rooster with bad eye...pecked out?

[SassyKat6181]

Last week on Tuesday I noticed the rooster had his eye shut. Barred Rock - about 6 mos old. The flock had been locked in the coop for 3 days at this point due to the freak snowstorm we got here in Massachusetts. I put Opthalmic ointment on it for 3 days and it seemed to be looking better. Went to FL for the long weekend and got home today. Caretakers said everyone was doing fine. Went in to find rooster acting normal (enjoying his hens), but saw that he was now opening his eye a bit more.

Looks like there isn't an eye in there. The eyeball itself is, but I can't make out an iris or pupil, or anything eye looking. Not to be gross, but it looks like chopped meat.

I am afraid he was pecked, and bad. It is not swollen, and the red around his eye is normal. No pus or drainage. He is a really good boy and I'd like to help him. There is a vet in the next town that specializes in birds, so I am going to give her a call in the a.m. to see if she will take a look at him. Do you think the eye needs to come out and be stitched up? Will he be ok with one eye? They have an enclosed, covered run, and are locked up each night. This rooster is a pet, not for breeding or eating.....we like the crow, and he's beautiful too....so I'd really like to do what is best for him. Any advice?

 

[oldorchardfarms]

As long as he is not free ranging i would say he would be fine. I am not a vet so i can not tell you what your best choice would be, but i have had a chicken that could not see out of one eye and he did great, I hope he starts feeling better!

 

[Lollipop]

Don`t waste your money on a vet. Your rooster will learn to cope with one eye, just as mine has. Mine is 5 years old and lost his eye when about 4 months. Yours will be fine......Pop

 

[Sjisty]

I just went through the same thing. I noticed my little silver laced Brahma cockerel's left eye was very swollen and scabbed. I brought him in, washed it, and gave him an antibiotic in a scrambled egg. The swelling went down and after about three days he could barely open the eye. All I saw underneath was white, so he was named One-Eyed Jack. About two days later, when I picked him up for his daily antibiotic omelet, he looked at me from his healed left eye. I thought, hmmm, it must be the other side, turned him around and he looked at me from his right eye! Well, he's now named Two-Eyed Jack, is all better, and still expects a scrambled egg every morning!

Hopefully your guy will heal, too. Good luck!