Chicken with sight problems or generally just slower

[PTA Chicks]

I have 8 laying hens. They're about 30 weeks old. Can't recall exactly. Any way,one of them is a bit 'slow'. She took weeks longer than the others to start laying. She is a bit of a loner. Happy to join the rest when they are nearby but just as likely to be hanging around the house watching us,coming inside to find us or scratching in the veggie patch alone. She gets plenty food, I've watched,however I have to feed them in open bowls otherwise she misses totally. If I put mealworms down for her she pecks for them but misses totally. In my hand she just doesn't get them. You can see her eying them out then pecking like mad but missing. Same for anything else really. So feed is soaked so it is wet and clumps together a bit and in an open bowl so she's not aiming for a small area. Same for water. Big open bowl else she misses. Her eyes look clear and she can obviously see but her hand eye (beak/eye?!) Coordinating is totally off!

 

[azygous]

Chicken eye sight is independent of each eye. The right eye focuses on close objects such as food, while the left eye focuses on distance objects. If a chicken appears to have problems finding her food, chances are good that it's her right eye betraying her.

I had a hen that lost her sight in her right eye, and she gave up on trying to eat. At present, I have an old hen, age 12, that has practically no sight in her right eye, and she manages quite well to find her food, but then she's a super sized Brahma that places food up there highest in priority.

However, when I distribute treats, I make sure this old gal gets a shot at them without having to compete with the others. She is fed in a bowl as are all of the flock, fermented feed that is moist and easy to gobble. There are more flock keepers than you might realize that make allowances for disabled chickens, some of them quite involved.

 

[PTA Chicks]

So I'm on the right track with feeding in an open bowl. We also give her treats individually and we keep an eye on her to make sure she's not being bullied (it was happening for a bit but she showed them whatfor)

 

[aart]

If you can hold her and she's calm, you can test each eye separately by bringing your hand close from the side and slightly back, she how she responds.
Had to do with a heat stroked hen, one eye was 'blind'...
...tho sight came back after heat stroked was 'cured'.