Chick has never opened one of it's eyes

[JohnnyxRex]

Hey guys. I hatched 20 Buff Orpington chicks a few days ago, and they all have been growing and eating well. (well I can't watch each one, but they all seem fine) I had to assist 3 out of their eggs due to humidity problems in the bator. I ran out of water several times and had no choice but to open it. This caused

Anyway, I assisted them (my first time, I thought that they would die if I did on earlier hatches). Every egg that pipped made it out, and I finished with an amazing 20 out of 22 hatched.

I noticed almost immediately that some of them had one closed eye. One open, one always closed. I left the eyes alone and all seemed to be fine. When I moved the to the new brooder box I noticed that all but one had gotten over it.

Until I moved them one by one, I was never sure I had handled them all. I can't keep track of 20 unless I put the ones I have handled in a different box!

Onto the chick himself. He is the fattest one, and he is one of the few that really stands out. He's short and stocky. It has been 2 days since when I noticed he was the last one left. My family also noticed that the birds have been getting louder, and I sat there and watched them for a long time. I noticed that he is the only one getting louder. He will make many short "help I am lost and alone" calls for up to 30 seconds continuously, then he'll take a breath and start again. They are all together so he isn't "alone". I also noticed he will not always be in "the huddle". Although I have a few chicks like this and if they get cold they may make a smaller huddle somewhere else. (But I think it's because there are so many and the light isn't big enough for all of them at once)

I will post pictures of him in a second, but why won't his eye open? Is it "dried" like some of their feathers if they never fluffed out. I wasn't sure if he was calling like he was in pain or what.

Thanks! John

 

[JohnnyxRex]

Bump with pictures. I noticed that he does not always have his good eye open either.

I am worried he is not eating. When I hold out food to him he does nothing, while his siblings go nuts. I dipped his beak in Sav A Chick but he won't eat! I don't think he sees it because of the eye.

^^^^bad eye

^^^^good eye

He also just stands there in the brooder. He rarely moves around.

 

[JohnnyxRex]

Bump again. Anyone?

Edited to say : He's cheeping his head off right now

 

[Fire N Ice AK]

I had a baby golden neck D'Uccle chick hatched yesterday that has the same issue. He's a bit unbalanced but we've gotten him to drink and hopefully he'll eat. I am watching this thread. I hope someone has experience with this. I'm also not sure what caused it overall. He hatched yesterday. Our chick does the same as what you described. He's also rather large and bulky compared to his hatchmates that were from the same rooster but different hens, Someone told me it could have been a deformity from him being too big for his egg.

 

[JohnnyxRex]

Thanks for the reply! Nice to know that I'm not alone (although also sad). I recommend getting some Sav-A-Chick into him. Tomorrow I will try with a dropper or syringe.

I tried dabbing his eye with a Q-Tip. He protested but I got the side of his head soaked. When I released him he started scratching his head with his claw, which worried me until I realized that in order to hurt his eye he would have to break through the skin. I did find out that it isn't dried. That didn't work. I'm afraid that it is skin connected.

I moved them to a much bigger brooder box today. I moved him first and forced him to drink. (had to dip/shove his beak in while he protested and make sure he turned up his head and swallowed) He was drinking, but would not eat. I basically held his beak buried under the food, but I don't think he got much. He just doesn't want to!

Everytime I get close he closes his beak!

Edited: If he makes it to morning I will try with a Sav-A-Chick syringe and mabye a soft earthworm