying to find out who supplies their starlight green eggers, so I could get in contact and discuss my issues, to hopefully keep more chicks from hatching with these issues and ending up with someone who can’t meet their needs, or starving in a brooder.

I am proud of you for not returning the girls; I'm sure they would have been euthanized. You sound like the perfect person to care for them! Here's to a happy future for you all!
That was my worry. maybe im not the best person to raise them, it’s my first time with chicks and especially blind ones, but I don’t want them put down. They’re doing amazingly. I’ll update with her weight later !
 
@Callender Girl @BesideStillWaters

thank you both for the advice! I have great news!

Andei is doing amazingly! Today i helped her with her preening, but I noticed her left wing was slightly cleaned. I think she has slightly more sight in that eye. Both eyes don’t react to light, she she reacts to shadows and bright lights! All this to say, she’s learning how to use her limited sight! I watched her at the food dish today, but she didnt eat much. That’s okay, any progress is progress. I picked her up, got her slightly wet chick feed, and got to work.

right now, she’s on moist chick food. It’s soppy enough it doesn’t fall away when she pecks it, but it’s a solid all the same. Lik… chunky mashed potatoes. Anyway, I let her peck off my finger. I am left handed, which works out, because that’s her stronger eye. I never had to put it on her beak, and once I gently tapped her beak, she went to town. She tried again to eat out of the dish and got a dozen good bites in, and the rest I fed off my hand until she was full. shes still not doing well with watering herself, but she’s a very good patient. And, now, she’s started to peck at the dropper instead of making me dribble it down the corner of her beak into her mouth.

so, that’s the good news! The bad news is I believe her issue is hereditary :(. One of her sisters, ironically the one who is the cuddly mommy chick, also started to lose weight. I picked her up, and checked her eyes. They reacted, but not as strongly as I’d like. She reacts to fingers in her face, but, again, not as strongly. She drinks and drinks and drinks, but i think because the food is stationary, she struggles. So, I’ve been setting her on Missandei’s mushy left overs and letting her have her fill. Her sheathes are also not preened off, but they’re better than Andei’s. I wouldn’t be shocked if the one other who looks similarly and isn’t gaining as fast is also visually impaired. So, no hatching eggs from these girls!

i called RK. They offered for me to return the chicks and they’d replace them. Replace them? Hah! Not a chance! The girls are doing great, they sleep in a cuddle puddle, they eat and eat and eat, and it seems my extra dish of mush is really popular.

pic: Missandei, the black chick, and Brienne, the white chick. Brienne is the visually impaired mommy chick
View attachment 3047316
GREAT NEWS!
SHES EATING ON HER OWN!
i almost cried recording that. She’s really starting to learn and cope and I’m so relieved and proud of her.
Another break through!

i walked in and she’s drinking on her own! Finally!

the downside, she’s just not gaining enough. I’m putting her on a strict hourly assist feed schedule. I’ll keep you all updated
I'm SO GLAD!! ❤️ Looking forward to the updates!

Also interesting about it being hereditary. I hatched eggs from my blind hen, Amber, and none had sight issues. Amber (Golden Laced Wyandotte) and another hen who was given to me, Morrisette (Isa Brown) were both blind because of cataracts. I didn't really think about it potentially being hereditary... 😳

How are the other four chicks doing? No signs of visual issues with them?
 

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