Strange Shape to Rooster Pupils

crazypolishchic

In the Brooder
7 Years
Aug 31, 2012
40
2
36
Florida Panhandle
I have a Black Copper Marans Rooster that is about 3 months old. The pupil of his eye looks like someone took a dropper of ink and dropped it onto the colored part of his eye. Instead of a round pupil, his is irregular at the edges like when ink or watercolor runs on a page. Is this a "defect" or is this normal for the breed? He does not have any problems seeing but he looks freaky if you look at his eyes up close. None of my other chickens have eyes like this.
 
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I have a Black Copper Marans Rooster that is about 3 months old. The pupil of his eye looks like someone took a dropper of ink and dropped it onto the colored part of his eye. Instead of a round pupil, his is irregular at the edges like when ink or watercolor runs on a page. Is this a "defect" or is this normal for the breed? He does not have any problems seeing but he looks freaky if you look at his eyes up close. None of my other chickens have eyes like this.
If you’re still around and still in chickens (I hope!) …How did this turn out?
 
This sounds like a defect called COLOBOMA which happens during embryonic development and is a hole in the iris or other structure of the eye. The vision in that eye may or may not be affected, depending on the extent of the defect (it can sometimes extend into the retina). Sometimes it's sporadic, but sometimes it's hereditary, so I probably wouldn't breed him. This is a defect that affects humans, too.
 
I ordered this rooster from an individual breeder with the hopes of starting to have some of my own chicks since they aren't so easy to find. I will have to contact her to see if it is a trait in all of her roosters so I can see about replacing him. Thanks for the advice.
 
Or maybe out of curiosity, breed him, keep only a few eggs, hatch them, and see what happens. Could be his was just luck of the draw (or not lucky, I guess) and won't be carried down to his progeny.
 
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