Anyone have experience with a blind chicken?

[dominiquePL]

Thank you! Hopefully my chick will do as good as yours
What's wrong with the Wyandottes?

 

[PhantomSlayer]

I hope yours starts recovering well as well. It's been a relief. For a while I didn't think mine would make it.

Currently outside flock consists of 2 rooster wyandottes, 2 hen wyandottes, 2 barred rock hen, 2 buff orpington hen and 3 black australorp hen. Not a chicken but we also have a gosling out there lol

We still have as I call her the little runt chick (the one we thought was blind/partially blind but can't seem to confirm, 2 brahmas (possible hens) and two still baby easter egger chicks in the brooder.

But because the two 2 roosters are being aggressive to the point of being bullies and for some reason it seems like the two wyandotte hens are always at their side doing the same we need to stabilize it because we cant risk injury to a child, us or our friendlier hens. So the roosters are getting a second chance with someone else. Were gonna hopefully see some change in the wyandotte hens once the roosters are gone but if not one or both may end up going as well..

The wyandottes have been skittish and flighty since we got them so we dont know if its their breed/personality or just because their young. But we can't risk it. Plus my moms gosling is going after them lol It's not putting up with them bullying it or others near it while their eating. Maybe one of the easter eggers turn out to be male? Maybe?? But if not we'll be waiting till next year to either get a rooster chick or maybe I can talk my mom into looking for someone local who has an older docile rooster.

Anyways the wyandottes are a huge reason why I won't put the little runt chick out because shes not 100% acting like the other chickens so I just know they'll bully her alot. Plus we tried letting the brahmas free range with them and they were persistant in their pecking of them..

Getting two more goslings soon hopefully so that as well is another reason.

 

[dominiquePL]

Oh God. I hate bullies. Hopefully the pullets will calm down after the cockerels are gone.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

Oh God. I hate bullies. Hopefully the pullets will calm down after the cockerels are gone.

Right! Their really pretty so we want one-two of them in our flock but if we can't get them to stop bullying then something needs done.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

Thank you! Hopefully my chick will do as good as yours
What's wrong with the Wyandottes?

Hows your chick doing?

 

[PhantomSlayer]

Update on the runt chick Kiora.

After we got rid of the wyandotte roosters it took a few days for the females to relax and there was still some bullying going on but after the brahmas and Kiora started spending nights outside with them things are improving. The brahmas will go off with the flock now.

We also started letting our 4 and a half week old easter eggers outside during days and nights. Their inside for tonight cause we have a frost warning. But the brahmas will still spend some time with them and Kiora before going off with the flock and if the eggers start calling they come running.

Kiora spends most of the time around the coop and run. Shes only joined the brahmas a few times in the bushes. Shes still not fully right acting but she acts more like a chicken and less like a statue. Still much skinnier and lean than the others her age and kind. She still has me worried. If I don't see her moving around I tend to go outside to check on her.

I have yet to see her roost on her own. For example there was a branch from making the roosts inside the coop left over outside and one of the branches was about a 6 inches off the ground and the two brahmas got up and were perching with room to spare and she walked up to the spot but just stood there. She looked like she was wanting to but she didnt even do much attempting. No jumping or flapping she just kinda walked up to it looking at it and then walked away after a bit.

I just don't get her at all.. I put her on the roost the other night with the brahmas and she was still standing there when I walked away. My parents let them out in the morning so I don't know if she was still there. Wish I could afford a camera to put inside. I'm quite curious to see what they all do at night lol

 

[dominiquePL]

Hows your chick doing?

Thank you so much for asking!
I don't think she's blind actually. She might be mentally disabled or slow
I went to take some photos of her and she was looking at the phone and she jumped on it with this warning scream and just before she was pecking on some plants i chucked in the brooder. So she must be able to see. She grew a lot and now it's tricky to tell her apart but i had put zip bands on their legs so I know which one it is. She might be a he

 

[PhantomSlayer]

Thank you so much for asking!
I don't think she's blind actually. She might be mentally disabled or slow
I went to take some photos of her and she was looking at the phone and she jumped on it with this warning scream and just before she was pecking on some plants i chucked in the brooder. So she must be able to see. She grew a lot and now it's tricky to tell her apart but i had put zip bands on their legs so I know which one it is. She might be a he

Thats great! I dunno if she might be a he lol.

 

[dominiquePL]

@PhantomSlayer How's Kiora doing?

My chicken is fine. I've been at home the last month so I could make sure she eats properly - she is not so clever at foraging and at the moment we have too many chickens and she is rather at the bottom of the pecking order. The plan is to limit the number of them quite significantly so the older ones will go (they still bully the younger ones a bit and chase them off food). Still, she's well - putting on weight briliantly and active. She jumps on the roost by herself now. I used to put her up and every evening she used to wait and come to me to pick her up and place her on the roost which was really cute but I wanted her to be more independent. I actually think there is something wrong with her eyesight. But she's not blind just probably can't see that well. She became our pet chicken really, comes to be fed is so friendly. I'm wandering if she'll work out where to lay eggs when the time comes
The last photo - she's the one on the left

 

[PhantomSlayer]

@PhantomSlayer How's Kiora doing?

My chicken is fine. I've been at home the last month so I could make sure she eats properly - she is not so clever at foraging and at the moment we have too many chickens and she is rather at the bottom of the pecking order. The plan is to limit the number of them quite significantly so the older ones will go (they still bully the younger ones a bit and chase them off food). Still, she's well - putting on weight briliantly and active. She jumps on the roost by herself now. I used to put her up and every evening she used to wait and come to me to pick her up and place her on the roost which was really cute but I wanted her to be more independent. I actually think there is something wrong with her eyesight. But she's not blind just probably can't see that well. She became our pet chicken really, comes to be fed is so friendly. I'm wandering if she'll work out where to lay eggs when the time comes
The last photo - she's the one on the left

So adorable! I'll try to get pictures of Kiora today!

We got out first egg yesterday but we still dont have nesting boxes so thats a todays task. Don't know which one did it.

Kiora is doing fairly well. Still worries me sometimes. I've seen her on a roost by herself twice but every night when i go to coop them up for the night shes on the ground with the geese. I sometimes put her up there hoping she gets it. Shes still visually a runt.

We lost a brahma to a fox so now she only follows the one brahma around. She seems to prefer the brahma company rather than easter eggers now but I've seen her stand up to Roo the easter egger cockerel lol Aside from that. She runs. She eats. But there are a few times where I couldn't find her with the flock and shes off alone in the run eating by herself or under our porch alone. I havn't seen much bullying toward her. Even the geese tolerate her probably cause shes so much smaller than the other chickens.

But yeah. Shes more chicken like but not 100%.

I'll try catching pictures of her today. I'm on egg watch to try to find out which girl is laying so we can write it down.

I worry about our barred rock cockerel/roosters hurting her though. Their mounting the other others but shes soo small compared to them. The barred rock make me nervous in general lol. They look so mean. Today I was petting our buff orpington rosemary and one of the other black australorps and i look back and both barred rocks are standing behind me staring at me.

Oh but also Rosemary and Kiora are the only ones who dont try to keep their distance from me. Kiora is cautious but she'll stand right at my feet or eat from the feeder right behind me while im dumping and refilling water bowls while all the others even rosemary are scared of the hose.

My two favorites are Rosemary and Kiora lol. So yeah I'll see if I can get pictures uploaded of her tonight as well as a picture comparing her to the other black australorps.