blind chicken, need help : )

[twiggyzafox]

ok so just quickly i got a bantam about 8 mths ago and when i first got her i noticed she didnt act like the other chickens, she was super docile and barely moved. She seemed to settle in but my Isa brown bullied her relentlessly to the point where she had no feather on her head and it was all scabby, i seperated them and after a mth or so re-introduced them and now while Lilo (isa) still pecks Holly(bantam) they seem to have worked out an understanding and holly's head feathers are almost grown back, but she has her own seperate hutch to sleep in at night away from my other 3 girls as i was worried they would corner her when i wasnt around and do some serious damage (my hutches are small as i have them in my back yard) while out all day in the yard they all seem to just avoid Holly. Now for the help needed i noticed Hollys eyes are all cloudy, when i first got her i thought there was something wrong with her eyesight so took her to the vet, he checked her over generally and said she was in good health but yes her eye sight was not great. Well i know she is def blind in her left eye as i slowly moved my finger towards it and she didnt notice at all, i tried on the right eye and it seems she has some sight in it but not a whole lot. My problem is this her eating, i dont want her to lose too much weight, as it is her crop always seems empty. At night i put her in her hutch with her pellets and water and show them to her and she seems to fill up then and go to bed, when she gets up i don the same thing. My yard ids a mix of concrete and grass but she stays on the concrete unless i put her on the grass, when i do put her on the grass she kind of pecks at the ground foraging but not for long. So basically i would like to know what can i feed her to keep her healthy? can she be happy this way? i dont want to send her to the bridge but i dont want her to be unhappy either, especially as it seems my chickens are always eating i would hate for her to be starving all day : (how would i know if she was depressed?? lol

 

[twiggyzafox]

no one : (

 

[bobbi-j]

Frankly, if she were my chicken, I'd put her out of her misery. I know there are plenty of people who keep "special needs" chickens, but I am not one of them. Think of what her life is like. She's isolated (chickens are flock animals and happier when they can be with others) and unable to hunt, peck, and scratch around like chickens like to do. I don't know if they are capable of feelings of depression, but I do believe that we are responsible for giving our animals - whether they're pets or livestock - the best lives possible, and when we're no longer able to do that, we need to do the kindest thing and put them down. Sometimes what's kindest for our animals is what's hardest for us.

 

[PrairieChickens]

I recently read some posts from a chicken owner who mentioned having a blind chicken in her flock, but I don't know how she dealt with the issue of the chicken socializing with the others or finding food. So to answer your question, I know that there are ways to care for a blind chicken, I just have no idea what they are.

 

[sbhkma]

You have to ask yourself... are you wanting to keep her because you feel you can offer her quality of life, or are you wanting to keep her because you don't want to "fail" her? In my opinion, the most responsible thing you can do is put her down. She sounds like she feels lost, alone and insecure and if that's the case you're not doing her any favors by continuing on this course. If she's not eating well, she's suffering. If she's isolated all the time (as has been mentioned, they're social animals), she's suffering. She's not able to do "chicken things". Although I don't have a blind chicken, I do have a horse that is blind in one eye. It was a sudden blindness and it was a rough adjustment for us both, but he does great now. If he couldn't run and play, couldn't graze or find his hay and water or feel safe (or be safe to be around), I would put him down because I adore that horse and would want what's best for him. Good luck with whatever decision you make and I'm sorry you have to make it, whatever it may be.

 

[twiggyzafox]

thanks for replying : ) after reading your post sbhkma i think i might put her to sleep, i am def doing it as i feel i dont want to fail her : ( i think she may perhaps adjust in time but during that time she will probably be unhappy, i let her out today and yesterday and unless i actually remove her from the hutch she stays put all day : ( i think i need to let her go : ((((

 

[bobbi-j]

thanks for replying : ) after reading your post sbhkma i think i might put her to sleep, i am def doing it as i feel i dont want to fail her : ( i think she may perhaps adjust in time but during that time she will probably be unhappy, i let her out today and yesterday and unless i actually remove her from the hutch she stays put all day : ( i think i need to let her go : ((((

I think you are making the right decision, hard as it may be. Like I said before, sometimes the kindest thing for our animals is the hardest thing for us to do. I am proud of you for making such a tough choice.

 

[twiggyzafox]

hello i just wanted t say thx again for replying, I took my lovely girl to the vet this morning and he agreed she was quite stressed after i told him how she was behaving and that it would be no life for her. Sadly we decided to put her to sleep, it was very sad and hard as i have only done this with pets who were unwell, my gorgeous girl was the picture of health, besides this : ((( a very sad day for me, i hope she is at the bridge with her vision restored no longer frightened and confused by a world she couldnt see...

 

[JanetS]

So sorry for your loss. When you're a pet owner sometimes you have to make some very hard choices.

 

[twiggyzafox]

Agreed and thank you : ) I'll feel a little better about it in a few days im sure, it was just such a shame she was lovely : (