Blind hen with bluish-white pupil

[InsaneBreeder]

I have a three-year-old hen who has gone totally blind in one eye, and is going blind in the other. Pictured below is the blind eye, and I am wondering why it is blue/white, and if there is any way I can prevent the other eye from going totally blind (the other eye has just a little bit of blue). The blue/white color is restricted entirely to the pupil and seems to be "inside" it, almost as if the pupil has been destroyed or taken over by something. Is there anything I can do? I don't know if she'll be able to function if she can't see.

 

[dawg53]

She might have ocular marek's. You can use the search box to read up on it or google "ocular marek's."

 

[InsaneBreeder]

Hm, I did see that picture posted on another thread when I was doing research before I made this one, but that doesn't seem to resemble what she has, and her pupil is not at all misshapen and the rest of the eye is fine. Still, I will keep ocular marek's in mind unless I can rule it out. Thanks for your input

 

[dawg53]

Hm, I did see that picture posted on another thread when I was doing research before I made this one, but that doesn't seem to resemble what she has, and her pupil is not at all misshapen and the rest of the eye is fine. Still, I will keep ocular marek's in mind unless I can rule it out. Thanks for your input

Have you noticed her scratching at her eyes alot? If so, it could possibly be eyeworm. If not, it might be a genetic issue.

 

[InsaneBreeder]

You know, I'm not really sure if she's been scratching or not. I don't believe I've seen her do it, but I'll make a note to observe her tomorrow.

 

[simplylashen]

Hi, I hope your chicken is ok!

I was wondering what you found out about your chickens eye.
Asking because I have a chicken and one of her eyes looks just like your picture. The pupil is actually a whiteish blue as if she were blind. I didn’t notice anything leading up to this, just one day the pupil had changed.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you answered a thread I posted on 12 years ago, there is no telling if that info would be up to date. That is why it is good to look at dates of threads that you are responding to.
To me it looks like the original picture is of an eye with a cataract, in which the pupil is cloudy. This is an ancient thread though. Can you start a new thread of your own where more people will respond to your threads? Post a picture of what you are seeing. Some cataracts can be from a vitamin E deficiency, past exposure to an avian virus avian encephalomyelitis or AE, and some respiratory diseases. Many times we don’t know the cause. Blindness can occur with cataracts and Mareks, and some illnesses I am probably not aware of. Mareks in the ocular forms can change over weeks in appaearance. The photos we see may look different early and progress. Make sure that there is not an ammonia odor inside the coop, which can cause eye irritation and ulceration. Here is where to start a new thread by clicking the green box:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

Here is a good article on eye disorders:
https://indianpoultryreview.com/2022/04/29/eye-disorders-in-poultry-cause-and-prevention/