Deaf Chicken!

[Bocktobery 10]

I'm just checking on my threads today and updating them. I'm so glad I did because I would have never seen the rest of the replies. Its really interesting to me that others had similar experiences. I hope people keep chiming in with their findings on this topic.

I'm sad to update that I lost this chicken this past summer (2013) to most likely a predator. I don't know what and there was no trace of her. I'm assuming it was either a fox or a coyote. I feel positive that the fact we had corn growing in our fields this year helped the predator get what it wanted. Those long tall stalks are very easy to hide in.

Raggedyred- I miss my hen too. I feel so badly that she wasn't able to probably properly defend herself from the predator. I was really attached to her- she liked to be snuggled a lot (like every time she saw me she would demand it) I think because things were a bit more stressful for her than the other hens. Or so I assume.. Who knows. But she was something very special and I also miss the way she sounded. We could always tell when she was around by her odd voice!

 

[lovemy6hens]

I'm glad you've updated your post, Bocktobery 10. I'm sorry to hear your hen. They do have a special way of touching our hearts.
I believe our Lucy is deaf and am hoping to learn more about this in replies to your thread.

 

[nireklov]

I just realized we have a deaf Ameraucana rooster. Long story short - when he was born he stayed on his back. If he was righted, he would stand for awhile - eat and drink and eventually fall back onto his back. One day he righted himself and he has been fine ever since. Fast forward a few months and I've been slowly introducing him to the established flock. One day an older girl came up behind him and got him good. Since then I have kept him away from the rest of the group since he can't hear them to run away.

I'm writing because I need your sage advice - the other girls (and 2 boys) free range all day, but I'm reluctant to let him out for fear of being pecked by the rest of the gang or being attacked/killed by a predator without realizing they are coming. Right now we have two combined coops that open up to a big run when we are away for the day and don't want the girls to free range. I take him to the run in the morning and he stays in a dog kennel in the garage at night. Should I build him his own coop and run? Will he get lonely living by himself? Can roosters have rooster friends? Should I just let him meet/deal with the flock, find his way and hope for the best?

On a side note - his problems standing when he hatched make me think he may have had an inner ear infection/problem or perhaps the deafness itself caused the problem.

 

[sariea]

I found this thread from a google search, since I've been wondering the last few days if one of my chickens is deaf.

My Blue Andalusian, creatively named Blue, seems to be very similar to the chicken described in the original post. I've always wondered why the noises she made sounded hoarse or like gravel, and she was the only chicken that talked ALL the time, non stop, loudest at night. She is also the only chicken in the flock that will crawl onto my lap and tuck herself in under my arm.

I thought she was just being a pain because I can get our other 5 chickens into their coop just by shaking a jar of scratch that we have, but to get Blue in I usually have to go up to her and show her the jar. She will follow the others if she seems them run off somewhere but usually doesn't because she's too focused on scratching around in the garden.

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that she is deaf. We got her through the mail with 3 of the other chickens.. They were supposed to all be 4-6 weeks old but she honestly looked like she was maybe 2 weeks old as she was much smaller than the others. Also, the good ol' USPS didn't come through on the overnight shipping so they were in the mail for 2 days and when we finally got them, Blue wasn't doing well. I was certain she was going to die because she just stood in the same spot for hours, her head and her wings down a little. I'm wondering if whatever happened to her caused her to be deaf.

 

[lovemy6hens]

I'm still wondering about deafness in chickens. Surely deafness is possible with any animal that can hear? I can't find any information on it.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I just realized we have a deaf Ameraucana rooster. Long story short - when he was born he stayed on his back. If he was righted, he would stand for awhile - eat and drink and eventually fall back onto his back. One day he righted himself and he has been fine ever since. Fast forward a few months and I've been slowly introducing him to the established flock. One day an older girl came up behind him and got him good. Since then I have kept him away from the rest of the group since he can't hear them to run away.

I'm writing because I need your sage advice - the other girls (and 2 boys) free range all day, but I'm reluctant to let him out for fear of being pecked by the rest of the gang or being attacked/killed by a predator without realizing they are coming. Right now we have two combined coops that open up to a big run when we are away for the day and don't want the girls to free range. I take him to the run in the morning and he stays in a dog kennel in the garage at night. Should I build him his own coop and run? Will he get lonely living by himself? Can roosters have rooster friends? Should I just let him meet/deal with the flock, find his way and hope for the best?

