chick with problems ? ?

[poulet]

I have a chick who is called pepino, he is 6 days old and is half the size of the other chicks. He is always on his own and goes around just pecking into the air. I have never seen him peck the food up . I have been feeding him when I can, by holding soggy bread right in front of his beak so that when he pecks into the air he gets something, he does eat then but misses all the time you have to really get it in the right place . I have also been putting a drip of water on my finger for him as I never see him drink either. I don't really know what his problem is or if they will get better thought maybe he can't see very well , but then he would still have insticts to peck the ground etc ???. Has anyone had a chick with problems like this ?

 

[Matt A NC]

I am sorry to say it sounds like it is blind.

I have only had a couple like this over the last 5 years. We tried feeding one, but it kept getting skinnier and peeping till we relented and put it down. Now on the rare occassion that 1 is born blind we put it down.

Some try to save them, but I just can't do it again.

Matt

 

[poulet]

Is there a way of telling weather it's blind his eyes look normal, I did try to see if he blinked when I put my finger too near it , he didn't but niether did the others !, I don't think I could kill him

but then to see him starve to death would be worse.