Orpington Pullet Keeps Closing Eyes

[lisasea]

Hi all - Thanks in advance for your help.

I have an orpington who seems to want to close her eyes a lot. Not sure what's going on. Here are the details:
--She's about 9 weeks old
--Going through a juvenile molt
--Also seems to blink really hard, like her eyelids are heavy
--Happening for nearly a week
--Not getting picked on by the other chickens
--Eating, drinking, pooping just fine
--Naps more than the other two, but perks up when it's time to play
--Still living inside until the coop is done, it's pretty warm in there because I have the heat lamp from another brooder not too far away
--I have two other pullets, and none of them do this
--Hasn't come into contact with new chickens
--I take them all outside for a few hours every day (can't wait for the coop to be done!), we're in California, so no cold temps here

Here's a video of a time when she was particularly "sleepy" but awake. You can see she perks up for the mealworm, then her eyes (particularly the left one) get heavy and she closes them.

 

[BantamLover21]

That doesn't seem normal to me. She may have a neurological problem or some internal abnormality making her a little tired. One thing I might try, just in case it is a contributing factor, is treating her with Corid for Coccidiosis. Otherwise, I don't think there is much you can do about it right now. Just offer her the best care possible and look out for any further signs of illness.

Good luck!

 

[lisasea]

Thank you! She's also been preening a lot more than the other chickens. Maybe I'm mistaking the molt for mites or lice?