Injured 5 Week Old Chick - Maybe blind

[mrsgrif12]

Alright guys I need some help! One of our chicks got hurt last night and I’m not sure how. I think she may have shoved her head through the chicken wire of their coop and injured herself pulling it out but it’s just a theory. Anyway, this happened a little over 24 hours ago. I’ve got her inside in a dark heated room (85 degrees) trying to recover from shock. She seems to be improving but hasn’t opened her eyes. I think one eye is probably gone or will be lost but I think the other one is okay, there is just some swelling under it. She has no active bleeding. Her left side is the worst. I haven’t cleaned her up because I didn’t want to stress her any more than she already was. After she got hurt she ended up laying in an uncovered part of the coop in the pouring down rain too I estimate she was like that for about an hour before we found her. She’s now warm, dry, standing on her own, and chirping (a little) again. Any advice on what I should do to treat her? Also, how long can she go without food and water? Since she cant see i'm not sure how she will find it. I did dip her beak into water this morning and she drank a little! Should I try and get some sugar water (or electrolytes) in her? I’ve never had any chickens that couldn't see so I’m at a loss here.

 

[mrsgrif12]

Well, I got home tonight and one eye is open! However, I’m not so sure it’s working. It doesn’t seem like she can see. Also, her head is now doing this weird drifting thing. When she turns it to the left it just keeps slowing rotating until it’s gone all the way over and then she turns it back. But she seems like she improved. We did see some poop too so maybe she eaten/drank a little.

 

[Darrinhuns]

chickens can live with one eye with minimal problems. Sometimes they need a little bit more tlc and are a more vulnerable to hawks but I would just give her time. It’s amazing what time can do to help. You can keep dipping the beak and if your concerned about food then you can try more enticing foods such as cheese, bread, or bugs like mealworms. It’s not the best food and they definitely can’t live off of that but Something is better than nothing. In a couple days if things haven’t got better it would be reasonable to do some further investigation but just keep doing what your doing and in a little bit of time she should be back to her old self, best of luck, hope she feels better soon

 

[mrsgrif12]

48 hours and she is still kickin! She hasn’t opened her other eye and I’m still not sure she can see out of the one that’s open. But something is working because I caught her drinking water on her own! I haven’t seen her eat yet but she’s pooping and it’s pretty normal poo! I also got a little bit of sugar water in her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your injured chick. Get some Poultry NutriDrench at your feed store, or mix some electrolytes or gatorade. A liter/quart of water with 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp of table salt , 1/4 tsp of baking soda works well for electrolytes. Mix some chick feed with water to make a thin paste, and feed that to her by dipping beak or using a dropper. Keep the eyes cleaned and you can use an antiobiotic ointment in the eyes if there is pus or goop. I hope your chick survives.