Newly hatched chick has something wrong with his eyes!

[wyochick10]

This little Bielefelder hatched yesterday and it had one tiny little pin hole eye and the other one looked weird too.

but he was acting totally normal every other way. Then this morning both his eyes are closed and puffy.

I

Do you think this is contagious? I had another chick with her eye closed this morning but it’s open now. I did separate them in a different brooder just in case. Thank you for any help you can provide!

 

[Weeg]

Wow, this is very odd. I am assuming that they got puffy after you noticed that he had weird eyes? It is likely just a deformity that cased the issue, not a disease. I can't offer much insight on the eyes, but I do know, that if he is blind then s/he should still be able to live a normal life. I personally wouldn't see it as something contagious, but I am no expert so don't take my word for it. I will tag some experts and see what they say. Poor baby! @MGG @shawluvsbirds @Overo Mare who else am I missing?

 

[wyochick10]

Thank you! I’ll try @Eggcessive @EggSighted4Life @Wyorp Rock @azygous
also.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I've never seen that before. I would guess it's a developmental issue.
Can she open the one eye o.k. and seems to be able to see?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do you think this is contagious?

Thank you for sharing, even if I don't get the answer. Sorry you face this!

Entirely possible it could be contagious some things do pass vertically..

Where did the hatching eggs come from? Were there any power outages, temperature spikes, etc.. that could have effected development? Did they hatch on day 21?

@Weeg, great support and so cool that you rally the troops!

Very poor advice given from a place of "still learning". This is where asking questions can help a LOT before deciding if something is contagious or congenital. Also, please consider learning what things can be passed from the laying to hen to her offspring and what the symptoms of that might look like. I don't have them all committed to memory.. but there are plenty that are far bigger/scarier diseases than the ever dreaded Marek's which cannot pass to an egg and will NOT present symptoms until at LEAST 3 weeks after exposure (at current understanding). Glad we are on this journey together, it takes a whole team/village/community.. coming together and TRYING to get it right, thank you again!

 

[wyochick10]

This is the second chick (BLRW)

she not opening them at all

 

[azygous]

Since you noticed this eye abnormality immediately after hatching, I am pretty comfortable assuming it's a genetic issue, not bacterial. However, I can't absolutely be confident of the diagnosis from just a two dimensional photo. You are there and can see your chick in 3D, so you need to compare it to normal chick eyes and decide if the eyes are normal but the tissue around the eyes is swollen from possible bacterial contamination.

If this chick is blind, it will require some help from you to manage every day existence. I have a blind hen, and she manages everything just fine except for being able to compete for treats and she needs ample time at the feeder to locate and eat what she needs for survival. As I feed fermented feed, I need to watch that the dish hasn't been emptied before she is finished satisfying her needs.

She is not allowed outside without my being around due to being unable to spot a predator and flee to evade it. I also make sure she gets her share of treats by enclosing her in the coop or jail section with her share so she has plenty of time to find and eat it without the others grabbing her share. Also, she cannot manage water nipples, so I provide an open bowl of water always located in the exact same spot so she knows where to find water. The food bowls are also always in the same places so she can gauge where she can find food.

 

[ChicNmom]

Odd that the second one seemed OK and now has it's eyes closed. What do you have in their pen? Pine shavings? Any chance there is something that could be irritating their eyes?

Just trying to brain storm what it could be aside from a genetic condition or illness.

Poor little chickies. I hope they recover.

 

[wyochick10]

Can she open the one eye o.k. and seems to be able to see?

Thank you for your help! No the Bielefelder (first chick with the original deformation) cannot see at all I don’t think.

 

[sourland]

I'm thinking a congenital problem with the first chick - uncertain about the second. I'd treat both with ophthalmic ointment to treat symptomatically.