Raven attack- eye injury- help!

[One Chick Two]

Friday late in the afternoon, I happened to glance out the window and noticed what I thought might be one of the cockerels mating a pullet on the shadowy hillside. Wasn't wearing my glasses, but knew something wasn't right, and realized it was probably a raven attack. Quickly grabbing a pot and lid, making a racket and yelling while running toward the hill, fortunately for us, it was enough to startle the attacker, and it flew off.

My DH (who had been supervising the majority of our flock while freeranging) came running when he heard. Together we ran to the lying chicken to see if we could save it. It was our largest bird (and my favorite cockerel) Rhode Island Rhett. So I called to him, but he was still completely motionless and looked dead. DH reached down to pick him up, and to our surprise, Rhett suddenly jumped up and raced down the hill, flapping his wings and squawking! We were so shocked, but so glad!

He was winded and in shock, trembling, moaning, his face, eye and comb bloody and beat up, but he let me pick him up and hold him without struggle. We examined him and came to the conclusion that he was either pecked or clawed in the eye, and comb. His eye was very swollen, oozing yellow clear fluid. I can see a cut on his outer eye rim. It is possible his eye might be punctured or gone, or the swelling just makes it look like this.

It's been a few days now, and we have separated him in a cage, and putting him outside in his cage during the day, and his flockmates have been nearby- been good for boosting his morale. We've been using a warm, wet cottonball to try to keep his damaged eye uncrusted and other wounds clean (His eye gets a bloody hued looking crust in the morning and night, but the crust doesn't look infected- as of yet.) But we've been giving him feed/ scrambled egg/ yogurt, children's vitamins.

I will post photos soon, but I will let you know, they are graphic.
We have no nearby avian vets locally in our rural area. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts of what else we might try to do for him? Many thanks, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

[sourland]

Try to get some ophthalmic ointment at one of your local feed suppliers, and coat the eye with it. Even if his eye has been destroyed he can have a good quality of life with one eye.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

The difference between opthalmic ointment and triple antibiotic ointment is sterility. I do not use it all the time in eyes I prefer opthalmic ointment but in emergency of something losing an eye over dryness or injury I put triple antibiotic ointment or neosporin without pain relief medication and the ointment not the cream in the eye. I usually give an injured bird a penicillin shot 1cc under the skin on the breast.

 

[One Chick Two]

Warning: Graphic photos in next post.
If you are squeemish, you might might not want to see the photos.

 

[One Chick Two]

These were taken of Rhett, right after the attack
Quote: Wayne&Kim1963 The difference between opthalmic ointment and triple antibiotic ointment is sterility. I do not use it all the time in eyes I prefer opthalmic ointment but in emergency of something losing an eye over dryness or injury I put triple antibiotic ointment or neosporin without pain relief medication and the ointment not the cream in the eye. I usually give an injured bird a penicillin shot 1cc under the skin on the breast.

Dear sourland and Wayne&Kim1963, thank you SO much for your suggestions! I appreciate your comments.

These photos were taken immediately after the attack, before I tried cleaning him up. You can see the yellow fluid bubbling at his eye, poor fellow.

 

[One Chick Two]

Here Rhett is outside, the next morning. He was much perkier when we put the cage in the midst of the flock. His eyelid keeps wanting to glue shut, so I have to keep after soaking it, trying to keep it open. I will pick up the ointment today if anything is open.

I think that there is an eyeball still in there is occasional occular activity, but I think the eye may possibly be ruptured.




Any other thoughts?
Thank you and have a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays!

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

I bet he willl get ok. Let us know how he does

 

[One Chick Two]

Thanks so much Wayne&Kim1963! I sure hope you are right- but like I said, I think the eyeball might be ruptured or damaged.

I saw a quick glimpse of his eyeball when I originally picked him up. It seemed strange. His iris looked different. I want to say it was a whitish hue instead of orange, but I only saw it for a second before his eye flooded and closed.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

I have a hen that had a eye get ruptured and we treated her and she runs around with 1 eye to see with and does fine. The eye healed in the socket and just sets there and nothing happens with it. She opens and closes her lid but I feel she can't see with it. So he can live without the eye functioning well.

 

[One Chick Two]

I am sorry for your chickie, Wayne&Kim1963, but am very glad to hear that she still is functioning well. I will check back in and let you know what happens.
Thank you so much for your advice and thoughts.