Raising Blind Chicks

[Stephen Sharpe]

So it has been officially a year since we found Mowgli. Mowgli was found in a large bin of other chicks and stood out the second I saw her. Mowgli was born without eyes.
So a year almost to the week my wife happened to stumbled apon another chick this time a Leghorn whom was too born without sight. We just brought her home today and I figured I would post progress and some ways we were able to successfully raise and train a sightless chick. Her is a picture of the new one about 4-5 days old I would assume maybe more.
More posts to come.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

View attachment 1314024 View attachment 1314025
So it has been officially a year since we found Mowgli. Mowgli was found in a large bin of other chicks and stood out the second I saw her. Mowgli was born without eyes.
So a year almost to the week my wife happened to stumbled apon another chick this time a Leghorn whom was too born without sight. We just brought her home today and I figured I would post progress and some ways we were able to successfully raise and train a sightless chick. Her is a picture of the new one about 4-5 days old I would assume maybe more.
View attachment 1314031 More posts to come.

Following

 

[Stephen Sharpe]

View attachment 1314024 View attachment 1314025
So it has been officially a year since we found Mowgli. Mowgli was found in a large bin of other chicks and stood out the second I saw her. Mowgli was born without eyes.
So a year almost to the week my wife happened to stumbled apon another chick this time a Leghorn whom was too born without sight. We just brought her home today and I figured I would post progress and some ways we were able to successfully raise and train a sightless chick. Her is a picture of the new one about 4-5 days old I would assume maybe more.
View attachment 1314031 More posts to come.

View attachment 1314024 View attachment 1314025
So it has been officially a year since we found Mowgli. Mowgli was found in a large bin of other chicks and stood out the second I saw her. Mowgli was born without eyes.
So a year almost to the week my wife happened to stumbled apon another chick this time a Leghorn whom was too born without sight. We just brought her home today and I figured I would post progress and some ways we were able to successfully raise and train a sightless chick. Her is a picture of the new one about 4-5 days old I would assume maybe more.
View attachment 1314031 More posts to come.

Todays feeding went well. She ate twice today once at 7:30 and again at noon. One thing I have noticed is that blind chicks love to run backwards so it is best when feeding to make them feel that you are supporting them. This little one like our other blind chick when feeding him acted very much the same.
We are currently making a mix of soft boiled egg yoke mixed with water and chick feed. The mix is fine enough to be used in a syringe. As long as the mix is wet once it hits the beak they will start to sip. I am avoiding having to force more by opening her beak at this point. In her case her bottom beak is slightly longer than her top so it is making the process a lot easier. Mother chickens to get the attention of chicks will make a taping noice near the food they should be eating. I do this if she seems to be non responsive to the syringe and she will start eating again.
Unlike the other chicks we have had they seem to be very depended on your voice to make them know they are protected and once they have established who you are by your voice they will remember since they are quick learners.
Unfortunately when she is in her brooder she does not know yet what the water is. She will walk up to it and grab the rim but will not plunge her beak down to test what she is standing on. It is recommended when you see this to assist your blind chick to “test the waters” so next time they are in contact with the rim they may start to learn what it is. With Mowgli we had to make splashing noise once or twice and always keep the water in the same place till she learned the process. Blind Chickens seem to peck and look with their feet.
It has been less than 24 hours and the new chick whom we have not named yet already knows our voices and when I start talking she will follow my voice and crawl up to my neck when on the bed feeding her.
Since it seems she is all about touch I had made something similar to a duster but with Fleece so there is no chance of strands of string that the chicks could choke on. They seem to love it since they can cuddle up with it and can stand up in it as if they were under a wing. We have 2 smaller chicks with this blind one that are very sweet one I am currently treating for wry neck from what seems to have been due to vitamin dificeancy. It took about 48 hours for symptoms to start to go away and all but for a little turn of the head she is in great health.

 

[Nathaniel Walton]

I had this problem with my first hatch as one of the chicks turned out blind, however i only came to realize around 3-4 weeks after hatching as it was walking into things quite often when they first went outside in their run .. However now she is about 9 months old and probably the most content our of my whole 27 birds! I had many thought about getting rid of her but i couldn't - she was so sweet and the friendliest girl ever .. She manages to eat - drink and get up and down the 3 foot ramp in and out of the hen house.. Such a clever girl!!!

