Duckling born with no eyes

We have just had a duckling heartily pop out of it's shell only to find that it was born with no eyes. My husband said he would take care of it but I don't think it will have a fighting chance with either preditors and it's own kind. I think we should cull the little one...any advice? How would we do it? We are really new at this.

Birds have no sense of smell so it will not be able to scent its food. If you are willing to cull it if it cannot feed, then I would say let it be and see what happens If you think you cannot cull a duckling that you have been raising for a while, then I would say cull it I do worry that it will not be able to feed.

U cant hatch out a duckling and not post photos.

Oops sorry, have taken a few photos


Blind duckie

Khaki Baby



Day old baby



phew! Is that better?

I didn't know they don't have a sense of smell, find that hard to believe with any species but true or not, nature has a way of adapting. If it doesn't adapt it won't survive.
I knew of a duck that went blind very quickly at a young age (cataracts in both eyes) and she did just fine. The other ducks helped her out. She even went to shows so she wasn't left home alone.

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Oh pleeeeze, put that duck away. I guess some people will raise something like that, and in the case of the bird that got cataracts and went blind, different story. That bird had grown and ate. This bird will not find its food. The likelihood is very high that it will get hurt somehow, something will get it, or it will not grow properly and bring illness to your other birds because of stressed immune system. You must let that bird pass to the other side. This is responsible husbandry. I have a tough love, said this over and over. Strong birds live with me, I cannot and will not tolerate anything that may bring illness to my flocks, I cull anything that is not strong as the others in the tribe. Cervical dislocation, unpleasant, but to be responsible, this is what I think you should do. Please, still try to have something good in this day, CynthiaM.

Birds mostly aren't great sniffers, but most can smell at least a bit.

From Stanford University:
at http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Avian_Sense.html
The Avian Sense of Smell
Most birds are primarily "sight animals" as their superb eyes, colorful plumage, and nonacoustic signals attest. But their sense of hearing is obviously also very acute -- as in the case of night-hunting owls, which use sound to locate their prey. Most birds seemingly would have little use for smell; in the airy treetops odors disperse quickly and would be of minimal help in locating obstacles, prey, enemies, or mates. Yet the apparatus for detecting odors is present in the nasal passages of all birds. Based on the relative size of the brain center used to process information on odors, physiologists expect the sense of smell to be well developed in rails, cranes, grebes, and nightjars and less developed in passerines, woodpeckers, pelicans, and parrots. By recording the electrical impulses transmitted through the bird's olfactory nerves, physiologists have documented some of the substances that birds as diverse as sparrows, chickens, pigeons, ducks, shearwaters, albatrosses, and vultures are able to smell.

Expanded detail at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080716111421.htm
Still no specific mention of ducks, though. Seems VERY likely to me that they can smell, and that a blind duck would develop its sense of smell more than a sighted one; all animals that lose one sense develop the others more.

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I don't see the harm in giving it a chance.

Someone here writes of having a 3 year old chicken that was born blind.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/159067/omg-duckling-born-with-no-eyes-can-it-live-updated-pics/40

Another blind duck doing fine. Sounds like you might want to find it a buddy to follow around.

http://network.bestfriends.org/blogs/kerryclair11159/archive/2007/07/03/90200.aspx

Maybe a seeing eye dog and a cane would help.

How is this duckling doing?

I got that info (most birds have little or no sence of smell) from a documentary about vultures. That was the first thing that popped into my head.

I deal with peopl who go to heroic measures with puppies all the time. I would not think twice about raising a puppy that was blind or deaf. I would give hard consideration to a puppy with mesoesophagus if it was so bad that it could not be taught to eat from a head raised position. I would put down a puppy that would be in pain, tat would starve to death, etc.

Many times I have told people who ask me about euthing a baby, what would I do. I tell them, maybe I would put in the work, maybe I would leave baby until it's quality of live dropped, maybe I would put it down. But always I tell them, that if you think that you cannot "do the right thing" if need be when that puppy is 6, 10, 16 weeks old because now there is no choice but your in love with the baby, then now is the time, before you are truly attached.


I hope the baby is fine. I still say if theya re willing to make a choice later if need be, then grow it out. If they cannot do that, then make the choice now.

The little guy/girl is doing well. It is a busy little thing and so far so good. We are going to keep it and will give it all the help we can. It is one of 11 ducklings so it has a lot of company. Que sera sera.