My young hen tucked her head in her wing, walked in circles, and is going blind. Is it Marek?

[Wyorp Rock]

Does she have any lice or mites?
She keeps scratching at her face and/or ears. Check inside the ears for infection.

The feathers around her eyes, can see o.k.? I'd consider trimming the fluff from around her eyes, see if that makes any difference.

You'd be surprised how many birds suddenly improve once they can see food/water.

 

[ArianDolympia]

I just trimmed the fluff around her eyes. I didn't see any lice or mites. As soon as we put her back in her cage, she started pecking at her food for maybe five or six seconds, then closed her eyes again.

 

[Seaslug]

I realize that this hen's problems started before she was isolated. I just wanted to make sure that she can not reach the plant with small white flowers in the background. If I recall correctly, it has a milky white sap that can be irritating to skin. Good luck with your hen.

 

[ArianDolympia]

I realize that this hen's problems started before she was isolated. I just wanted to make sure that she can not reach the plant with small white flowers in the background. If I recall correctly, it has a milky white sap that can be irritating to skin. Good luck with your hen.

The distance from the side of the cage to where the white flowers/ Euphorbia were hanging down is actually one foot, even though it looked a lot closer than that. I appreciate your concern.

 

[ArianDolympia]

I realize that this hen's problems started before she was isolated. I just wanted to make sure that she can not reach the plant with small white flowers in the background. If I recall correctly, it has a milky white sap that can be irritating to skin. Good luck with your hen.

Thank you.

 

[LaFleche]

I just trimmed the fluff around her eyes. I didn't see any lice or mites. As soon as we put her back in her cage, she started pecking at her food for maybe five or six seconds, then closed her eyes again.

As she appears to have been starving for quite some time due to the overgrown muffs, the recovery will not happen overnight.
You can feed her some scrambled eggs, greek yoghurt etc. to help restore her strenght.

 

[ArianDolympia]

As she appears to have been starving for quite some time due to the overgrown muffs, the recovery will not happen overnight.
You can feed her some scrambled eggs, greek yoghurt etc. to help restore her strenght.

 

[ArianDolympia]

These are pictures of her droppings before I cleaned up this morning, the scrambled egg I gave her, along with vitamin E and B-complex, and how she looks now.

 

[LaFleche]

Some breeds like Araucana, Silkies, Polish, Salmon Faverolle and similar need regular trimming of crests, muffs, beards and sometimes even the feathers on their feet to allow them unobstructed view and normal walking.

With muffs so overgrown they act disoriented and will not be able to see other birds (or anything else) approacing which will inhibit the normal behaviour, also with regard to the pecking order, leading superior birds to punish the one that does not act accordingly/respectfully towards them.

 

[ArianDolympia]

Some breeds like Araucana, Silkies, Polish, Salmon Faverolle and similar need regular trimming of crests, muffs, beards and sometimes even the feathers on their feet to allow them unobstructed view and normal walking.

With muffs so overgrown they act disoriented and will not be able to see other birds (or anything else) approacing which will inhibit the normal behaviour, also with regard to the pecking order, leading superior birds to punish the one that does not act accordingly/respectfully towards them.

Wow! That's something new I've learned today. Thank you .