hen going blind!

[tinychicky]

my favorite d'uccle hen is going blind in one eye! the pupil is becoming cloudy and blueish like she has cataracts, and she can't see out of it, but she's only 3 years old! i know chickens (and other birds) rely on sight more than any other sense! her other eye seems clear, but if she goes completly blind, she won't be able to do anything (eat, drink, roost, ect.) what can i do to help her?

 

[mamaluv321]

I hate to say this but if it comes down to quality of life, you may have to cull her. And 3 years is a pretty good run for a chicken.

 

[tinychicky]

mamaluv321
Today 11:13 am I hate to say this but if it comes down to quality of life, you may have to cull her.

never. i know your intentions are good, but i would never do that. sorry, but no. i'd sooner handfeed her and keep her inside with me for the rest of her life. no.​

 

[mamaluv321]

If you'd rather let her suffer than let her die then that's just being selfish. I'm sorry, but that's just my opinion.

 

[goldeneggtees]

oh, come on now you too. i think i've read on here of people keeping blind chickens, she may have to be kept separate. wait awhile, maybe someone will chime in who has experience with this problem.

 

[crittersitter]

I have a half/mostly blind chicken. She's 14 weeks old and the biggest thing is to keep food and water in the same place ALWAYS. She has moments of fear if something approaches her too quickly. I always talk to her so she knows I'm coming. And i check her crop alot just to make sure she is getting the proper amount of nutrition. there are lots of people on BYC with sight impaired chickens with POSITIVE thoughts about their chickens quality of life. Best wishes to you and your hen

 

[PlumTuckered]

We had 2 of our original hens go blind, they lived for almost 4 yrs, 3 of which they were blind. We kept them seperate from the rest of the flock, always put their feed and water dishes in the same place and they were quite happy. They followed our voices when we called and would run to us for snuggles, they talked to eachother all the time and both continued to lay every day.

Michelle

 

[AHappychick]

ok first no need to cull you can pull out all the stops and try to treat if you want to

first lets figure out the problem.

can you take pics of the eye?
list all symptoms and look for mites and anything else that might be effecting her.

was the eye injured? or is is a growth?

First thing is first she needs to eat.

will she be hand fed or does she need to be tube fed? if the later I will walk you through it.

also get the following ready

Shredded apples, organic or real live cultor yogurt, rolled oats, hard boiled egg yolks, poly-vi-sol, vitamin E, and butter milk.

you will make a mash of that food (add a few bits of grit and sprinkle with scratch if she does not want to eat it)

ETA if she is acting fine, just research eye problems and treat accordingly, she can live fine if only blind in one eye although her depth perception will be off. Chickens adapt very well.

if she needs to be tube fed then you will make it in a blender or mixer so that it is a little thicker than water you can thin it with water to get it that way and omitt the oats in this case. (you want it a warm temp not cold)

then you should clean out the eye, get pics and post them.

 

[tinychicky]

it's not like a disease in her eye, it's more like cataracts- infact, that's what i think it is. she acts fairly normal, but lately she's been roosting on top of the nest box, so i don't think she's able to get up to the roost. it's only in the one eye, and the other eye looks clear, so i'm not too worried about her going completly blind, but i still check everyday. her eating is pretty good, but when i feed the flock, i always clear a spot for her at the feeder.
i didn't really want to mention it before, but she also has a folded toe. despite that lifelong handicap, she has adapted wonderfully and i am sure she will find a way to compensate for this too. she is still the sweetest chicken i have ever had and she trusts me enough to always turn her blind eye to face me when i go in the coop or hold her. the entire flock are just as pets and layers (although eggs aren't that much of a problem since we get 9-12 a day) so i don't worry about how any of their genetic qualities will affect future generations. i wish them all long and happy lives and it would be no burden to me to take care of a handicapped hen like Tiny is.

i am very grateful, AHappychick, for all your advice, but i don't think i need to go to such lengths as that just yet.

mamaluv321
05/16/2010 11:52 am If you'd rather let her suffer than let her die then that's just being selfish. I'm sorry, but that's just my opinion.

please don't say that. if you knew her at all you would see she's not suffering. what if she was a person? would you just decide for her that she is suffering and kill her, despite her own feelings? i'm sorry if i sound rude at all, but i'm very upset about it. i will NOT kill her, no matter what anyone says, and i'm not being selfish, its just that she loves life and if you think that you, who have never even SEEN her, can decide that for her, you are wrong. again, i'm sorry, and i know you think you're right, but i will not needlessly kill her. sorry, but i won't.​