My blind (or partially blind) duckling

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you! I just love all the forums and advice. I'm learning so much about how to care for my chickens and ducks and love hearing about some of the antics. I'm also so impressed that everyone is so supportive instead of bashing the other persons opinion. Great job everyone!

All kinds of great folks here on BYC and awesome information, I have learned so much here.
Fun place to hang out very addicting but hey when winter comes nice to know there is something to do besides watch the ole TV.

 

[Amiga]

An idea I got from the book Meep Finds His Way is using wind chimes to help them locate important things, and to be careful not to leave them out where they cannot get out of strong sun and into shade when it's hot.

 

[Junibutt]

I have a chicken chick that was born that way. It stays in a brooder and seems to find food and water okay.

-Kathy

I think I may have a blind chick as well. Its 3 day old now and otherwise looks healthy, but all it wants to do is stay under the heatplate (temp in brooder is 90+). When I take it out and place close to the food and water, while other chicks are eating/drinking, it is just trying to snuggle under other chicks or gradually find its way back under the plate. While its doing that, its moving its head side to side and extending its neck like its trying to feel rather than see. Its like a mole or I would say like a blind man moving his cane.

Is there a test that can be done to figure out if its blind in both eyes or one? How does one train such a chick to eat & drink. Other chicks are not being mean to it so far but if it falls behind in growth, I wonder what they will do.

 

[Amiga]

Bill Volkart's children's book about Meep the blind duckling tells of using sound to guide the duckling. So a wind chime over the food and water area, and keeping things in the same place may help. Also having different bedding or surfaces in different areas may help, too.

 

[MelArm]

I am also caring for a blind duck. Clover is now two months d and doing great. She has learned to follow my voice to her pool in the mornings. I stay with her for hours a day because hawks and falcons (and surprisingly even buzzards) circle over her constantly. She has learned to swim under the water and not just in a circle any more and she has a pen with a roof and a roosting house on top so she can forage in the day without supervision and sleep up high at night while maintaining her safety. Any other advice out there is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Amiga]

I have heard of someone using wind chimes to help her blind duck locate food and water, and setting up enough shade.

 

[MrPeeps]

How can I tell if my duckling is blind? The rest of his clutch is walking, but this one is not. My duckling was free, as they thought it would die. And, I've never had one before... but, have a soft spot in my heart for injured animals. My little duckling was smaller than the rest, and very weak. They had it serrated in a box. It was just laying there, very neat death, I believe. I've had it (not sure of sex) for three days now, and it's just getting stronger and stronger. But still, it doesn't stand on its own. Legs work. Feet move all around... but no standing or walking. It just falls in its back, then gets its legs going, and does walking circles in its side. I think it's blind, but I'm not sure. How can I tell?

 

[Epogee]

Last autumn we rescued 6 chickens from a farm that was clearing out its chickens ready for a new batch. One of the chickens was terrified of everything and didn't eat properly. I started hand-feeding her, and realised that she was blind in one eye (she pecks about two inches away from where the food is in my hand). After a few weeks, she would run up to me and stand on my feet whenever I came into the run. As time passed she has got bolder and bolder, and now she is just like the other chickens (I don't need to hand feed her any more). She always runs up to me though, and she likes to be carried around.

 

[MrPeeps]

I believe Peeps has wry neck. But, looking at all these possible diseases, I'm worried it might be something more serious. Peeps has ataxia. The legs paddle, with no balance, or standing/walking. And, pushes itself over into its back. I just don't know what's wrong. One eye opens normally, but the other, Peeps doesn't open at all. I just hope I'm doing right by my little Peeps.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@MrPeeps I gave you this link on the other thread you posted on but just in case you haven't seen it here it is again lots of info on wry neck spraddle legs and other issues.
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Are you giving Peeps any vitamins B complex or anything similar?