Help!!! Chick with no eyes???

[chickenlady81]

Has anyone ever hatched one? If so did it live? I have one that hatched and I dont know what to do with it...

 

[catterbug]

Oh how sad. I have never heard of this. Does it have any other problems and how old is it?

 

[Imp]

There was a thread about this maybe a year ago. Try searching maybe you can find it.

Imp

 

[Stacykins]

I think your two options would be to raise it and perhaps keep as a pet, or cull. I know blind animals can do quite well once they learn their surroundings. But since birds rely a lot on their eyesight, since they have poor senses of smell, finding food and water might be more difficult for a blind chook.

 

[Imp]

Here's an older thread about it. I have not read the thread, so be aware it may be graphic and/or harsh. It is about a chick with no eyes also.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=44163

There have been several threads about blind chickens.

Imp

 

[al6517]

I don't want to sound obtuse but if you truly want to do the right thing by this chick as is the circle of life, you must put your your heart aside and Cull the bird, give thank's and move on. It's really the only caring thing to do. Now I know more will say keep it, because you could do this and that but what that really means is these people are more concerned with their own quality of life and their noble but mis-guided efforts and how others view them. and the animals welfare takes a back seat.

AL

 

[chicks4kids]

Personally I would cull it. But for you, it's a question of if you have the time, ability, and stamina to do what it needs for you to do everyday for it...and it will be for the rest of it's life. It won't know if some other hen or roo will be starting to pick on it, it won't be able to defend itself if someone does pick on it. Then there's the question of how it will find food/water. If it gets scared and freaks out and gets out of place with it's usual surroundings.... IDK, I would just think of the worst that could happen. Do you think that it could take care of itself if you kept it in its own bubble? I mean, it would have to stay in a completely enclosed run so that there is no way that it could get out. Is your set up like that now, or do you have an area that is not covered where your chickens go? It's a tough call for sure.

The thread mentioned was a silkie (if I remember correctly) that was blind in 1 eye and could see blurs out of the other.

 

[crj]

I honestly don't know what to tell you. I have a chicken that got very sick in Aug. She should have died more then once but she is still here and looking great. Thing is....... she can't see very well. I'm not sure she can see at all. Sometimes I think she can other times I just wonder how she manages. She is amazing. Lets just say she has learned her way around the kitchen......... floor.

I put her outside on nice days and she can stay in one place for more then an hour without moving. If something bothers her she will move but get stuck in a corner and not know how to get out. This is what I mean about not sure if she can see or not. Either way I can not put her with the other chickens because they will kill her. I personally enjoy her company and she chats up a storm most days.

Since your chicken has no eyes and gets a long with the others then I would continue to see what happens. Be prepared for the worst as it grows. It may not be healthy and die. It's a tough call but maybe another chick will be it's companion. You just never no. They are amazing birds.

 

[chickenlady81]

Thank you all for the replys its really helpful. Im really hoping the chick will learn how to eat and drink on its own but with not being able to see Im wondering of it will ever learn? The day old chicks learn by pecking at things they see and this one cant do that. I took some pictures for you to get the idea of how the chick looks. I have never had anything like this happen. So weird.

 

[PippyChicken]

Please give him a chance.. Ive read where people have had blind chick&they live a normal life. If you show it the food & water it should learn how to eat by itself sometimes they may follow other chicks to learn also.



ETA: sure is a cutie