Margaret Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I need some advice please from you all...either good or bad. I have realised over the past week that Sharon my beautiful Blue Silkie (from Essex) is totally blind. Between OH and myself we have managed to feed her 3 times a day away from the others, she is not bullied by the other girlies as she doesnt fight back so they just ignore her. She bumps into things in the WIR and last night had her head stuck in some wood in the outside run luckily I was there to release her. I work full time so hubby who is now retired is doing a lot of the looking after, but dont know if this can carry on especially in the winter. I brought her and her sister at POl so quite young, she is so easy to handle..because she doesnt know when you approach her, so can pick her up for cuddles. To feed her we stand her in a large bowl and she eats, am giving her ex batt crumb as she had lost weight as I didnt realise she wasnt eating. She cannot get into the cube to sleep, so have put a cat basket in for her, when the others go to bed I put her in there but by the time I get back indoors she is wandering around the WIR, maybe because she doesnt know its dark !! Then I find her huddled up on the floor in a corner. Sorry for the long ramble, but this cannot go on, what happens in the bad weather? Would it be kinder to have her PTS. horrid I know, but some advice from you all would be so helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I really feel for you as I would be a mess if this happened to one of mine. I think the kindest thing to do is to PTS. Have you taken her to the vets to see if cataract (if that how you spell it). Mine had one and the vet said could remove if the other one had the same problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Oh how upsetting!!!! I don't personally have any experience of this situation, but have been following another omletter on the hatching thread who was hatching the same time as me and realised that she had a blind chick!!! Last I read the chick was doing well and she had gotten a companion for her and if I remember right that was a slikie!! Maybe you could pm her for ideas?? Or atleast an understanding ear!! Best wishes for you and a happy outcome!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Are you able to separate her and give her a buddy? It would be a shame so go down the PTS route when with enough time she could have a comfortable life in her own space? I'm no expert but my instinct would be to get her a friendly buddy and a separate run/house with easy access to food and shelter. Good luck! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 What about keeping her in an indoor rabbit cage and having a house chook? That way you could keep an eye on her and know she was ok when you had to leave her. (it's the sort of thing I do when they're poorly etc & Thora B and her babies only moved out yesterday after 12 weeks in the kitchen) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue44 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Kittyl has a blind chick she has got her a silkie companion who was being bullied She maybe a good source of comfort / knowledge. I agree it seems a shame to have her PTS if she is otherwise healthy but then I'm not the one looking after her! All the best in whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Oh that is sad. I suppose that the practical thing to do would be to have her PTS, but personally I would try every other option first, to give her a chance. I would take her to the vet to find out if there is any hope of improving her sight if it is cataracts, or if it more likely that she was born blind. I would put her , and perhaps her sibling, in a smaller house and covered run together, and see how they get on. Other blind animals learn to compensate for their lack of sight with their other senses - my brother had a blind cat that lived very happily for many years - and I don't know if chickens have the same ability, but if she were mine I would give it a go before making a decision to PTS. Good luck, I don't envy you, it must be very worrying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Have got an appointment for tomorrow evening to see the vet, not sure how it will go as pretty sure she has been blind since birth. I cant have her in the house as pretty sure OH would have a fit I work full time in London so cant watch her 24/7. No room to seperate her in the garden as only have a fairly small garden, her sister who was looking after her now hangs out with the big girls so shes on her own. Hate the idea of putting such a sweet girl to sleep but would be more upset to find her dead from where she has injured herself. I really dont have the time to feed her on her own all the time, especially when the dark mornings/nights start, and will be even more attached to her. Will wait until tomorrow and see, mind you my Daughter who is 26 isnt talking to me as told her what was going to happen. Horrible situation. Sitting in work crying about a blooming chicken, who would of thought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MummyHen Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 ((Hugs)) Margaret I too have a blind chicken - but she seems to get on fine. We always ensure that her feeding bowl is large (usually an old ice cream container) and is always placed in the same place. She seems to know her way around now at first she was bumping into thing. During the winter we do give her private dining a couple of times a week (usually tuna and sweet corn) to ensure her weight doesn't drop too much. See what the vet says - it’s not a pleasant situation to be in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I have to ask - it's not just her hairdo that's preventing her from seeing properly, is it? I found this on The Poultry Site. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Hi P, have cut her hair If you move her bowl away when she is eating by just a few inches she cant find it again.!!! Tried lots of different things and she just bumps into t and gets stuck under anything in the WiR so pretty certain its her eyes. Thanks for the hug Rachel, I do remember you having a blind chicken, not sure if I can cope especially after yesterday evening when she was caught under a static perch, sure she would have hung herself if I wasnt there to help her. Will see what the vet says tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Good luck at the vet tomorrow, will be thinking of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thinking of you!! Hope it goes well at the vets! Please let us know what he/she thinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Hello Margaret and hugs. I think you are in a very difficult situation and am wondering how you are now. I sort of think, though it would be hard to do, that putting your little bird to sleep might be the best thing for her, as it really does not sound as if being blind is all that is wrong with her. Nearly all blind creatures learn to compensate through their other senses. This would certainly be the case if she had been blind since birth or she would not have lived to be POL because I feel sure that a breeder would not have the time to give her the sort of individual attention that you are currently providing. Chickens' eyesight is extremely good, espcially with colours, and it is possibly their primary sense, however they also have good hearing (as anyone shaking a tin of mealy worms would know). Her lack of orientation sounds as if her hearing is impaired too. In fact it could well be that it is something wrong in her brain that is getting worse as she gets older. Polands have vast hair dos and so can't see much if at all. This makes them, as you say, docile and easy to pick up but they still find their way about. On the other hand one of the little ducks I now have recently hatched out various young who were blind and the older they grew the worse they got at orientating themselves. It seems that they had a brain defect. This is why their breeder gave me the mother and father, not wanting to breed from them again. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 one of my old ex bats went blind very suddenly, she adapted well once I realised. I had to put her to bed and lift her down, and her sister took her around the garden.If she got lost she would call and 2 of the others would go to her also...#I put food in front of her and tapped I had to use individual seeds as if she picked at mixed corn and it was not whatever she wanted she would stop, but if she wanted or neded oats she would eat them same with wheat and corn. ets. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 Thank you all so much for your replies. I knew you would give me great advice. Well..... She is still here, I just couldnt have her PTS. Will carry on for the time being with the individual feeding 3 times a day. The problem is she won't eat pellets, only crumb, so ir I try to feed her in the run, the others duff her up and pinch her food Will struggle on for a few weeks with OH help and see how we get on when the night draw in. Thanks once again to all you lovely people for you messages. Xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 So glad to hear that she is still with you! Hopefully, with your TLC, she may be able to adjust to her situation and make looking after her a bit easier for you. Could you make a safe little area for her in the run, where the others can't get at her and her food? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
