Chick missing an eye

[gina3785]

Hi all.... I am new to chickens... joined BYC a while ago, but just got my three babies last week.

I just noticed tonight that my Barred Rock chick is missing an eye. At first I thought this was a new injury, but I went back and looked at pictures from when we first got them, and it seems to have been like this all along. I feel like a horrible chick mom for not noticing til now, but she hides it very well between the black feathers and generally facing you with her good eye (which makes sense). There is no swelling, blood, or anything that might indicate it's infected... it's just gone. Pictures below... the first is from the 2nd day we had them on a quick field trip to the yard... she is in back on the right. The second is from a couple days ago.

Do you think she was born like this, or was it pecked out in shipping/at the feed store? Will she be okay as an adult chicken? Is there anything I should do for her at this point? She behaves totally normally now... eating, drinking, growing feathers, pecking at grit, etc. I just want to make sure she'll be okay.

 

[Kagu]

well, if it were pecked out she would have an infection and would die, so i would say its a birth defect. DOnt worry for noticing now, chickens are good at hiding things, is there a skin over it? or like a hole? she should be good, ive heard stories of blind chickens making it! Theyll use there beak to feel around and find food, but a one eyed chicken will do fine, if its a deformitie (which you actually want) she will manage fine, but if it were pecked out she would prolly die, butfrom the ooks of it its a deformitie

have fun with your cute little chickie, she seems like she might be a good lap pet!

 

[gina3785]

There is what looks like an eyelid shut over it, it's not just a hole... nothing that looks raw or infected.

I hope you're right and that she'll be fine with just the one eye... and she already is a good lap pet! Likes being held more than the other two.