Conjunctivitis and not responding to antibiotic

[azygous]

I really appreciate the support, you guys. It comforts me to know that if I haven't thought of everything to try, you all will probably think of something I've missed. When the time comes, I'll know everything has been done that can be.

 

[micstrachan]

C’mon, Lucy! Get with the program! You can do it, Girl. I sincerely hope hunger is a strong enough motivator for her and she can rejoin her flock eventually.

 

[dawg53]

If hunger isnt a motivator for chickens, I dont know what is!

 

[azygous]

I'm going to turn her loose to free range this morning with the young rooster-in-training. He can be very attentive and should stick with her. He might be able to entice her to eat. He's shaping up to be a pretty decent protector. I should have thought of this already.

 

[azygous]

Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but whatever it was, it didn't happen.

I let Lucy out with Tootsie Pop, my one-year old junior roo. For good measure, I let one of her friends out, too. Neither one was keen on Toots, so I exchanged him for his daddy Strawberry. Then Su-su wanted back into the run, that left just Lucy and the roo.

I scattered a few flakes of rolled oats and a pinch of scratch, and Strawberry tried to convince Lucy to join him in the sudden treat. She was aloof as a 1920s silent screen drama queen.

So, I left the two of them out there to work it out. If Lucy is hungry and Strawberry can't convince her to eat, I'm outta ideas.

 

[micstrachan]

Please, please, please, please. My fingers are a crossed. My heart aches for you. You obviously love your flock very much and have tried everything. One eye is good, right? So her depth perception is off, but she should still be able to see? I don’t remember if you’ve tried live meal worms. Might she try earth worms? I wish I could think of something else for you to try that would perk her up. I hope Strawberry can figure it out.

 

[micstrachan]

I just read back through the read. It sounded like she was responding to the Tylan 50. Might it be worth trying another round?

 

[micstrachan]

Hmmm... sorry. Maybe I didn’t read close enough. Is it a fact that one eye is close vision and one is distance? I have read that, but didn’t necessarily believe it. It holds more weight coming from you. At this point it seems she’s giving up because of the vision? When she is gmfreevranging, what is her body language like? Does she seem to feel vulnerable out there or does she feel secure with Strawberry by her side? N the only motivator stronger than hunger (or fear) that I can think of is the maternal instinct. I wonder if there’s any way to harness that?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Come on Lucy, listen to Strawberry!

 

[azygous]

I scattered some live meal worms, and Lucy wasn't interested, didn't respond to Strawberry's wild enthusiasm.

Yes, it's a scientific fact about the eyes of a chicken working independent of each other. While our eyes function in tandem (binocular vision), chickens have eyes that work much differently.

While still in the egg, an embryo positions itself in the egg so that the right eye is oriented to the shell wall and the light penetrating. This helps the chick in its pipping stage of the hatching process. Once hatched, the left eye becomes oriented to distance with the right eye focused on what's close. They are able to see far and close objects at the same time.

I'm hoping Lucy can re-wire her brain to permit her left eye to see things up close in addition to distant objects. I do know that chickens can adjust their vision to accommodate pinless peepers, so it's in the realm of possibility for Lucy to adjust. If she's motivated.