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Rooster has sore eye

birdlover82

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I noticed last night while doing a head count and shutting my chickens in that 1- That Blackie that sleeps in the pen area of the coop wasn't out there with his little hen he was inside on a roost instead and 2- He had his eye closed. But I thought it was because I had my flashlight since it was dark when I went out.
Well today I go out to let them out and feed them and he still had it closed.:(
Here's a picture of it. He has a scabbed up crest because him and the other black rooster like to get in fights occasionally. Stupid boys.
ResizedImage_1330219672323.jpg

So I was wondering if anyone here could offer any advice? Anyone dealt with a sore eye before? On one chicken forum I read to keep it clean with a warm washcloth and to put some terramycin ointment in it.
My husband has been gone all day working on our house so I haven't had a extra set of hand to really even try to wash it. It appears to be crusted shut but it's not swollen. He's really not acting normal either because the other boys are not treating him too nicely. Think I'll put him in a crate in the coop for the night.:( When I got home not too long ago he was up here by the house and didn't want to go to the coop. Think it's because he knew he would get beat up on.:(
 

itzmered

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No experience but I think a warm wash and some ointment wont hurt. Maybe you can get your husband to help out when he gets home :hug8::hug8::hug8:
 

birdlover82

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Well I just went out and he made it back in the coop and they are all roosted up. He's actually not the black rooster to sleep outside because that one is out side with the little hen tonight. Not sure why the choose to sleep out there since there's plenty of room inside the coop. But since he's ok in the coop tonight I think I'll leave him be, who knows when my husband will be home he stopped in at a friends house on the way home tonight.:rolleyes: I don't have any terramycin ointment on hand to use anyways I do have some triple antibiotic ointment though. Which reading up on it right now I guess is supposed to be just as good as the other ointment. Reading more stories of chickens with pecked eyes and them being fine after being treated with a triple antibiotic cream. Making me feel a bit better. Just have to nurse him through this. At least he's easy to catch now since he can't see on that side for right now.
 

GG.

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just make sure it is opthalmic ointment and not the regular, off the shelf kind

most feed stores sell terramycin eye ointment without a prescription

chickens are pretty tough compared to other birds, hoping he will be ok
 

FreeByrd

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Poor rooster..... Hope he heals soon! :sadhug2:
 

Cinnyluver

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:hug8: Poor guy! I have no experience with chickens...sorry.
 

Ziggymon

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What GG said - make sure to use only ointment intended for eye use on eyes.

I'm having to keep one of my hens separated because she's getting picked on. I had her in a big dog crate in the coop for about a week, and things seemed to have settled down, so I let her out and watched for a while, and everything seemed O.K. Came back later, and she was getting picked on again. She came to me for protection - practically flew into my arms. So now she's back in the crate. I may have to see how she does living with the ducks instead.
 

birdlover82

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What GG said - make sure to use only ointment intended for eye use on eyes.

I'm having to keep one of my hens separated because she's getting picked on. I had her in a big dog crate in the coop for about a week, and things seemed to have settled down, so I let her out and watched for a while, and everything seemed O.K. Came back later, and she was getting picked on again. She came to me for protection - practically flew into my arms. So now she's back in the crate. I may have to see how she does living with the ducks instead.
Poor girl.:(

Now for the ointment I've read on a chicken board where just a normal triple antibiotic cream is ok. Do you not think it'd be ok? The one poster even said her vet buddy said to use it instead of the terramycin.:confused:
 

Ziggymon

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I know that my vet doesn't like using it on the face if there's the least chance it could get rubbed into the eye - that was for a cat, not a chicken, but still.... My vet is a very practical guy, not averse to trying meds for stuff for which they haven't been formally approved yet, so if he is concerned, I don't risk it.
 

65sunnyday

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I think I would follow GGs advice. One unknown source saying it's OK, to me, doesn't outweigh one person saying it's not safe, if you see what I mean.....
That other rooster has a lot of nerve, hanging out w/one-eye's chick--and she's no better than she should be!
Can you put him in a box & bring him inside if he gets picked on tomorrow night?
:hug8:
 

birdlover82

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I think I would follow GGs advice. One unknown source saying it's OK, to me, doesn't outweigh one person saying it's not safe, if you see what I mean.....
That other rooster has a lot of nerve, hanging out w/one-eye's chick--and she's no better than she should be!
Can you put him in a box & bring him inside if he gets picked on tomorrow night?
:hug8:
I think he's not the one who usually sleeps out there. I have a hard time telling the 2 apart.:o: My kids can no problem. So it's not the other moving in on his ground. I was just surprised last night to see the little hen out by herself. I picked her up and put her in with the rest.:)
 

birdlover82

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I know that my vet doesn't like using it on the face if there's the least chance it could get rubbed into the eye - that was for a cat, not a chicken, but still.... My vet is a very practical guy, not averse to trying meds for stuff for which they haven't been formally approved yet, so if he is concerned, I don't risk it.
One thing I read while researching this all was that in cats neopsorin can cause seizures.


I'll call around tomorrow and see if I can get the other cream though just to play it safe.
 

GG.

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the neosporin/triple antibiotic ointment is ok as long as it as an opthalmic preparation - intended for the eye - rather than the neosporin that you get off the shelf at the drug store intended for use on the body

the inert ingredients are different and the type for use on our cuts and scrapes can cause eye inflammation and problems

you normally have to have a prescription for it -



terramycin eye ointment for animals is often available at the feed store without a prescription
 

Anne & Gang

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:hug8:
 

silkiemomma

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I have the same problem. I have a red silkie(very docile..love love them), and a polish rooster that got into a fight, and the silkies eye is shut...so I have been applying a warm wash cloth and triple antibiotic on it for several days.. His eye isn't swollen shut now, but isn't big and open like he other eye. I think I am going to go to the feed store and get some terramycin, to see if it does better...in the mean time I want my hubby to build a separate small coop for just my precious silkies...
 
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