AccidentalChickenLady
In the Brooder
- Sep 19, 2017
- 37
- 19
- 49
I have four hens in my backyard coop; two Easter-Eggers, a Barred Rock, and a Rhode Island Red. All of them came from my local feed store, which sources their chicks from a local farmer. They are about to turn 6 months old.
About a month ago, I noticed one of my EEs, Audre, had a crossed beak. I hadn't noticed it previously, and after scoping out posts here on BYC, I decided it was mild enough to fix at home, using my lightweight dremel tool. My spouse held Audre, who let me sand down her top beak and a bit of her bottom beak so they line up cleanly. There was no bleeding or immediate signs of any issue.
In the nearly two weeks since fixing her beak, Audre has been consistently lethargic. She IS eating, drinking, and pooping normally. She eats the treats I give the birds, and I haven't noticed her sisters picking on her. (She hadn't started laying yet, and I certainly didn't expect her to do so in the immediate time after beak-trimming.) She spends most of her days lying down in the run, or at the door to the coop. When I let the birds out to explore the yard, she will take a few steps outside, but then generally settles into a little fluff-ball on the ground, as her sisters gobble up weeds, scratch for bugs, and chase each other around the yard. She doesn't respond to being "shooed" back in the coop, so I just pick her up gently and place her back in the coop. (All of my birds have been handled somewhat regularly since they were a few days old, and have always let me pick them up.)
All this is to essentially ask a simple question: Did I break my bird? I expected her to be dazed and confused right after the beak-grinding, as I know chickens stress easily. But it's been almost two weeks, and she still shows no signs of being the energetic, sassy bird she was before I trimmed her beak. She hasn't noticeably lost weight, and I do see her eating and drinking. Is there anything I can do to help her feel safe and comfortable again? I have not trimmed her beak again, and don't plan to unless the growth gets out of hand, which I imagine would take quite a while, if it occurs again at all.
Any help is greatly appreciated; this site has been an invaluable resource for me as I get used to raising chickens!
(Also uploading a photo of Audre's beak before [bottom image] and after the grinding.)
About a month ago, I noticed one of my EEs, Audre, had a crossed beak. I hadn't noticed it previously, and after scoping out posts here on BYC, I decided it was mild enough to fix at home, using my lightweight dremel tool. My spouse held Audre, who let me sand down her top beak and a bit of her bottom beak so they line up cleanly. There was no bleeding or immediate signs of any issue.
In the nearly two weeks since fixing her beak, Audre has been consistently lethargic. She IS eating, drinking, and pooping normally. She eats the treats I give the birds, and I haven't noticed her sisters picking on her. (She hadn't started laying yet, and I certainly didn't expect her to do so in the immediate time after beak-trimming.) She spends most of her days lying down in the run, or at the door to the coop. When I let the birds out to explore the yard, she will take a few steps outside, but then generally settles into a little fluff-ball on the ground, as her sisters gobble up weeds, scratch for bugs, and chase each other around the yard. She doesn't respond to being "shooed" back in the coop, so I just pick her up gently and place her back in the coop. (All of my birds have been handled somewhat regularly since they were a few days old, and have always let me pick them up.)
All this is to essentially ask a simple question: Did I break my bird? I expected her to be dazed and confused right after the beak-grinding, as I know chickens stress easily. But it's been almost two weeks, and she still shows no signs of being the energetic, sassy bird she was before I trimmed her beak. She hasn't noticeably lost weight, and I do see her eating and drinking. Is there anything I can do to help her feel safe and comfortable again? I have not trimmed her beak again, and don't plan to unless the growth gets out of hand, which I imagine would take quite a while, if it occurs again at all.
Any help is greatly appreciated; this site has been an invaluable resource for me as I get used to raising chickens!
(Also uploading a photo of Audre's beak before [bottom image] and after the grinding.)
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