Chicks beak broken

[mystus808]

I have 11 chicks and all were healthy until today I come and did that one of their beaks have broken... It is the bottom beak and it is like a hang nail bit a beak. Anyone have any idea if this chick will live and if she will be able to ey and drink.... thanks for the help.

 

[WallTenters]

Use super glue. You will probably want to offer her some mash (chick food + yogurt = yum for chickies) to make sure she's eating well for a few days, but if you glue it well she should heal okay, it will just take some time.

 

[flnatv]

I am a newbie... but had to say... very interesting... I didn't know you could do that.
Not to get way off, but how does it heal? This is the biology teacher in me

I knew you could cut the top beak if needed which led me to the thoughts that the beaks are "dead" at the end like a fingernail...
When you say heal, do you mean "grow out"... (don't take the wording wrong... I am genuinely interested in how this works)

 

[Nambroth]

Quote:
Disclaimer: This is in regards to birds with a hard beak such as chickens, parrots, etc. Ducks are a different matter!

You are close! A bird's beak is an extension of their jaw, and is bone. On top of the bone the beak is covered in keratin (same material as our fingernails). The keratin sheath is called the rhamphotheca and is (slowly) constantly growing! The portion of the beak closest to the base of the beak has a blood supply and nerves. It is understood that the tip of the beak (in species with a hard beak) does not feel pain as it has no nerve endings, but as you get closer to the base yes! They absolutely seem to feel pain. If this area of the beak gets damaged, it may not be able to regenerate the tissue and rhamphotheca again and the beak will not regrow (for parrots and other companion birds some people get prosthetic beaks made of acrylic). In the practice of 'debeaking'* chicks (usually for factory farming on a large scale of chickens for food and/or eggs) the chicks are subjected to damage to the nerve/blood supply of the beak so that the beak will not regrow properly (sadly it is to keep them from damaging one another in overcrowded factory situations).

So it all depends, when a beak is injured, on how it was injured and where! It may or may not grow back with time.

* Not to be confused with clipping an overgrown beak, which only involves trimming away the nerve-free tip, at the very end, if the beak overgrows (like a fingernail).



Mystus808, I'm sorry I don't have any further advice... I am not real clear on how the beak broke, sounds scary! Any chance you can get a photo for us?

 

[cmfarm]

I had no idea that is how it worked. I have learned something new.

 

[mother o' chicks72]

Isn't super glue semi-toxic? might it be harmful to the chicks health?

 

[WallTenters]

Much less toxic than starving to death.

The beak will usually heal if it has been torn right where the beak comes out - I suppose it would be a sort of cuticle. But the superglue and healing must start as soon as possible. The beak isn't actually "healing" like a muscle wound would be, but the glue will hold the old growth and the new growth together and you'll barely notice it if you do this right.

 

[flnatv]

mystus808... sorry this happened, but I am glad to see that it is possible to be "fixed"... would you update us please?

Nambroth... excellent description... I may need to add this to my "to know" file and even teach it in biology... It would be a great lesson when we study embryology. Thank you very much for sharing and the detail. Your time is much appreciated.