Help - baby chick with eye injury

[Sheilagh]

Hi there,
Our hen has finally managed to have chicks without turning on them, but she gone very distressed yesterday and trod on a just hatched chick who now has an eye that seems injured with a bloody bubble on its surface. The chick needs help to prevent pecking (or further pecking) by the other chicks, but I am unsure how best to treat the eye.
I have included pictures.

 

[dawg53]

Try to flush with a couple of drops of saline solution. Then apply a tiny bit of terramycin eye ointment. Then let the eye heal on its own.

 

[Sheilagh]

Another angle

 

[Sheilagh]

Try to flush with a couple of drops of saline solution. Then apply a tiny bit of terramycin eye ointment. Then let the eye heal on its own.

Thanks for the reply. I don't have terramycin, is it anti-bacterial?

 

[Sheilagh]

At the moment he has a couple of thin strips of band-aid loosely over his eye to prevent pecking, when I change those I will wash with saline and apply something to prevent infection. Any more advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

It is hard to say if the vitreous matter is coming out from the eyeball being pierced—I really hope not. Are you in the US or where? I would keep saline on it for now until you can get an antibiotic ointment or drop. Keep us updated.

 

[Sheilagh]

Australia. We haven't had many injuries or illnesses in the last three years having chickens (luckily), so when it happens I have no idea what is going on. If the eyeball is pierced do they lose sight in that eye? The fluid is gone now and the eye is closed.

 

[dawg53]

She will lose eyesight in her eye if it's pierced. She'll adjust with the use of one eye, no worries there.
Using an antibiotic ointment in her eye will prevent bacterial infection. Apply it once and let it heal even with her eye closed.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thought you might be an Aussie from the spelling of your name. I haven't experienced this before, but the vitreous is the jelly-like material contained in the eye. It may have leaked a bit and sealed itself. This happened to a small dog of mine, but she was blinded. There could be a chance that it may be blind in the eye, but hopefully not. I am glad it has it’s eye closed, so it will keep the eye lubricated. Let us know how it gets along, and good luck.

 

[Sheilagh]

Thanks very much for the advice. She is not the healthiest little chick, and I am worried that she won't recover enough to be able to follow the mother once she gets off the eggs.