Pullet right eye dilated, can't eat, pecks air above food

[Meranaldar]

One of my 7 week old pullets has suddenly started having trouble eating her food, she just pecks a few inches above it. Tried hand feeding, she just wants to move further away from the food.
Her right eye seems constantly dilated.
Same behaviour when scratching around the dirt, just specks the air above the ground.

However, she does seem to be drinking ok.

Video when trying to give her a black soldier fly larvae:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/o5JwL9wHWmcygt7d7

I first noticed this yesterday.

 

[Eggcessive]

I can’t see the picture. Do you see any cloudy pines inside the pupil? How is the ventilation inside the coop, or is there any ammonia odor?

 

[Meranaldar]

No pupil is nice and clear, just fully dilated.
Ventilation is good, definitely not a problem there.

Not sure if there is a better way to post videos. The attach files seemed to only let me select photos.

 

[Meranaldar]

Still no improvement with being able to peck things, though I have managed to get her eating with a different style feeder, where she has to put her whole head in and down and I assume can't actually see the food.
She navigates perfectly fine, and has perfect accuracy when trying to peck things… just about 3 inches away from it. If you drew a line from her beak it'd be straight at the intended target, even if it's moving.

 

[Perris]

it seems the problem is just judging distance then; I've seen this with a couple of my birds, and I've no idea what's really going on, but in both cases it was temporary.

Use whatever method works so she can eat, and keep an eye on her hydration. I'd let her eat whatever she wants, with a good variety on offer for her to select from - I'd be presenting things like sardine, peanut butter sandwich, milk-soaked bread, banana, fermented whole wheat and other grains and seeds - plenty of wet food to help with hydration. Chickens are remarkably good at self medicating if they have access to what they instinctively know they need. Good luck!

 

[Meranaldar]

Thanks. Strangely she has no trouble drinking. And seems to be eating ok now with the different feeder.
Hopefully it is temporary, rather heart-breaking seeing her trying to peck things but missing.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is her left eye normal or also dilated. Usually one pupil being dilated means the eye is opening farther to get more light into the eye. The right eye is near sighted, while the left eye is far sighted. So she may not see things close up that well. Here is some info about vision in chickens:
https://www.val-co.com/10-interesti...ve mono-vision.,it's directed toward the body.