Injured rooster

[mariabela]

For almost a year now, I have had two roosters living in the same pen, a father and son. The older (and bigger) one has been bullying his son and putting him in his place, yet today I walked out to find the tiny rooster speckled in blood and mud while my big rooster was hiding in the house, covered in blood, with blood splotches all over the house door. He has scratches all over his face, as well as one scratch around his eye that is swelling and his eye now looks white. He’s a favorite in the flock and I have them separated right now. How should I treat this? He’s not eating or drinking voluntarily, but when I dip his beak in water he starts drinking. Should I be worried about his eye? If he’s blind in one eye, I’m sure he’ll adjust I just don’t want it to get infected and I’m not sure how to treat it. Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Keep offering water and moistened chicken feed up to his beak several times a day. If he is in shock, some water with a tsp per cup may help revive him. Irrigate his eye with saline or eye wash, and apply a dab of Terramycin eye ointment or plain Neosporin to his eye twice a day. That should help treat infection. A picture of his eye may help. They need to be separated from each other.

 

[mariabela]

Keep offering water and moistened chicken feed up to his beak several times a day. If he is in shock, some water with a tsp per cup may help revive him. Irrigate his eye with saline or eye wash, and apply a dab of Terramycin eye ointment or plain Neosporin to his eye twice a day. That should help treat infection. A picture of his eye may help. They need to be separated from each other.

Thank you! I’m trying to add a picture of his eye right now. When I checked this morning it looks like it’s starting to scab over because it has a bunch of funky stuff around it. I don’t have any saline yet but I sprayed it with water to try and wash some of it out and then applied a LOT of neosporin (this was after the picture was taken). He’s doing much better and crowing a lot but still isn’t eating or drinking a lot, even when I dip his beak in it. I’m going to try feeding him with a syringe later today. Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate you going out of your way to answer me.

 

[mariabela]

Keep offering water and moistened chicken feed up to his beak several times a day. If he is in shock, some water with a tsp per cup may help revive him. Irrigate his eye with saline or eye wash, and apply a dab of Terramycin eye ointment or plain Neosporin to his eye twice a day. That should help treat infection. A picture of his eye may help. They need to be separated from each other.

I also don’t think he’s in shock, since he’s crowing and walking around. He even attempted eating on his own yesterday, but I think he can’t see his food very well with only one eye.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm going to give you a bit of advice that you are probably not going to want to take.
If you keep your chickens confined, even if you let them out to range on your property for a few hours a day, this isn't going to work.

If you have a few acres and you are prepared to build another coop for the rooster that lost the fight you might be able to keep them both.
This isn't a bit of anti rooster advice, this is advice from having been in this situation a few times over many years of keeping multiple tribes with multiple roosters.

Your injured roosters will recover this time. If they continue to fight one may not recover the next time.
If you don't have the room then you can't keep them both.

 

[mariabela]

I'm going to give you a bit of advice that you are probably not going to want to take.
If you keep your chickens confined, even if you let them out to range on your property for a few hours a day, this isn't going to work.

If you have a few acres and you are prepared to build another coop for the rooster that lost the fight you might be able to keep them both.
This isn't a bit of anti rooster advice, this is advice from having been in this situation a few times over many years of keeping multiple tribes with multiple roosters.

Your injured roosters will recover this time. If they continue to fight one may not recover the next time.
If you don't have the room then you can't keep them both.

I’m planning on only keeping the half blind one since he is a favorite and is the last one living from my original flock in 2020. Thank y’all so much for the advice and I will update if anything changes. Again thank you so much!

 

[mariabela]

I’m planning on only keeping the half blind one since he is a favorite and is the last one living from my original flock in 2020. Thank y’all so much for the advice and I will update if anything changes. Again thank you so much!

Here are pictures of his right and left eye today… I came home to find his right eye covered in this white stuff. I’m about to wipe it off with a wet paper towel (gently). Nothing was wrong with this eye before, I don’t know why this is happening. Im going to put him back in the coop tomorrow where he has a friend to lead him to food (currently the only times he eats is when I dip his beak in feed). If anyone has any tips or knowledge on this pls help! Thank you so much!

 

[CoopBoots]

Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry he's still under the weather. It could be the stress making him susceptible to things he'd normally easily resist, so you are seeing additional problems pop up. I think you've had advice on treatment for the eye infection so far, so my suggestion would be to continue on that path including both eyes in your regimen (while not cross contaminating between them). You might also try giving him a boost with something like Nutridrench in his water and boiled or scrambled eggs for the vitamins and to encourage his appetite (essentially just supportive care while his immune system may be weak). How does his poop look?? Does he have a full crop at bedtime?

 

[Eggcessive]

He might have scratched his face. You need to be getting some saline eye wash in his eye, and applying some Terramycin eye ointment or Neosporin. He cannot see out of either eye. Clean any pus out, and treat 2-3 times a day. He possibly could have lost the left eye, but I hope not. Hold a small cup up to his beak several times a day, and give him some wet chicken feed mush. I second the fact that they need to be separated. You may want to keep the other guy if he is blinded by this injury.

 

[mariabela]

Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry he's still under the weather. It could be the stress making him susceptible to things he'd normally easily resist, so you are seeing additional problems pop up. I think you've had advice on treatment for the eye infection so far, so my suggestion would be to continue on that path including both eyes in your regimen (while not cross contaminating between them). You might also try giving him a boost with something like Nutridrench in his water and boiled or scrambled eggs for the vitamins and to encourage his appetite (essentially just supportive care while his immune system may be weak). How does his poop look?? Does he have a full crop at bedtime?

His poop is very liquidy and even though I’ve tried giving him some of his favorite treats, he won’t eat unless I hold him. I’m about to feed him again but I hope that once I get him in the coop my hen will lead him to food. Thank you