I really need help please. My rooster got his head slammed shut in a heavy glass door.

[Shelmii]

My brother was playing with one of my roosters and he accidentally shut the roosters head into the glass door. It's a very heavy glass door and the only thing I see is the roosters eye is sunken into the socket. It was draining for awhile with very little blood and the other eye is fine. The sunken in eye is closed now and he's silent and hes just standing there. He's the most aggressive of my roosters and he usually tries to bite or run if someone messes with him. I put him in a dog cage alone for now with food and water. I'm not sure if he is dying or just in a lot of pain. I know chickens know how to hide it well. His skull could be crushed for all I know.

Please could someone help me with some advice to help ease the pain or help him get better?

 

[AK Chick]

My brother was playing with one of my roosters and he accidentally shut the roosters head into the glass door. It's a very heavy glass door and the only thing I see is the roosters eye is sunken into the socket. It was draining for awhile with very little blood and the other eye is fine. The sunken in eye is closed now and he's silent and hes just standing there. He's the most aggressive of my roosters and he usually tries to bite or run if someone messes with him. I put him in a dog cage alone for now with food and water. I'm not sure if he is dying or just in a lot of pain. I know chickens know how to hide it well. His skull could be crushed for all I know.

Please could someone help me with some advice to help ease the pain or help him get better?

I know this will sound awful, but one night, my rooster got stuck upside down in the gill netting we keep over the coop, we think an aerial predator like an owl tried to get in. We found him in the morning and thought he was dead, but after disentangling him, we saw him breathing, but had little hope he would recover. We put him in a quiet shady spot for a couple of days, and he slowly recovered. He is fine now, and it's a year later. I think your rooster may surprise you and recover after a few days, but if you see infection in that eye, you may want to either take him to the vet, or plan a BBQ. Just think, if you took a blow to the head, you would be quiet for a few days, too. I hope he recovers for you!

 

[Eggcessive]

The best thing for him is the dark and quiet of a cage to rest.With head trauma, the brain can swell. I would just leave him alone today, and keep him comfortable. Tomorrow, see if he will drink some water with electrolytes and vitamins (SaveAChick, etc.) Put some chopped egg in his cage with his usual feed. Don't handle him too much. He will either recover or not. Once he stands up, and seems more normal. then try getting him to eat. Let us know what happens.

 

[Birdydeb]

X2 I was posting virtually the same thing but eggcessive said it better. Seclusion, warmth(meaning no drafts as it is summer) and hydration are the most important for any injured bird.

 

[Shelmii]

I put him in a cage with some pine shavings and some water. I don't know if it would help, but I put some herbs in there to help him calm down. Thank you so much for the advice!

What if he doesn't drink water yet?

Will dissolving aspirin in water help him with pain?

I heard that aspirin should only be used on external wounds. Would this be considered internal since I don't know if his skull or brain has been affected?

He's a very strong rooster. He is the first one to begin crowing. Gosh, I was so scared for him. It bothers me most that he's probably feeling a ton of pain. He at least is alert when he hears a sound and the injured eye opens up just a little bit, but he immediately goes back to closing both his eyes and stays still. He also ate some food from my hand, but stopped and became still again. My parents were actually thinking of probably putting him out of his pain, but I don't know...

 

[Birdydeb]

Myself, I would NOT give aspirin. Aspirin is a blood thinner and if he has swelling of the brain it will only make it worse. Unfortunately, the only pain reliever I would give to a bird of any sort would be one I got from a vet so I could have correct dosage. Solitude and rest is what he needs most. Hydration is very important and if you can't get him to drink on his own you will need to syringe some into his beak. If you have no syringe, take a clean absorbent cloth like a wash cloth, get it wet and squeeze it at the side of his beak. Keep it up until he swallows some. Make sure he stays hydrated and quiet. As said already, he will either recover or he won't. Only you all can decide whether to try and nurse him through this...or not. I always fight as long as the animal/bird/whatever fights but that is me. Good luck and keep us posted. Head injuries can be a surprise and they survive and recover....given the opportunity.

 

[mustang56]

I'd give him some poly vi sol without iron....

It seems to help birds that have been hurt.....

You might want to ask about giving him antibiotic in his water.... might help to fight any infection
that may be starting in his eye....

 

[Shelmii]

He stands up when I check on him and he sits and closes his eyes right before he sees me. He has water, but I don't know if he drank the water. I should try the towel method. Thank you so much!

I put some food in his cage and he got excited and pecked at the food a few times, but he stopped soon after and sat back down. He's looking good now..

 

[Shelmii]

I dabbed his eye with a paper towel dipped in hydrogen peroxide with very gentle dabs for avoiding infection.

 

[Eggcessive]

Clean his eye with saline or water, not peroxide. It is not meant for eyes. If it looks gunky, you can also use plain Neosporin or other antibiotic ointment twice a day. Good luck.