rooster's eyes swollen shut after fight

[sharon53]

I have a 1 year old bantam brahma cochin rooster who was in a terrible fight with another bantam rooster on Sunday. His eyes were pecked at? One eye was swollen shut, but the other eye was open & it appeared to be working. Today I found him huddled behind a house in the pen, both eyes shut. I brought him into the house, but he isn't eating or drinking. What should I do to help him?

 

[Judy]

He needs some antibiotic ophthalmic ointment which you should be able to get at the feed store, probably Terramycin. A vet told me long ago that Neosporin ointment was also OK in eyes -- I wouldn't use the cream, or the one with pain reliever, though. Hopefully he has scratched eyelids or corneas and these will heal. You may have to help him find food and water at first. You may even have to drip a little water along the side of his beak and hope he pulls it in and drinks. I'd keep his eyes gooped up a couple of times a day, if only for comfort.