Lessons From a Blind Chicken

OK..so this is going to be about a blind chicken...the light colored one in the photo.  And no, it doesn't end badly.

Our chickens all have really really boring and descriptive names, Red, Sonny, Cher, (of course), Sneezy,Floppy, Beaky, Augie,Pretty and...Blindy. All of them came to us by accident. We never intended to raise chickens, but they selected us, so we were stuck.  Since then I have become quite attached to them and discovered that chickens are really quite personable and surprisingly smart.  And, they have a very complex social life...pecking order as it were...that very much mirrors that of humans... scarey.  Plus..they look silly when they run (also like some humans I know).

So...about a year and a half ago, we noticed that one of the hens was developing a cloudy color to her eyes and definitely going blind...but she was otherwise healthy and the other chickens showed no sign of illness, so we watched and waited. We thought we were going to have to "put her down", but she seemed to be adjusting and like any sightless being, orienting through sound and using her feet to feel carefully along. And better still, we noticed that the other chickens were looking after her and directing her. How neat was that.

Still we expected she would not make it through the winter...but she continued to surprise us. She thrived. When  it was icy or snowy, she simply stayed at the coop when the other chickens went out to scratch around.  And, while she occasionally went astray, if we called, "here chick chick" for a couple of minutes she would find her way to us.  She has learned the sound of our voices and sometimes just "coos" and waits to be picked up and carried to the coop.

Why some fox or hawk or other predator has not grabbed her while she is out and about in the daytime is a mystery to us. But she is now going into her second winter as a blind chicken and doing quite well navigating about and scratching around happily for whatever it is that chickens scratch up to eat, with her feathered friends.

 Our wonderful animals here continue to put me to shame with their resilience and optimistic approach to life. They are brave and smart and funny and never waste time feeling sorry for themselves  (well, at least they don't seem to) or trying to be what they are not.  Every day they teach me lessons about living a rich life. I am so honored to know Blindy!