Signs A Chicken Is Blind

[enggass]

Can someone tell me what to look for behavior wise if a chicken is blind? I am trying to determine if I have a blind bird on my hands. She appears to peck at the air missing her food dish until she finally narrows it down. No sudden movements if I swipe my hand by her eye. Does this sound blind to you?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

What breed? Some with large topknots have trouble seeing.

One way to tell is put food out and watch. A chicken that can see will go straight for it and start eating. A blind chicken will stubble around and start pecking randomly until they find the food.

 

[Caseman]

Has she been sick? I had 1 that was sick and she was like that for 3 days but is fine now...

 

[enggass]

Barred Rock

A blind chicken will stubble around and start pecking randomly until they find the food.

Sounds like she is blind...​

 

[speckledhen]

She may have very bad depth perception and not be completely blind. I have one girl who is like that, but she can definitely see, albeit, I'm sure it's very blurry. She does the peck and miss thing all the time unless she has a pile of food and there is color contrast between the food and the ground. She can't find a single grain or a bug.

 

[un-named]

Quote:
her behavior does sound like she is blind. i've seen respitory diseases take their toll on a bird's vision after the illness is gone. The eyelids/eyes seem larger and sunk in after the swelling of the illness goes away
If you really like her though she might be OK as long as she doesn't seem to be a target for the other chickens. you can put a brightly colored bowl out always in the same place and teach her that is where her food is at....
I had one like that and had to work with her a bit to teach her how to get around and where her food & water would always be at. I let her perch at night on a bale of straw so the morning flight down would not be far. Mine was not totally blind though.

 

[speckledhen]

I have had a blind chick hatch, but we realized it was blind before it left the incubator. It didn't react to us looking in or a hand in front of its face and we culled the poor thing immediately. You'll have to devise some tests to perform on her to determine if she is completely blind or just near or farsighted.

 

[enggass]

Quote:
Not really that I can tell. She hasn't developed as quickly as her fellow birds. Her comb and waddle are under developed where as her fellow birds are all in 'full bloom' so to speak. She had become the runt and was being bullied and 'pecked' on. Then I noticed small cloudy circles right in the center of her pupils. So, I brought her inside away from the rest. She will drink when she locates the water, and eat when she locates the food.

 

[kathyinmo]

I have hatched a blind chick. In the brooder it continued to peep nonstop. The other chicks would go to the feed dish at the same time and this one was always off to the side. It took me awhile to figure out what the problem was.

 

[zazouse]

Sounds like she is blind to me,air picken and turning in circles

I have a buff cochin that is blind from hatch day, she is 9 months old now and a wonderful hen,she has her very own 10 by 10 pen and loves babies so i use her to keep chicks and ducklings company, her name is Butter Butt.