My almost blind chicken

[dandydoodle]

My almost blind roo realized I was taken pics. He got right in my camera and I got the best pic of him. He was the ugliest little bird baby but, my son fell in love with him. So we decided to keep him. He always acted funny and at about 4 or 5 months we realized he is almost blind. He was the ugliest baby we had and he has really turned into a beautiful rooster. I thought I would share this great pic.

Michelle

 

[unamiz]

How do you feed him since he's blind.....anyway good job for keeping him (=

 

[cochunk]

how lovely.

 

[jak2002003]

How lovely. I have a white Japanese bantam hen who is almost blind too. As a chick I though she was a bit 'simple' in the head as she did not act normally.

Its amazing how they learn to cope. Real inspiration for me, as I am partially blind also. She never gets bullied. She seem to by pass the pecking order thing - strange. She has the top rooster as her best friend. She follows him around like glue, pecking at his large tail. Must me like a flag so she can see him.

She can find the large food bowl and water. She often pecks into the air several times before she can find the food, and sometimes dunks her whole head under the water by mistake! She eventually learned to use the roost by simply jumping random into the air and flapping till she eventually lands on the perch.

The only thing I think is sad is she misses out on treats. Even if I hold a meal worm to her face she can not see it. Poor baby. One strange thing is she is active in the dark. Just scratching about and wandering around as if its still daylight. Funny fist time I saw it.

 

[AnimalsComeFirst]

My girl, Penny, is half-blind too. Only she has a green eye which she can see out of; her blue eye does her no good to see at all. She actually gets treats pretty well... ever since we got them I would tap a silver bowl when I have lettuce or cucumber peels or some other tasty treat, and Penny would start walking towards me. I help her eat by continuously tapping the bowl, and usually she'll get a good portion!!
She does indeed dip her whole head in the water (or sometimes milk or yogurt, LOL) and get her comb all wet. For food she eats one piece and 10 pieces fly out of the bowl, eats one piece and ten pieces fly out of the bowl.... and so on until the whole pen is covered in pellets.

How lovely. I have a white Japanese bantam hen who is almost blind too. As a chick I though she was a bit 'simple' in the head as she did not act normally.

Its amazing how they learn to cope. Real inspiration for me, as I am partially blind also. She never gets bullied. She seem to by pass the pecking order thing - strange. She has the top rooster as her best friend. She follows him around like glue, pecking at his large tail. Must me like a flag so she can see him.

She can find the large food bowl and water. She often pecks into the air several times before she can find the food, and sometimes dunks her whole head under the water by mistake! She eventually learned to use the roost by simply jumping random into the air and flapping till she eventually lands on the perch.

The only thing I think is sad is she misses out on treats. Even if I hold a meal worm to her face she can not see it. Poor baby. One strange thing is she is active in the dark. Just scratching about and wandering around as if its still daylight. Funny fist time I saw it.

 

[dandydoodle]

Oh sorry she is still missing out on treats. We had this problem too. I would put it in my hands and hold it in front of him and he could never hit my hand. This might help you though. I have babies in with him and I started putting their treats on a stump. So it was about chest level, I put a lot of treats on the stump so it covered most of the surface area. He heard the others pecking at it and so he has learned if he hears pecking at that spot there is treats and he is now getting some treats. :0)

So put a plate or something about chest level and make sure it is the size of a dinner plate. You don't have to heap it with treats, just put a thin layer that covers the whole surface area. Tap on the plate to help her realize it is there. Having Chicken eat treats with her that are about 4 months old is very helpful. That way she can hear them pecking but, they don't swallow whole like the big chickens. Make sure to always put the treats in the same spot because, she will go back there.

Good luck, I hope she gets some treats. :0)

 

[dandydoodle]

He lives in a small section of our coop where are little ones grow up. From about 3 to 6 months. That way he doesn't have to fight for food but, he can hear them eating. I always keep the food bowl and waterer in the same spot. He has learned to walk along the brooder and take a left and there is the food. I know it sounds sad but, he has learned his way around and is very happy. To begin with I just thought he wasn't smart because, he would never leave the coop to free range or if he did he would walk with this real high stepped walk. I just thought he was a little slow. Since I have figured out he is almost blind and keep everything in the same spots for him and don't make him free range, he seems very happy and is thriving. 0) I am getting him a Silkie as a room mate that way some one can stay with him permenantly since, his room mates right now have to move out when they are about since months. He gets scared when the chickens get older and start pecking some thats why I keep him with babies. I thought getting a really gentle bird would be good for him so maybe she doesn't have to move out. ;0)

 

[jak2002003]

Oh, my hen also used to walk with that hight stop walk, at first I thought she was going to be a rooster!

Luckily mine is not frightened of the other hens, and has the big rooster as bodyguard! Funny watching her high stepping about, head held high almost hidden in the roosters tail feathers. So cute to see.

She is thriving too, but I think she will always be a bit smaller than the other chicks as before I realised her problem she missed out on a lot of food when she was a chick. But she sure makes up for it now and is very plump! I tried the trick with the treats on a chest high box, but the other chickens are too quick to eat everything.

 

[dandydoodle]

Do you have pics of her. I would love to see pics of her and her man. Yea, unfortunately for her to get treats she will have to be getting them with birds that are about 3 to 4 months old. After that they get to piggy and she will never get any. You might also want to take her by herself and tap on the box with your fingers. She will figure it out. Trying to get treats with the big birds she will never get any.

Yea, the high stomp is kind of funny. I just thought he was not so smart to begin with but, now I understand.

 

[b.hromada]

He's very handsome!!