Blind Chicken

[lra2000us]

Hi my name is Lori and I am new to this site. I started to raise chickens a year ago and have been adding to my flock. I have 8 chickens total, 4 rhode island reds, 1 blue laced whyandote, I barred rock and 2 cross between and bantum, silkie. We are getting 4 americana chicks on the 30th of this month and looking to purchase 4 more rhode island reds. My question for anyone with an answer is my rhode island red is going blind and I need to know what I can do to help her. She is not losing weight, she still gets around but she is seems to having a harder time every day. I dont want to kill her or eat her, she is a pet and I want to see her live for a couple more years (she is less than a year old). Please help me, help her. Thanks

 

[<3ChickenForever]

from WI

What does the eye look like?

 

[lra2000us]

Her eye looks normal. It is not white or clowdy and does not look like it has been pecked at or scrached.

 

[<3ChickenForever]

Has she been running into things??

 

[CrestedGirl]

Welcome, I have a rooster with 1 eye that is blind. I keep him in a crate where he has a plastic cup with feed And one of those pop water bottles for water, even though he has a trouble seeing he finds everything alright. Almost every day i let him out for exercise and fresh air with his favorite hen. He is my favorite chciken i didnt want to put him down so i just give him more TLC than the other chickens. He is still happy and crows all the time.

 

[aprhardy]

I'm pretty new too, and asking questions daily! I know someone on here will help you out, there are chicken experts lurking in our midst!

Good luck with your chicken, hope she gets better! Just wanted to welcome you!

 

[lra2000us]

Thank you everyone!! She is not running into anything yet but when you walk in front of her and put your hand in front of her she does not see it. She is finding food but she does not lay in her nester anymore, she can not walk down the steps from the coop anymore and so we have to put her in at night. I was just hoping to help ease some of her troubles and maybe fix her blindness.

 

[gritsar]

I doubt there's anything you can do for her blindness, unfortunately. Hopefully it's not something that is contagious to your other chickens. I'm not well versed in chicken diseases, so I don't know which if any of them can lead to blindness.

I had a partially blind hen that had a very good life before she was taken by a hawk when she was around two.

Don't move things like the feeder and waterer around on her, make sure she's getting enough to eat and drink, and offer whatever extra protection you have to keep her safe.

Just provide the care you are providing and I'm sure she'll do fine. There is one BYCer that had a 10 year old blind roo. I believe the poor old fellow finally succumbed to old age.

 

[lra2000us]

Thanks Gritsar, I hope she lives a long time because she is such a nice and loving chicken