Calling all Blind chicken experts!

[critterranch]

i would pair her up with another silkie hen and silkie roo and make a special place for them together. many roos cackle and call hens to food. i think they would be fine. also you may have a new broody on your hands. i bet she would problly sit on anything you give her. her blindness may have special preks.

 

[gritsar]

Just want to add....Lil'Bit was the biggest chicken blessing to me, by far. She was alot of work when she was young, but she squirmed her way into my heart quickly. She had two and a half years of the good life. I wouldn't hesitate to raise another just like her.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I would like to second the idea of a sweet roo because they do take care of their girls...BUT, I wonder if the breeding part would scare her too much since she can't see? The other option would be a small silkie hen to just be her best buddy.

I say "small" because some silkies are fairly large...but sometimes you can find a very petite pullet/hen that won't get very large. I find them to be extraordinarily sweet too.

 

[NewToFarming]

I really like the idea of a roo. I didn't even think of that. But he would call her to food and even warn her too. Thanks! My one young silkie roo seems to be on the sweet side so far but he is big already. Now the younger silkie/leghorn mix is even sweeter but still very young. He might even be pretty big. I do have a pullet about a month older than honey that is petite and lately she seems to go off by herself during the day at times but roosts with the roo and another pullet at night. She might be a good buddy for her too. She is more on the shy side but not aggressive at all.
These are all great ideas!

Gritsar.... they really do capture your heart, don't they? They seem to be extra sweet and love to held. It's funny how they learn routines quickly and know if is you petting them or someone else.

 

[The Sheriff]

My Buff Orp cross, Lucy, has been almost completely blind since she was pecked by a mean barred rock girl a couple of years ago. She is the sweetest thing on two feet. She hangs close to the coop and feels her way around the perimeter. She obviously knows where the food is because I picked her up to snuggle today and she weighs a ton. She responds to the sound of my voice and various commands. She doesn't waste her energy coming out unless I make it clear I have treats. When I call her name she responds with a loud "wock!" I built her a special disabled roosts and she finds her way to it each and every night. She goes in ahead of the others and gets settled before they come in. She is incredibly nosey when I am working on something in the coop. I drag my feet instead of picking them up to keep from inadvertently stepping on her. She is quite the talker too. She hasn't laid an egg since the attack but she enjoys singing the egg song for her friends. Her best friends are Judge Judy and Martha Stewart and they spend a lot of time in the coop with her. If I have the flat panel heater on when it is a really cold day the three of them can be found laying in front of it gossiping. While I probably wouldn't try to raise a blind chick, I have enjoyed and learned from every single moment we've had with Lucy.

 

[abhaya]

I would pair her up with some other chickens and keep her in a run for her protection as she will not have much defence from predators

 

[NewToFarming]

Quote:
Thank you for sharing! Lucy is a doll and I love the names you gave to her buddies! Too funny!
I think I will pair her up with a roo and another hen and make an enclosed run for her once the weather gets warmer. I am hoping this will work for her!

Thanks!

 

[centrarchid]

Proper care will require keeping her confined and with food in predictable locations. Normal interactions with other chickens and predators will not occur although she may still be able to mate, lay eggs and very likely brood them successfully at least through hatch. As noted by some others, she will be able to find food with effort, in the form of a lot of exploratory pecking added by touch, taste and scent. My birds do use scent at close range.

 

[luvmyfowl]

I too have a blind hen named Helen. She was attacked by a hawk and sustained injuries to her eyes and head. I isolated her and treated her wounds. She survived but was completely blind. The flock go into a barn at night and roost in a stall. I made up a stall for Helen. I put her water in a big metal dog dish. Her food in a pie plate. She quickly learned where these were. During the day, I put her out with the rest of the flock in the same area. She loves to go under a bush, on sunny days, she feels the heat and lays out in the sun. She loves to take sand baths. I believe her hearing and other senses have developed to compensate for her eyes. She has nannied many baby chicks and guinea hens. They peep and she goes into the "come hither and get under my winds." She opens her wings and crouches down so they can all come under her. I never worry that a moody hen will peck a chick that isnt hers. She is such a sweet bird. When it is bedtime I call to her and she makes a low drawn out cluuuuuuuuuuuuk cluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk sound so I can find her. (My pasture is all grown up with trails from the birds.) I scoop her up and put her in her private stall. Just watch out for any hen that might pick on the blind one. I have a wonderful Amercauna roo that keeps the peace. He always keeps and EYE out for Helen. This was 3 years ago and she is going strong and seems very happy.. Best of luck to you and thanks for not killing her. Animals have a wonderful way of drawing on their strengths.

 

[NewToFarming]

I too have a blind hen named Helen. She was attacked by a hawk and sustained injuries to her eyes and head. I isolated her and treated her wounds. She survived but was completely blind. The flock go into a barn at night and roost in a stall. I made up a stall for Helen. I put her water in a big metal dog dish. Her food in a pie plate. She quickly learned where these were. During the day, I put her out with the rest of the flock in the same area. She loves to go under a bush, on sunny days, she feels the heat and lays out in the sun. She loves to take sand baths. I believe her hearing and other senses have developed to compensate for her eyes. She has nannied many baby chicks and guinea hens. They peep and she goes into the "come hither and get under my winds." She opens her wings and crouches down so they can all come under her. I never worry that a moody hen will peck a chick that isnt hers. She is such a sweet bird. When it is bedtime I call to her and she makes a low drawn out cluuuuuuuuuuuuk cluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk sound so I can find her. (My pasture is all grown up with trails from the birds.) I scoop her up and put her in her private stall. Just watch out for any hen that might pick on the blind one. I have a wonderful Amercauna roo that keeps the peace. He always keeps and EYE out for Helen. This was 3 years ago and she is going strong and seems very happy.. Best of luck to you and thanks for not killing her. Animals have a wonderful way of drawing on their strengths.

She sounds like a wonderful girl and very lucky to have you!