Possibly blind chicken, does this sound like Marek's?

[azygous]

One more thing I'd like to ask you to do. Look closely at her skin. See if there are raised bumps around each feather follicle. The skin on normal chickens will be smooth. Marek's sometimes presents in such a way that the feather follicles are affected. If you see raised bumps around the base of the feather shafts, photograph it and post it so we can see.

The eyes don't look like the classic ocular Marek's. The eyes are usually faded grey-orange where the colored part is, and the pupils are constricted and irregularly shaped.

I'm not convinced this blindness is permanent. Have you tried treating the eyes with saline and an antibiotic ointment? If you mentioned it, I am not recalling it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

One more thing I'd like to ask you to do. Look closely at her skin. See if there are raised bumps around each feather follicle. The skin on normal chickens will be smooth. Marek's sometimes presents in such a way that the feather follicles are affected. If you see raised bumps around the base of the feather shafts, photograph it and post it so we can see.

The eyes don't look like the classic ocular Marek's. The eyes are usually faded grey-orange where the colored part is, and the pupils are constricted and irregularly shaped.

I'm not convinced this blindness is permanent. Have you tried treating the eyes with saline and an antibiotic ointment? If you mentioned it, I am not recalling it.

Thanks, @azygous. I will check her skin tomorrow. And no, I have not treated her with anything yet. I will start those tomorrow along with Vitamin A.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Will Neosporin do or do you recommend something else?

 

[azygous]

Neosporin will work just fine.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Neosporin will work just fine.

Wonderful, thank you. Oh, er... what, twice a day?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hard to know what that is.
Kim (@Eggcessive ) may have a better idea, but I wouldn't rule out Marek's.

Since she's isolating herself, is she getting to food/water o.k.? She may actually do better in an outdoor "space" all of her own with food/water within easy reach and she's not having to compete or deal with the others. She could still mingle with them for a few hours everyday and roost with them, but for much of the day she would have a place of her own. Maybe a corner of the run?

 

[azygous]

Twice a day with the saline wash followed with the Neosporin.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hard to know what that is.
Kim (@Eggcessive ) may have a better idea, but I wouldn't rule out Marek's.

Since she's isolating herself, is she getting to food/water o.k.? She may actually do better in an outdoor "space" all of her own with food/water within easy reach and she's not having to compete or deal with the others. She could still mingle with them for a few hours everyday and roost with them, but for much of the day she would have a place of her own. Maybe a corner of the run?

Thanks, @Wyorp Rock. We have her separated in an adjacent run with her own little coop. We have used this as a bachelor area and also as a chick brooder in the past, so she's aware of the other chickens and they can see and hear her as well. I have tried letting her be with the flock when we let them free range and also at night, but it's too stressful for her. I think the kindest thing is to put her down, and we suspect the blindness is from cataracts. She is probably one of our oldest hens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks, @Wyorp Rock. We have her separated in an adjacent run with her own little coop. We have used this as a bachelor area and also as a chick brooder in the past, so she's aware of the other chickens and they can see and hear her as well. I have tried letting her be with the flock when we let them free range and also at night, but it's too stressful for her. I think the kindest thing is to put her down, and we suspect the blindness is from cataracts. She is probably one of our oldest hens.

I'm sorry.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm sorry.

Thanks.