Chick with four eye sockets

[joltik]

Hi all,

I apologize if I am not doing this right, I just joined this group ten minutes ago due to urgency of questions

I have a silkie hen who just hatched three babies this morning (one more pending). After a few hours two chicks were dry and wandering while the other was a little slower- just still not fluffed up though he is walking and peeping some. I picked him up and discovered that he has two sets of eye sockets. I am not sure how many actual eyes he has as he is very squinty, though I saw at least one eyeball so I don't think he is blind (assuming they work). I think he can't open his eyelids much because he is brand new and also he doesn't have room on his tiny face for four freaking eyes. The eyelids are one above the other (not side by side). The one eye I saw was in the top set.

So, obviously many questions -

1. Is this a common thing?
2. How do I know if mom is rejecting him? Is he just looking less dry because he is less active, or is mom neglecting him intentionally? If she doesn't like him, will she kill him? Or would she have already? I guess I am just not sure whether to intervene and take him from her, or just see what happens..
3. Anything else I should do to try to help him survive? OR, is he certainly not going to make it and I should not prolong his suffering?

I do have pictures but not sure if I should include them, they are kind of unsettling and I am not sure how to mask them to make looking at them optional?

Thanks for any help! Poor little Blinky!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

To upload a picture, click this:

To upload a picture that people can chose whether or not to view it, follow these steps:

Click the three dots on top of "Write your reply", then click the eye with the mark through it:

This should come up below. Write your title then click "Continue."

You'll be doing the same thing here as in the first screenshot, but in order for it to be in the Spoiler, it must be in between those parentheses that I circled in the screenshot below:

Lastly, follow the original screenshot:

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

1. Is this a common thing?

A chick with four eye sockets? No.

2. How do I know if mom is rejecting him? Is he just looking less dry because he is less active, or is mom neglecting him intentionally? If she doesn't like him, will she kill him? Or would she have already? I guess I am just not sure whether to intervene and take him from her, or just see what happens..

Has she tried feeding him? Is she pecking him at all? He might be wet looking because he's unhealthy. He may be blind as well, despite having at least one known eye, so he might not follow her.

3. Anything else I should do to try to help him survive? OR, is he certainly not going to make it and I should not prolong his suffering?

If he's blind, he may need assistance on drinking and eating. Also, he may need to be separated with a heat source because he might not be able to keep up with his mother and siblings. He may or may not make it. It's hard telling. I'm assuming he's not, but there's been weird cases (with plenty of assistance) where they do survive.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Hi all,

I apologize if I am not doing this right, I just joined this group ten minutes ago due to urgency of questions

I have a silkie hen who just hatched three babies this morning (one more pending). After a few hours two chicks were dry and wandering while the other was a little slower- just still not fluffed up though he is walking and peeping some. I picked him up and discovered that he has two sets of eye sockets. I am not sure how many actual eyes he has as he is very squinty, though I saw at least one eyeball so I don't think he is blind (assuming they work). I think he can't open his eyelids much because he is brand new and also he doesn't have room on his tiny face for four freaking eyes. The eyelids are one above the other (not side by side). The one eye I saw was in the top set.

So, obviously many questions -

1. Is this a common thing?
2. How do I know if mom is rejecting him? Is he just looking less dry because he is less active, or is mom neglecting him intentionally? If she doesn't like him, will she kill him? Or would she have already? I guess I am just not sure whether to intervene and take him from her, or just see what happens..
3. Anything else I should do to try to help him survive? OR, is he certainly not going to make it and I should not prolong his suffering?

I do have pictures but not sure if I should include them, they are kind of unsettling and I am not sure how to mask them to make looking at them optional?

Thanks for any help! Poor little Blinky!

I would like to see a picture

 

[SilverBirds]

I'm sure most of us would love to see the pictures. A four eyed chick is far from the most unsettling things we've seen, though it will certainly be one of the strangest. You can simply press the Attach Files button, or you can make the pictures spoiler and then add the pictures.

A chick with this kind of deformity may have more going on internally, so it's hard to say if he will make it or not.

 

[joltik]

I am sorry, not trying to be obtuse but mine doesn't give me the spoiler option. Maybe because my account is too new? If you all don't think it is too gross I will just add photos. Wasn't sure of the comfort level of this group. Thank you!

 

[SilverBirds]

I am sorry, not trying to be obtuse but mine doesn't give me the spoiler option. Maybe because my account is too new? If you all don't think it is too gross I will just add photos. Wasn't sure of the comfort level of this group. Thank you!


View attachment 3871764

New accounts do have some restrictions. You can just post the pictures!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I am sorry, not trying to be obtuse but mine doesn't give me the spoiler option. Maybe because my account is too new? If you all don't think it is too gross I will just add photos. Wasn't sure of the comfort level of this group. Thank you!


View attachment 3871764

That's strange. Yes, that might be the issue. You can just post the pictures.

 

[joltik]

The "real" eye (the one I have seen open that appears to have an eyeball inside) is the top one. I think the bottom one is just an opening but not certain. Same on both sides.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I am sorry, not trying to be obtuse but mine doesn't give me the spoiler option. Maybe because my account is too new? If you all don't think it is too gross I will just add photos. Wasn't sure of the comfort level of this group. Thank you!


View attachment 3871764

Unrelated to the picture, if you go to search, there is a old thread about a three eyed chicken