Sick/blind chick!

[Nic755]

Hello!

I recently hatched 13 chicks. All seem healthy except one. The last egg to hatch really seemed to be struggling and was out a day later than some others. Since hatching, he/she developed an eye infection. I immediately separated and treated with antibiotics until it cleared up.

Chickie has seemed blind in that eye/off balance since. As of a few days ago, it’s eye swelled up and scabbed over. I can see the eyeball moving underneath the scab. I’ve gone back to rinsing and antibiotics, but I’m not sure what else to do?

Of note, it doesn’t seem to be anything contagious. Chicks have been together for 4+ weeks and no one else has these symptoms. The sick chick is eating, drinking, pooping, and roosting normally. He/she is growing slowly, and is about half the size of the others. It was born with a deformed foot as well.

Any advice recommended! Do you think this chick has a chance?

 

[GodLovesU]

Does it seem to be eating enough food? This article has some helpful information on blindness and feet problems. If it is blind and makes it long term this article has some advice. I’m not sure if it covers deformities, but this article covers a lot of leg and foot problems. Best of luck with your chick!

 

[Susan Skylark]

I’ve got a quail hen that hatched backwards with a slight wry neck and funky eye, I don’t usually keep deformed birds in case it is genetic or they can’t survive in the big pen, but though the chick was a runt it seemed to survive okay and we named it Humphrey and said it was my little girls bird. Well Humphrey grew up and is normal size and lays eggs and besides the bum eye you can’t tell she’s not a regular healthy bird and as her issues are likely from being backwards at hatch (not genetic), I’ve left her in the flock, so yes they can survive but it is a case by case thing. I’ve had others that are just disgusting or miserable too and those get culled.