 

[Stephen Sharpe]

That’s great they defiantly are slot different from those in our flock. It was easier than tell with our first one and this new one since they were born without eyes. Mowgli or first has her own room she does not go out side unattended but she loves to go on car rides and she loves to cuddle up to the cats when she is wearing her dipper harnes. Currently she is roomies with a blue couchin who has been very good to her.

 

[Nathaniel Walton]

That’s great they defiantly are slot different from those in our flock. It was easier than tell with our first one and this new one since they were born without eyes. Mowgli or first has her own room she does not go out side unattended but she loves to go on car rides and she loves to cuddle up to the cats when she is wearing her dipper harnes. Currently she is roomies with a blue couchin who has been very good to her.

That's great! Mine just blends in with the flock, and whenever she hears voices she runs around to find them and steps on your feet until you pick her up! Everyone who comes to my house has a meet n' greet with her

 

[Stephen Sharpe]

Todays feeding went well. She ate twice today once at 7:30 and again at noon. One thing I have noticed is that blind chicks love to run backwards so it is best when feeding to make them feel that you are supporting them. This little one like our other blind chick when feeding him acted very much the same.
We are currently making a mix of soft boiled egg yoke mixed with water and chick feed. The mix is fine enough to be used in a syringe. As long as the mix is wet once it hits the beak they will start to sip. I am avoiding having to force more by opening her beak at this point. In her case her bottom beak is slightly longer than her top so it is making the process a lot easier. Mother chickens to get the attention of chicks will make a taping noice near the food they should be eating. I do this if she seems to be non responsive to the syringe and she will start eating again.
View attachment 1314505 View attachment 1314565 Unlike the other chicks we have had they seem to be very depended on your voice to make them know they are protected and once they have established who you are by your voice they will remember since they are quick learners.
Unfortunately when she is in her brooder she does not know yet what the water is. She will walk up to it and grab the rim but will not plunge her beak down to test what she is standing on. It is recommended when you see this to assist your blind chick to “test the waters” so next time they are in contact with the rim they may start to learn what it is. With Mowgli we had to make splashing noise once or twice and always keep the water in the same place till she learned the process. Blind Chickens seem to peck and look with their feet.
It has been less than 24 hours and the new chick whom we have not named yet already knows our voices and when I start talking she will follow my voice and crawl up to my neck when on the bed feeding her.
Since it seems she is all about touch I had made something similar to a duster but with Fleece so there is no chance of strands of string that the chicks could choke on. They seem to love it since they can cuddle up with it and can stand up in it as if they were under a wing. We have 2 smaller chicks with this blind one that are very sweet one I am currently treating for wry neck from what seems to have been due to vitamin dificeancy. It took about 48 hours for symptoms to start to go away and all but for a little turn of the head she is in great health. View attachment 1314554View attachment 1314557

I have been working with the “Mei Fun” now since last Tuesday. She is off syringe feeding as of Friday since I was able to get her to start pecking towards her feet and then she started the act of scratching. She is eating good now. She has caught on very quick. She is currently at about 1 oz and not putting on any weaight so I may have to supliment some hand feeing still.

 

[Stephen Sharpe]

Hello all
Latest update Mei Fun or Mei for short is doing very well. She is actively drinking on her own and light eating. I am still working with her on feeding and controlling direction of pecking since she still is a little all over the board with direction. By placing one finger be hind legs and slightly lifting she will start pecking down. Over the past week she has gone from 1 oz to about 1.4. Last week she showed little growth gain as most of her feedings went to feather development in her wings. Currently when spending time feeing her I have been using a large dog bowl filled with food so I may make small mounds for her to work on. She is scratching and filling her crop in one session and normally I will repeat this when I am home every 2-3 hours allowing her to feed on her own in her brooder with her cell mates. She is very happy and communicates her needs well as well as understanding a few commands like come and scratch. Once she is done feeding she likes to make some time to run up my arm and lay in the neck of my shirt along with a content clicking noise as she falls asleep. For a blind chick her sense of direction is amazing almost as if it has been heightened. I know chickens have the ability to predict the results of their actions so she must be very in tune to her seroundings including taking vocal cues from me.

 

[Stephen Sharpe]

I have tried to up load video that has not worked so I will share videos on our face book pages Coop de Chille or Mowgli Dechill her blind. All welcome to friend request our other blind chicken lol

 

[drumstick diva]

Thank you for NOT culling them - as you have discovered they are smart and learn. I wonder though if she would eat better if the food was moistened somewhat, so easier to eat. Babies usually love mashed hard boiled egg yolk and it is very good for them.