HELP - Chick will not open her eyes!

[Princess Lay-a]

Awesome!

Let's keep crowing for her to get better!

Does she have a name yet?

 

[BeaglesAPlenty]

I am more optimistic than ever. This evening she is:
Preening!
Getting up and turning her head to me at the sound of my Voice!
Walking around with much more confidence!

She is keeping one of her eyes partially open. I do not think she is seeing things very clearly at all but she is definitely seeing something.

I am still making sure she finds both her food and her water.

She is a long ways away from being reintroduced to the rest of her brooder buddies, but I can now see that happening at some point, maybe a week.

 

[BeaglesAPlenty]

My wife keeps calling her Penelope Peep.

Forgot to mention before, she has returned to normal peeping!

 

[heatherindeskies]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad to hear this!!!!
keep posting on her.
if she doesn't recover all her eye sight, she can still lead a productive life. I had one so blind she would fly into the side of my big red barn... not sure why. but i took the time to teach her where the ramps were and the food, and she did learn! Sadly she disappeared without a trace... not even feathers left behind.
there is hope, and if your chick can open even that one eye partly, she most likely can at least see some shapes and perhaps bright colors? gives you something to work with.

 

[fratermus]

In another thread I think a poster used eye lubricant (artificial tears stuff, maybe), dropping some over the closed lids to good effect.

 

[cajungal]

Hi
Glad your chick is doing better! Have you thought about giving her some baby food? That might make her a little stronger..I always warm mine up a little before I dip there beak in it..This will force them to eat a little anyway..
Blessing~

 

[BeaglesAPlenty]

Both eyes are open now. She is finding her own food and water now, at least most of the time.

She loves to ride around the house on my arm or shoulder. She is telling me she wants to be an only chicken.

 

[Princess Lay-a]

SA-WEET!! How precious!

I'm thrilled to hear (and see!) this!!!

I'll keep crowing for even better days ahead.

Looks like you got a buddy for life!!

 

[BeaglesAPlenty]

I have a tough decision coming up...

She never regained any significant amount of sight. She can find her food and water; but she is by herself and she is showing signs of severe loneliness. I work full time and can not be with her constantly.

By the way I have her in a superyard play pen next to all the other birds, also setup in a superyard play pen. The other birds can see her, but she shows no sign of being able to see them.

All the other birds are 50% larger than she is.

If being blind was not bad enough, she is also showing signs of being deaf; or more accurately, not showing signs of any ability to hear. Noises that send all the other birds into a tizzy, she does not even react to.

If she is both blind and deaf, I will never be able to integrate her into the rest of the flock. And the loneliness is only going to get worse. Chickens appear to be very social animals.

I would like some honest opinions about whether or not I am doing the right thing by her.

Sincerely, Jerry