Baby chick's eye is out of socket (possible skull deformity) with photos

[sco80]

I just hatched a barnyard mix chick (dad is a Easter egger, mom is a Australorp x Cuckoo Bluebar cross) that appears to have one eyeball bulging out of the socket. To my untrained eye this looks like it may be due to skull deformity as opposed to trauma. The right eye (the one that is protruding) is further forward and lower on the side of the head than the left (the left eye looks normal). The chick is behaving normally, but I am not sure of it's outlook going forward. Right now it is in the incubator by itself (where it hatched by itself a couple of hours ago). I am reluctant to place it in the brooder with my other chicks, given their propensity to peck at each other. Does this chick have any practical chance of survival? Do these problems sometimes correct themselves as the bird matures and the bones grow? Could the eyeball be popped back into the socket?

All help/advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is the chick doing?

Could be from a deformity, hard to know. I would say she's blind in the eye.

Sometimes chicks with problems can still thrive, but she may need extra care for all her life. A lot depends on the time you have to try to give her a chance, as well as, your keeping goals. If your chickens are pets and you have time, then see how it goes. If they are livestock for a purpose of eggs/meat/production, then culling would make more sense.

 

[sco80]

Aside from the skull/eye deformity, the chick is actually thriving. I'm guessing its a pullet, based on the early wing and tailfeather development. She's actually one of my largest chicks for her age and is extremely active. She is usually the mastermind behind any escape attempts from the brooder, and seems to be at the top of the pecking order. The eye is still bulging, but it seems like she can see out of it. One interesting quirk is that her eyelids close vertically rather than horizontally on that eye.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Aside from the skull/eye deformity, the chick is actually thriving. I'm guessing its a pullet, based on the early wing and tailfeather development. She's actually one of my largest chicks for her age and is extremely active. She is usually the mastermind behind any escape attempts from the brooder, and seems to be at the top of the pecking order. The eye is still bulging, but it seems like she can see out of it. One interesting quirk is that her eyelids close vertically rather than horizontally on that eye.

Glad to hear she's still doing o.k.

Not sure what you mean about the eyelids...
Chickens have a 3rd eyelid (Nictitating Eyelid) that "closes" horizontally. The "outer" eyelids close Vertically.

 

[sco80]

I guess I would describe a typical chicken eyelid as closing "bottom-to-top." This chick's eyelid closes "back-to-front," like it's rotated 90 degrees off the normal axis.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's interesting.