The Poultry Keeper

Bhindi · Last edited by Bhindi on Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hi, My Welsummer I got from Stamina last August has been for several days now pecking somehow differently. I noticed she didnt want to take sesame seeds from the ground and prefered them in my cupped hand. If I offer 1/2 a grape she attempts to peck 2 cm away & so misses it. She is looking up most frequently at me with her right eye. If her left is not working, would this be why she cant zoom in. I figured she should still be able to see things if its on her good side.

I can't fathom out how to test her eyes, should I try to tape over the left eye or leave this to the vets.

I am not aware that she has had any trauma at all since this occured, and though its not helping her eat she is still capable of sending off lower pecking hens if she wants to.

I could try to put a snippet of a video on if it would help anyone!

Thanks

CP · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject:

If you drop a piece of cotton wool to each side in turn it may tell you if she can see them. The idea is that she won't be able to hear anything drop.

You'd have to do it with no other outside influence & even then it's not certain....

Bhindi · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject:

After about 7 attempts at a bit of video, heres the best one, and thats pushing it a bit, but it helps you see the problem!

I managed to get a few grapes in her but cutting them into quaters, and having my hand full of them, she didnt manage to eat many, most fall on the floor, and from there she can't seem to pick them up at all. Food is random for her, if theres enough of it, she stands a chance of getting some. Her long distance vision seems perfect. Her balance is perfect, I watched her go on 1 leg to have a scratch.

Just click on the pic.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1410 Location: Manchester

That is pretty strange...

Is her third eyelid reflex working on the left eye? does the pupil contract to light? do both eyes look the same?

Bhindi · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject:

I have not gone through any proper testing myself yet, rather just observing her. When she was under the conifers her pupils were certainly dilated-reacting to the light. I have seen the other eyelid seemingly do what its supposed to.

I shall take her to the vet tomorrow. I don't expect any miracles, but I feel its the least I can do.

We made sure her crop was full at bed time, and I suspect we will have to continue to monitor it.

Thanks

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2089 Location: norfolk

I had this with a silkie cockerel. I found it helped him to eat if I used a white feed pot and raised it up a bit. I know this doesn't help you find out what's wrong (my silkie had infected eyes) but at least she may get fed this way!

Bhindi · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject:

Thanks Kated.

Well she went to the vets, he feels that its a genetic problem, there is definatly no infection. He says she is mainly getting peripheral vision. He agreed with me that she looks like her eyes are not lined up perfect in the socket, its like the top skin is lower, but really its more like the eyeball is higher than it ought. I always felt she had weak looking eyes, so not really all that surprised we have this problem.

The vet didn't feel terribly positvie about the outcome, and feels its not going to get better, either stay the same or detioriate, anyhow he is obviously trying to help her so

He gave her two jabs, one was a steroid (Dexafort)

and the other was a multivitamin. (targeting Vit A)

This morning both Geoff and I feel she is picking up more food than before, and I was impressed with the size of her crop when I got home at 8.30pm last night, so she must be responding to one or both of the jabs.

Will keep you informed on her progress.x

Bhindi · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:34 am Post subject:

I tested her with the grapes on the drain again, and she still couldn't pick them up. So it doesnt look like any improvement after all. I think she is managing to eat better as I put back the big stainless steel bowl, they use to have.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1410 Location: Manchester

sorry to hear there's not much improvement - as long as she seems happy/healthy otherwise and you make sure she can eat she may just have to carry on the way she is...

CP · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:46 am Post subject:

So sorry there's not much improvement Bhindi. Sad

Our first cockerel had a problem with eating & we did the same as you - large wide shallow bowl & he did cope for a while. Sadly we think he had a genetic disorder but never really had a firm diagnosis of anything. Sad

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1322 Location: Dublin, Ireland

That's such a shame Bhindi, she's a lovely hen. She must be very frustrated. Hope she copes with the new feeder and you can keep her. Well done for spotting it, she does seem to be kind of staring, as if not quite sure of what she is seeing.

Bhindi · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks Egirl, She's doing ok. She is managing perfectly well at the moment, she just relies on us to feed her directly a share of any treats that are given. I feel more sad that she won't be able to take advantage of digging up her own insects, but in the big scheme of things, her main food is priority, and I will always keep an eye on her and look out for any deterioration.

Bhindi · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject:

Thought I would update this thread..

Welly has been managing very well since the discovery of her weak eyes.

She does still ask me to feed her from my hand if I give any wheat, and gets very frustrated if there is sesame seeds being given. But she is feeding herself, worms, grapes quite comfortably, but she will never be perfect.

She was one of the naughty ones bulling my Blondie, and was put into the sin bin with one from my original flock of Black Rocks. Since their release Welly has been behaving, but the remarkable thing is that she has now become dominant over the other naughty hen, who was superior in pecking order during their segregation.