Baby chicks are quite fragile, these tiny birds can get sick easily and, they can become injured very easily as well. If your baby chick is not opening its eyes you’d be right to be concerned, this article looks into why that happens
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Baby chick not opening eyes:
A bird expressing odd behavior, like not opening its eyes, is a sign that there is something wrong. Here are possible reasons why your baby bird may not be opening its eyes:
Infected eye:
A chick’s eye can become infected quite easily, an infection can develop if bacteria gets into a wound on the bird’s eye. If you don’t treat the bird’s eye problem then the infection will get worse.
If left untreated, the eye will become very cloudy, and the bird may choose to keep its eyes shut because of photosensitivity or because opening the eyes simply irritates the bird.
What to do:
If your bird’s eye is infected then you can use a gel on the eye to clean it up, using Vetericyn eye gel on the eye will help it heal. This gel is an antiseptic, it will keep the eye clean as the eye heals. You can also clean the eye using a saline solution.
Keep the bird isolated as it heals, this will give it the opportunity to heal in peace and, will keep other birds, who would want to pick at the eye, away.
Also, make sure that you give the bird access to its own food and water while it’s healing.
If there is any debris on the eye, you can wipe it off with a warm and wet washcloth.
Stress:
Chicks don’t become stressed the same way that humans do, but we both suffer from some sort of stress. Shipping stress can develop in chicks during shipping and this can cause them to not open their eyes.
If your bird peeps very loudly, is lethargic, is isolating itself, is hunched over, and stands in one spot, then the bird is likely quite stressed.
A loud distress call, in the form of chirping, can also be heard if the bird is stressed and needs help.
What to do:
If the other chicks see that this bird is weaker than them this can cause them to peck at it. To avoid this, isolate the bird and give it a sugary drink to boost its energy levels and help it get better.
You can make the drink using some water, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon per ¼ cup of either sugar, honey, or molasses. Give the bird a few drops of this mixture to get its energy back up.
Put the bird back with the others when it gets better but keep a close eye on the bird’s eyes and make sure that it is acting normally.
Ammonia poisoning:
When the uric acid in your chicken’s poop is decomposed, ammonia is produced. Ammonia can exist in an atmosphere where chickens or chicks are present.
If the concentration of ammonia in your chick/ens coop is quite high, then the ammonia can irritate the cornea of the baby bird causing the eye to remain closed, it can also damage the mucus membrane of the bird’s respiratory system.
A bird suffering from ammonia poisoning will have swollen eyelids, red eyes and the eyes may become closed shut.
What to do:
Clean out the chicken’s coop to keep more ammonia from being produced. Also, change the bird’s litter on a regular basis, changing the litter in the coop on a regular basis will minimize the amount of ammonia being produced.
Using a litter, like peat, in the coop will be helpful, and maintaining good ventilation in the bird’s coop will also be helpful.
Isolating the bird with the closed eyes will keep the other birds from gaining access to it, this will keep the other birds from pecking at the bird’s closed, swollen, or red eye.
Keep the bird somewhere isolated and give it access to its own food and water, also, limit your bird’s stress levels, this will help it get better.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Pink Chicken Poop, Mustard Yellow Chicken Poop, Chicken Poop Clear Jelly, Baby Chick Eyes Stuck Shut, Signs A Baby Chick Is Dying
