Chicken Suddenly Blind

[Backyard-chicken-owner]

Hello everyone! i have a slight problem with my 1 year old chicken. I was opening the door in the morning to let all my gals out and i saw one of my hens had one of her eyes closed and had some discharge coming out of her eye. otherwise she seemed fine. i cleaned the area with some warm water (although challenging), i was able to wipe the discharge away but she then started to close both eyes. I was getting super worried and thought she was on her last straw. I put her in a warm cage with some food and water and let her be for the day. at around 1pm i decided to give her some nutri-drench which she took surprisingly really well. (this is the worrying part) She started to open one eye, and i offered her food but she seemed to not see it. She would peck at the air trying to get it while it was infront of her face, eventually i made a mash and she ate it but with much trouble. after that meal i left her alone and she seem much more perkier and “alive” (she even laid an egg in the cage). I tried putting my hand close to her face to see if she would give me a reaction or flinch but she didn’t do anything. She now opens one eye and sometimes the other, is my hen just blind now?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post any pictures of the eyes? What does the discharge look like. Does she have bubbles or foam in an eye, any crust around or under the eye, and or any swelling around the eyelid? Has there been any sneezing or noisy breathing? Where is she in the pecking order? Could she have been pecked? Do you smell any ammonia or odor inside the coop? How is your coop ventilation?

 

[Backyard-chicken-owner]

Can you post any pictures of the eyes? What does the discharge look like. Does she have bubbles or foam in an eye, any crust around or under the eye, and or any swelling around the eyelid? Has there been any sneezing or noisy breathing? Where is she in the pecking order? Could she have been pecked? Do you smell any ammonia or odor inside the coop? How is your coop ventilation?

 

[Backyard-chicken-owner]

this is the best i can take, i tried taking a picture of the other eye but she keeps it closed. I think I can see some weird red in her eye but I can’t tell what it is? Mareks disease? Today she’s a little less eager to eat and drink but she still is fighting

 

[HammySlice]

I'm currently experiencing the same thing with my 2yr old chicken. What caught our attention was she looked lethargic as if she was egg bound. But as we all know it's off season and that was unlikely. Color is good, comb is good, respiratory is good but lots of weight loss.

Closer observation at the vet with an xray didn't reveal much other than a fatty lump on her intestine that was "pushing cranial" .. the anatomy of all that doesn't QUITE add up to me but if true maybe it's messing with her neurological system.

Despite my slight digression here, my chicken is also air pecking. I've been tube feeding and watering her. I also made a mash and placed it in her face for her to find it. At that point she went to town but her targeting was way off. I try to make her flinch and nothing. It's like she knows I'm there but her depth of field is way off...

All this to say If there are any updates I'll keep you posted if any causes are diagnosed as I'm going through the same thing

 

[Eatchison]

I'm currently experiencing the same thing with my 2yr old chicken. What caught our attention was she looked lethargic as if she was egg bound. But as we all know it's off season and that was unlikely. Color is good, comb is good, respiratory is good but lots of weight loss.

Closer observation at the vet with an xray didn't reveal much other than a fatty lump on her intestine that was "pushing cranial" .. the anatomy of all that doesn't QUITE add up to me but if true maybe it's messing with her neurological system.

Despite my slight digression here, my chicken is also air pecking. I've been tube feeding and watering her. I also made a mash and placed it in her face for her to find it. At that point she went to town but her targeting was way off. I try to make her flinch and nothing. It's like she knows I'm there but her depth of field is way off...

All this to say If there are any updates I'll keep you posted if any causes are diagnosed as I'm going through the same thing

I realize this is a somewhat old thread but do you have an update as to how her situation played out? I'm currently dealing with a hen with a very similar issue. Please get back to me!