no depth perception, cant eat

[opalwednesday]

Hey guys, here is my sad scoop:

My three month old ameracauna rooster Charlie has has a hard life. He got picked on to the point of blue in the gills about six weeks ago because he was too small. I think that the oxygen starvation hurt him. Or maybe he's sick, I'm not sure. He can drink water and is interested in food but he cannot Peck the food. He misses by two inches every time. Why can he still find the water? He wants to eat, but even when the food is in my hand he can't find it. He's begoning to withdraw. He already spends a ton of time cuddling with my broody showgirl but recently its too much. He comes out to see me then walks back into the broody box. Can I make a paste of food and drip it into his mouth? He's been drinking electrolyte water for a while now, last week he had a runny nose but it went away.

I should sperate him right? He is so sensitive though, last time I did that be really got depressed.

Does anyone have some insight? His poo is normal, his eyes a little tired.

 

[tammye]

It may be Marke's disease, it can cause neurological problems, like blindness. I just had a hen like this and she did not make it. I hope this is not your issue, but it may be. hope he gets better

 

[opalwednesday]

Thanks, that would defenately be worst case scenario. I'm sorry for your hen, it must have been awefull. Have you ever tried to force feed a bird? I think the paste is a good idea because he wants food, but I don't want him to drown in it if all of the sudden he doesn't want it...

Did your bird have merecks? The rest of my flock is fine, I did seperate Charlie though, just now. And he's from a really good breeder, her flock is healthy to my knowledge.

 

[tammye]

I did everything I could to help her, she was my friend. She would eat from my hand , I think mostly for me. It took about two weeks, then one day she just would not take anymore food or water and was just sitting with eyes closed and head down. But like yours, one day fine next day could not find her food but could fine the water. Does your roo have diarrhea? my hen had very watery diarrhea. Vet says all birds are exposed to the Marke's virus, some survive, some live until another stress comes along and then they get sick. Looking back, I think one got exposed to it about a year and a half ago, she had some leg paralysis, which got better, but I wonder if that is when it all happened. they had a bad molt this fall and I figure it may have weaken them and now the winter.

 

[opalwednesday]

Heartbreaking. None of us nice animal folks should have to lose someone that way. Thanks for sharing your experience, it sounds alot like my Charlie. I'm glad that I had my chicks vaccinated, I guess a better plan for roostering my flock would have been to order one from the hatchery, or a breeder that vaccinates, which mine may I'm just not sure because I never asked.

Major bummer

 

[opalwednesday]

Well it turns out that Charlie had mites pretty bad. I forgot that I didn't treat him when my flock went on ivermectin, I haven't been checking his rear I guess. Awful. He can still walk and loves to take water from a dropper but there has been no improvement in his ability to Peck. I feel a bit in the wrong keeping him hanging on like he is, do any of you guys think that a chicken could recover its ability to Peck with accuracy?

 

[Suzie]

This may not be of any help to you at all BUT I have a chicken that has gone blind (well almost) she pecks at food and misses more often than she gets to the food - I was advised that her problem may have resulted from eating something toxic - I put her on Teyracycline and she got a lot worse before she got any better - she fell ill in November and I have helped her with standing and walking as she had lost her balance too..... she is still almost blind but now she finds her food and water - I tapped the containers and she got to know where they were = I hope your Roo gets better very soon for you and for him..

Just something to consider as to why Charlie is behaving as he does

Best wishes

Suzie

 

[nuchickontheblock]

I would suggest that you treat your bird for the mites first to get rid of that problem. If he has a bad case, perhaps he is anemic and that is causing some symptoms. There are a number of threads here on visually impaired chickens. They can make it, but yours might have some other health issues that are causing it. I have a chicken who has gone progressively blind, so that she often cannot find the food in your hand and misses be a couple of inches. She is ok in the coop where she knows where everything is, but not too crazy about even going out into the run now. She has always had odd eyes however, that bulge and seem to be ill placed on her face, so I assume that that is her problem.

Good luck with your guy.

 

[Lobzi]

I have a roo who I discovered had a problem seeing when he was first hatched. His mama would call the brood to food and he would peck in the air rather than down on the ground. I brought him in and made sure he got fed each day. Today he is healthy and seemly happy. He is a great friend and can now eat on his own. I do have special area that is safe for him to sleep with his one hen who seems to like him. He has to be kept safe from the other roos who will bully him. Honestly he does his best to egg it on.
Anyway, I suggest you take special care to make sure your roo is fed. He will probably do just fine with a little help.

 

[squig2]

My suggestion would be to put him with a hen that gets along with him very well and make a separate area, set up exactly the same as the area he is currently in as he knows where these things are already placed give him a bucket or trough type feed and water for easy access. NO i do not look for his sight to improve. I believe there is a link somewhere that talks about birds missing their mark when trying to eat. Good luck with the bird