Paranoia, coloboma, or Marek's?!

[ChickeeBeebeez]

I have scrolled through countless posts within this forum but have not found photos that closely resemble what we're seeing in our recently adopted Black Copper Maran. I am hoping that with your help we can try to determine if this is simply a congenital abnormality or a sign of Marek's.

For a Black Copper Maran, her eyes are on the grayer side which could be unusual (I've seen many w/ orange-colored eyes), but hers could also just be more like this fine keeper's BCMs: https://rurallivingtoday.com/backyard-chickens-roosters/black-copper-marans/

The pupils are round, but with flecks / striations that are somewhat concerning. Most images I'm finding of ocular Marek's look more like this ---> https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/image/v4740044 or like this ---> https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ocular-mareks-symptoms.1144846/ which is not entirely representative of what I'm seeing here. I've also found images of birds with colobomas (or "blown eyes" as this photographer calls them): https://www.onthewingphotography.com/wings/2012/02/27/birds-with-blown-eyes/

Her comb is pale, but I think she is younger than the woman I got her from stated. If born in April, I think she'd be much bigger. She was feeling down when she first arrived at our house (~2-hr drive, had never been outside of a barn, missed her flock, etc.), but perked up after some TLC. She did not come from the greatest of circumstances.

We have a fantastic, super healthy flock that we raised from day-old status and I don't want them to be at risk. I quarantined this gal (Maple) for over 2 weeks before introducing them, which happened just today -- which was also *of course* the day it dawned on me to investigate the odd pupil shape. Oy. I thought I had done "all the things". Maple is *the sweetest* bird and I am hoping for the best... while also preparing for the worst.

What do you think, chicken peeps? Pupils do respond to light.

 

[nuthatched]

Hmm, it doesn't so much looks like a pupil issue as much as much as a eye pigmentation issue. At least in my opinion. It's possible that she's a mixed breed to come by those grayish eyes, maybe australorp.
@azygous I apologize to bother you so late, but I believe you have dealt with Mareks recently?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Let's tag in @Eggcessive

I would lean toward some type of defect at this point if she's not having any issues.

 

[azygous]

I wouldn't suspect Marek's in this pullet. I also see it as a pigmentation issue and benign.

Yes, Marek's does appear around this age, but you can't mistake the symptoms. They are intense and very debilitating. Ocular Marek's is also hard to mistake for anything other than what it is.

Variations in size occur all the time in breeds. I have two Welsummer hens left from the five I began with ten years ago. They are like Mutt and Jeff if anyone recalls that comic strip with the outsized Mutt and the tiny Jeff.

 

[ChickeeBeebeez]

Hmm, it doesn't so much looks like a pupil issue as much as much as a eye pigmentation issue. At least in my opinion. It's possible that she's a mixed breed to come by those grayish eyes, maybe australorp.
@azygous I apologize to bother you so late, but I believe you have dealt with Mareks recently?

This is really helpful, @nuthatched - thank you! And thanks for tagging other skilled eyes here.

 

[ChickeeBeebeez]

I wouldn't suspect Marek's in this pullet. I also see it as a pigmentation issue and benign.

Yes, Marek's does appear around this age, but you can't mistake the symptoms. They are intense and very debilitating. Ocular Marek's is also hard to mistake for anything other than what it is.

Variations in size occur all the time in breeds. I have two Welsummer hens left from the five I began with ten years ago. They are like Mutt and Jeff if anyone recalls that comic strip with the outsized Mutt and the tiny Jeff.

Thanks for the swift feedback and reassurance. I later found this post that had more photo examples of colobomas (thank you, @ambe0487!)
: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-common-is-coloboma-in-chickens.1242785/#post-19942212. And for reference, here's Mutt & Jeff (@azygous, I'm keeping these fab potential chicken names in my back pocket!)...