Pullet went suddenly blind. Mereks? Advice please

[eggdd]

Quote:
She is feed organic feed - open pollinated corn, oats, spelt, roasted soybean, kelp, calcium, poultry mineral mix, molassas. Access to 6000 sq feet of pasture with clover, weeds, grass, white pines, dog woods, 2 pin oaks, mulbery and a black walnut. All of the trees are under 7 feet tall. No walnuts yet.

Your rght about if she is really blind or something else. I figure she is blind because I can put my hand in front of her as she walk and she will pump in to it. When she is stabbing at the ground for clover I can put my hand under her and she will bite my hand. I can put my finger right next to her eye and she wont move until a touch her feather around her eye.

I'll try to find a vet, maybe I will get lucky.

your state should have a 'state vet' - - they are generally versed in poultry and/or know other vets who know about poultry. the rates are typically affordable.

i don't really believe in luck, so i'll wish you, and the chicken, well instead. good energy coming your way.

you're being active and trying to find answers - - that's a check mark in the positive column. especially for your chicken.

 

[patman75]

I meant lucky in finding a vet that can help with my chicken. Searching all the local vets right now. MSU extension is on my list as well.

I'll take well wishes and good energy. thanks

 

[daytonfarm]

This happened to my hen earlier this summer. For no reason went blind, had the dilated eyes, would peck at anything trying to eat. I treated her for everything, she eventually stopped eating and I tubed her. Her comb and the area around her eyes went white and she died. I hope you have better luck then I did. She was my favorite hen. I also thought Mareks but she is the only one that did this and so far no one else has gotten sick. If she ate something poisoness I would think that her appetite would have been the first to go not her eyesight.

Let me know how she does.

 

[eggdd]

yes, please do keep us updated. this may be good information for people in the future.

did you find a vet?

 

[AZBootsie]

This is at least the 3rd thread I have read like this in the past few weeks. What is going on?? Gonna find links for the others I read for you.

Ok found one here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=557601.

And this one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=557483

another: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=546567

 

[AZBootsie]

sorry ....taking me awhile to find them. Here is another: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7281965
and this one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7315584

 

[patman75]

AZBootsie, interesting that there is other cases out there. Thanks for finding those posts.

Update...

I have been out of town for a few days for work so not appointment with a vet was made. Then I came home to a big mess. I lost my first ever chicken to a predator in over 3years of havng chickens. Pulled through the welded wire and killed.

No one to blame but myself. I knew not having hardware cloth was a risk. Another pullet has a broken or dislocated wing. So I have been dealing with that whole mess, installing hardware cloth, buring the dead pullet, quarintining the injured pullet, reading up on how to tend an injured wing, moving the rest of the healthy pullets into the big coop with the older chickens where they will be more secure and setting out live traps.

My blind BO is doing well although still blind. She starting laying eggs again. Energy is good. I let her out of her dog cage and she was doing a good job following me around. I thought a few times that maybe she could see me but no. She just a real good listener. Maybe she can see faint images.

Doing more investigation I'm thinking it was probably botulism. I have seen pictures of other chickens and she looked just like them when she first got sick. I had given the chickens a cooked chicken carcuss the night before. Maybe she was picking on it that morning and got sick, although none of the other pullets got sick.

That all for now, trying finding a vet tomorrow.

 

[Krisyluis]

Did your chicken ever get it's sight back? I have a chicken that went into shock after my dog barked at her and pinned her down bc the chicken was trying to get to her dog food. No injury but she acts blind and her pupils are dilated.