On a side note - his problems standing when he hatched make me think he may have had an inner ear infection/problem or perhaps the deafness itself caused the problem.

I'm sorry to say I didn't see this until today... a few years later. I do hope everything went well with your roo... If it counts for anything, since being such a late response, it does sound like it could be an inner ear infection as I do know with humans inner ear infections can cause troubles with balance and feelings of vertigo. However, I just don't know. You might want to take him to a vet to have his ears checked out... They would be able to tell and also be able to clear up an infection for him if that is what it was...

This reminds me of a cat that used to be held at a shelter I worked for years ago. It was a devil cat... I mean a real terror. It had already mauled scratched several of the workers there and it was so bad they put her in a cage all by herself. She was not even freindly to the other cats either. Everyone chalked this cat's problem to being behavioral/mental. I'm not even sure, but I think I heard rumors they were giving it kitty prozac. Anyway, long story short- they took the cat in to the vet for a routine check up and they found the cat had SEVERE infection of both inner ears and so began treatment for it. After that was cleared up, the cat was the most kind and sweet cat! Just goes to show things are not always as they appear. Anyway, it got adopted not long after that. So amazing that it was nothing 'mental' but truly physical problem that must have irritated it so badly it lashed out at others. Poor thing!

If you get this, it would be great to hear what eventually happened with your rooster. I am so sorry I did not see this post until today.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

........She is also the only chicken in the flock that will crawl onto my lap and tuck herself in under my arm.




......I was certain she was going to die because she just stood in the same spot for hours, her head and her wings down a little. I'm wondering if whatever happened to her caused her to be deaf.

Sorry again not to comment on your post until now.

Yeah, it seems like your Blue ((I had one named Blue too!) is deaf too. I'm starting to realize that when chickens get affectionate, they may actually not be feeling well as several times now I've had it when a hen gets sick it comes up to me and kind of lingers, almost as if it wants something. My Clucker was very affectionate, I believe because she was very stressed. I now have a blind chick and she also is very cuddly, I think because it must be so stressful having to do without one of the primary senses. Chickens are by instinct very alert creatures, but what would happen if they could not hear or see? I would think that would increase, not that they realize they have been born without a sense but because things might just naturally be seeming difficult for them. I don't remember if I commented on this, but Clucker my deaf hen attacked me one night while it was dark and I was moving them around- None of the other hens were bothered, but she was. I bet she had NO inkling to tell her what is touching her and picking her up was me, while the other hens could hear my voice, she could not.

My blind chick also stood in the same spot for hours with her head down. She is now moving around but she runs into everything. She nods her head back and forth and peeps every second while she walks around. I have a hunch she is using it to echo locate objects. I noticed she got ins circles around the cage walls.

How is your Blue doing?

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I'm still wondering about deafness in chickens. Surely deafness is possible with any animal that can hear? I can't find any information on it.

Sadly its probably because "defective" animals are usually put down. .. with chickens, since they are livestock, its probably not really given much effort to help it survive.

I do know there are deaf cats and dogs. With chickens it is probably due to something like bacteria while developing in the egg, or something like that. There are so many small things that can go wrong when all of us are developing.. its amazing the lot of us actually turn out ok!

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I'm glad you've updated your post, Bocktobery 10. I'm sorry to hear your hen. They do have a special way of touching our hearts.
I believe our Lucy is deaf and am hoping to learn more about this in replies to your thread.

How is your Lucy doing?

Sorry I could not be of more help. I still miss Clucker after all these years!

 

[nireklov]

Thank you for responding. Our rooster lived a happy life until we lost him to in a devastating coyote attack. We had tried to integrate him with the flock, but he was so spooked and stressed that he preferred his big run. I did let him out to free range on his own in the evenings. He was such a sweet soul. I still never figured out if he could hear my footfalls or see my shadow when I would go to let him out in the morning, but I could always here him get down, do his shuffle/dance and come to meet me at the door. I feel lucky to have shared some space and time with him. He was a really special bird.