Just Blue Eyes... or Marek's?

[SkyRedWing]

Hey everyone,
I am a first time chicken raiser and I am a proud mother of 11, 5-week-old Buff Orpington chicks. I noticed that when I look at images of other BOs, they all have golden brown or reddish eyes but all of my chicks have light or grey/blue eyes. I do not think they have always been this way. When I first got them (in the mail) they just had blackish eyes...I think. I started noticing the blue at about 2 weeks old and their eyes have been growing lighter and more pronounced since. I was researching and stumbled upon a article about Marek's disease and am now concerned that they may have it. They show no signs of disease other then their eye color and are all very healthy and lively. one of the chicks did get very sick at a young age with what we thought was cocci but was able to pull through and is now fully recovered. However, while she was sick, she could not open one of her eyes and one of my other chicks has eyelids that are slightly more oval then the others. they have had mild diarrhea off and on but never anything really bad and are all happy and healthy at the moment so Im not sure what to think. I will do my best to post pictures tomorrow and would really appreciate any info and help.

Thank you so much to the people on this site. You have all been a great help to a newbie like me hopefully they just have pretty blue eyes!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens. You may want to post in detail at "emergencies, diseases, injuries, cures," thread. In the interim put "Ocular Mareks," in the search box.

 

[ShellyBear]

There are different mareks disease. Your chicks may have the disease and be effected now or later, or they might just have blue eyes. I would not add to your flock until you figure if they have mareks. My entire flock was killed off by one hen that had mareks. All my chicks had it but wasn't effected till a few months old. I really hope you don't have this disease, its a horrible thing to watch them pass away. It has no cure.

 

[SkyRedWing]

So here are a few pictures from when they were two weeks old or so. the first image shows the one with the oval eye (the one looking right at the camera), the second shows the shape of all the other chick eyes for comparison, and the last shows the closed eye of sick chick when it could not open its eye.

Idk if these will help. I will post current pictures of their eyes tomorrow
Thanks

 

[SkyRedWing]

Im so sorry to hear about your chickens I really hope mine do not have it aswell. Is there a way to know if they have it for sure?

 

[SkyRedWing]

Welcome to Backyard chickens. You may want to post in detail at "emergencies, diseases, injuries, cures," thread. In the interim put "Ocular Mareks," in the search box.

Okay, thank you. I will try to repost this there i didn't know you could do that.

 

[ShellyBear]

I sent in one of my hens to a lab after dying suddenly to test for meraks.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Hey everyone,
I am a first time chicken raiser and I am a proud mother of 11, 5-week-old Buff Orpington chicks. I noticed that when I look at images of other BOs, they all have golden brown or reddish eyes but all of my chicks have light or grey/blue eyes. I do not think they have always been this way. When I first got them (in the mail) they just had blackish eyes...I think. I started noticing the blue at about 2 weeks old and their eyes have been growing lighter and more pronounced since. I was researching and stumbled upon a article about Marek's disease and am now concerned that they may have it. They show no signs of disease other then their eye color and are all very healthy and lively. one of the chicks did get very sick at a young age with what we thought was cocci but was able to pull through and is now fully recovered. However, while she was sick, she could not open one of her eyes and one of my other chicks has eyelids that are slightly more oval then the others. they have had mild diarrhea off and on but never anything really bad and are all happy and healthy at the moment so Im not sure what to think. I will do my best to post pictures tomorrow and would really appreciate any info and help.

Thank you so much to the people on this site. You have all been a great help to a newbie like me hopefully they just have pretty blue eyes!

I have 4 new easter eggers. One has blue eyes (def not grey) with heart shaped pupils.
I'm worried it's Marek's, these babies have been together since hatching so it's too late to separate them, and that's gonna really upset me if it is mareks!
Got them from TSC and have always had good luck with them.
TSC just changed breeders here, so I'm worried.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have 4 new easter eggers. One has blue eyes (def not grey) with heart shaped pupils.
I'm worried it's Marek's, these babies have been together since hatching so it's too late to separate them, and that's gonna really upset me if it is mareks!
Got them from TSC and have always had good luck with them.
TSC just changed breeders here, so I'm worried.

Could you post some pictures of the eyes? Have you seen any fading in color of the iris? Coloboma might be possible, and that is a birth defect. We like to look at pictures if you can post some. This article shows pictures of wild birds with coloboma in one eye, and chickens are known to have them occasionally:
https://www.onthewingphotography.com/wings/2012/02/27/birds-with-blown-eyes/

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

These are the two best ones.
Both eyes are exactly the same, but getting the left side was not possible. She's not cooperating, lol

I have 4 new easter eggers. One has blue eyes (def not grey) with heart shaped pupils.
I'm worried it's Marek's, these babies have been together since hatching so it's too late to separate them, and that's gonna really upset me if it is mareks!
Got them from TSC and have always had good luck with them.
TSC just changed breeders here, so I'm worried.