A chicken’s owner may realize something is wrong when the chicken doesn’t respond to human approach, or when it has trouble picking up small food items. Ocular Marek’s disease symptoms are irregularly shaped pupils, gray or cloudy eyes, difficulty seeing, and finally total blindness in one or both eyes. While birds with paralysis die quickly, those with ocular Marek’s, the form that affects chicken eyes, may survive for some time if the other symptoms aren’t present. Symptoms of Marek’s disease in chickens include blindness, leg paralysis, and tumors. It is highly contagious and typically affects young chickens that are three to30 weeks old. One of the most dreaded of chicken illnesses is Marek’s, an incurable viral poultry disease spread by feather dander. Immediately isolate sick chickens from the rest of the flock to stop disease from spreading, and work to promptly diagnose and treat illness. Discoloration, discharge, inflammation, and discomfort often characterize chicken eye maladies. In contrast, some of the first signs that a chicken isn’t feeling well are a dull or sleepy expression and squinty eyes.
Normal chicken eye colors vary according to breed and age, but the eyes should always be clear with black pupils of a regular, round shape.
Misshapen pupil free#
Healthy chicken eyes are bright, wide open, and free of discharge or swelling. Consequently, problems with these vital organs are detrimental to the birds’ well-being, and it is crucial to recognize the symptoms of trouble so that illness can be proactively treated.
Whether chasing grasshoppers or courting the ladies, chickens use their eyes for every aspect of daily life. As we watch our flocks busily foraging in the backyard, the importance of chicken eye health becomes obvious.