Question: blue / grey eyes?

[merinette]

Does anyone know if all chickens who have blue / grey / gray eyes have Marek's disease, or is it possible that gray eyes are a genetic phenotype? Does anyone know of a website or a research article about this?

Thanks so much.

 

[tadkerson]

It is possible for chickens to have blue/gray eyes. For some reason the pigments have not been added to the iris of the eye. The chickens eyes are blue/gray for the same reason humans have blue eyes; a lack of pigment. I have discussed this with another person in the past. The chicken did not have Merek's. Stuff happens.

Tim

 

[luvinrunnin]

Bumping this up as I am curious as well.

 

[pgpoultry]

I have 3 healthy adult birds with grey/blue eyes and 8 birds with green eyes, 4 adult and 4 juvenile. They do not have Marek's disease, but they do have a genetic mutation affecting their eye colour. So, from my point of view the short answer is "No".

 

[luvinrunnin]

Quote:
Does also having a smaller pupil than normal mean anything?