Those with laying hens with vision/blind issues, got a few questions..

[vjbakke]

We have a dom that had something happen to her eyes, she can only see some out of one eye that we can tell anyways. Shes not at laying age yet. She can no longer see well enough to get up to the roost, she sleeps up on on the doorway to the coop. She does fine eating and getting around. We're not sure how she be able to see or get to the nest boxes when it's time for her to start laying. How did others with a half blind chicken figure this out? Maybe make a nesting area for her in the coop floor? There's not a lot of areas that she won't get pooed on from the other girls on their roosts. I know the gold sex links will be laying before our 2 doms will. I want to be prepared for this.

 

[vjbakke]

Anyone?

 

[aggie9296]

I have a half blind older hen that sees OK at a distance but can't see anything up close. She still can eat OK. She just pecks at the food more.

She may not roost due to her vision or another reason. I have another one that still likes to sit on the coop floor and her vision is fine.

She will probably still look for a private place to lay, so a box on the floor would be easy to add. If she is roosting directly under the others, a poop board under the higher roost would keep her clean. She might even use a roost just a few inches off the floor.

 

[rosegal]

I have a barred rock with wry neck and she lays her egg in the coop in the dirt. She will chase all the others out to do her job. She gets along fine and she does go through weird contortions while she lays, she gets up and fights for food like all the others.

 

[vjbakke]

Thanks. I think we'll add some kind of nest box in one of the corners for her and see how she does.

 

[cluckridgefarm]

I have a 16 week old Salmon Faverolle...who apparently seems to have the same half-blindness and has had this problem since day 1....she can't not see anything up close with her left eye. Her right eye seems fine and makes up for the left. Her left doesn't dilate or constrict at all. I just assume it's a congenital issue. She manages to still roost fine at this point...just worried about when she starts laying. She doesn't seem to have any issues finding food. But when she is free ranging with the others she easily loses sight of them and gets left behind. I am glad she is not the only with with half-blindness!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I also have a half blind chicken. Mary Belle has been like this since she came to us as a day old chick. She's always seemed to manage alright. She has a couple of buddies that seem to look out for her. At free range time they tend to leave her stranded though. She gets upset and peeps on peeps. I'll call her name and she'll come a runnin everytime though. She does a good job of getting to the roost at night- as long as she gets there before it gets to dark for her to see. Occasionally when I close the coop at night she'll wait for me to put her on the roost. She doesn't require to much extra attention, just a little. She's by far my friendliest chicken. Good luck!

 

[cluckridgefarm]

Quote:
Your story is certainly familiar! Amelia is starting to look when I call her...after everyone else leaves her behind! She is also my friendliest chicken!

 

[trsturself]

I know this post is old but it is just what I was looking for. I have the sweetest cochin that I've noticed must have limited vision. I started noticing it when I would feed them treats out of my hand. She always just stood back and watched and turned her head like she was trying to see my hand out of her good eye. Then I gave her a meal worm and she kept hitting right next to it and when she tries to eat out of my hand she pecks hard and misses the target. She is the leader of her little flock of 4 (we have 4 older hens that haven't accepted them yet) and they all follow her around like she's mom since she was bigger than them when we got them. Since she doesn't get on the roost none of them do and they all curl up on the floor together. I wonder if the others will ever leave her for the roost. I like the idea of a lower roost. I think I'll try that. My husband talked about putting in a ladder roost but I was hesitant since I didn't want anyone fighting over the top perch but now I'm thinking it might work out perfectly for our girls.
I'm glad to hear other girls are doing ok with their limited vision. Makes me feel better about our sweet girl.