OMG----DUCKLING BORN WITH NO EYES!!! CAN IT LIVE?? UPDATED PICS

[dixiechick]

I had a blind chick once...she was able to form a tight relationship with another mother-like hen who kept her by her side. They found food and water together. Eventually, a predator got her, but she seemed to have a wonderful quality of life....you can't miss what you don't have, so the duck would never know other ducks have eyes. If it's fighting to thrive, I'd give it a chance. God took a chance on me!

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[crait]

Whoa!! That's sooo awesome!!!!
Call him/her Eyessac!

HAhahaha!

 

[bugladyleah]

Like I said before, I think I am just going to see what happens. I do go down several times a day to check on the brooders and to clean shavings out of their waterers (don't you hate that!?) so that is when I am picking him/her up and showing it the food and water. I am not going to make myself nuts, but we'll see what happens. Thanks again for all the input.

Leah

 

[bugladyleah]

Quote:
Oh, I have already thought of that. I actually have been referring to it as "Helen Keller" even though I know that is SOOO politically incorrect. Or Ray Charles....or Stevie Wonder....I could go on and on, but that's so wrong.

 

[M@M@2four]

Gosh, this is a tough one...I would let it live and see how it does. It will obviously be a, "special needs" ducky, but may do very well. It will obviously need a pen or cage, so it can stay in one spot and close to food and water. If you'd rather not deal with it, maybe just post an ad here on on CL for a, "special needs" duck. I have heard that this sometimes happens due to incubation mishaps, but not for sure...were the eggs shipped or yours?

 

[bugladyleah]

They were mine and it definitely was a temperature issue. I was running too hot, I believe, although that also depends on which of the 4 thermometers you look at in my bator. I just ordered one from Brinsea that is supposed to be accurate within 0.01 degree. The whole hatch was late and I got less than a 50% hatch rate. A few were fine, one had a crazy leg that I already culled, one with no eyes and there is another that just isn't acting right...I don't think it will make it. I would have thought that the hatch would be early if I was too hot, but I borrowed a super-duper calibrated thermometer from work (I work in a medical lab) that we use to calibrate all our work thermometers against and it said I was running HOT.....makes no sense, I know. I hope I have better luck next time. I don't want to do this again : (

 

[Deedee]

Leah,

Honey, what ever you decide to do. Just remember we are here for you. I think it's great personally that you are going to give her a chance.

Deedee

 

[Sparrow]

I have an idea that may help your little one. I raised a goldfish once that had no eyes at all. I rescued her as a tiny baby from a petstore that was just letting her starve to death slowly in a tank full of other healthy goldies. To help her learn how to find food, I put her in a round fish tank. Round environments can help blind animals because they will often use the walls to guide them, and there are no hard corners to run into or get confused by. For my fish, I would place some flakes on top of the water near the wall, and tap lightly on the side of the tank near the food. For a week or so, I would guide her in my hand to the food. After a time, she would associate the "tap" with "food" , go to the walls and follow them until she found her food. Perhaps you could do something similar for your duckie?

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

I had the hatchery duck that had no eyes. Its head looked a lot like yours. Mine finnally died about 3 weeks after I got it. It seemed to be happy and healty all the way up untill the last night. Except, at three weeks when the other ducks were developing, the blind one was no where near the size of the others, very small.

To cull or not to cull? I don't know, I personally say let nature take its couse. I don't see the need to speed up the process, if it looks like it is suffering, then maybe. Mine ate and drank alot, so I don't think that was the problem. Its head was very small compared to the others.

 

[muscovy94]

Yeah i agree, if it's obvisiouly suffering, I would cull him, but if he is doing fine and you wouldn't mind paying special attention to him I would say to not cull him and let him live out his life as long as he can.