PLESE HELP!!!! Chickens beak got bit off

[ten chicks]

Offer the wet feed now,if she is fighting the tube feeding,she must be getting stronger,see if she will try and eat on her own. Place the wet feed in your hand,see if she will eat,keep encouraging her to do so.

She is going to need grit/oyster shells/crushed egg shells,if you see that she is not able to pick these items up herself,then place them in the wet feed also,couple of times a week or if daily,use a very small amount.

 

[tmlpike]

I will try some wet food today and I'll let you know how it goes. Guess what??? Today her other eye started to open!!! Praise God, He surely is amazing I was carrying her outside and it snowed over night. She wanted to open up her other eye to see the snow

 

[tmlpike]

I made some oatmeal for her, but she shows no interest in it whatsoever. I even but some on her tounge, but she sticks her tounge out and pushes it out. The only food she shows interest in is the corn and oats and laying ration (her normal food). She always walks up to it, and touches her beak to it, but that's all she does

 

[Nambroth]

It is important to note that if you are only feeding her the Kaytee formula for now, and no whole grains/cracked grains, that she will not need grit at this time. Which is probably just as well, as I suspect you may need to tube feed her for a while.

While it's good that she is getting stronger, I know it's frustrating to fight her to feed her. Keep at it, if you can. It's the only way she will survive, for now.

 

[katbriar]

tmlpike- I read this thread every day and think how strong and brave and determined you are. You're doing a great job.

You've got some really smart people helping you figure out how to get through this. The rest of us are back behind them cheering for you and Fuzzy Butt!

 

[AmericanMom]

tmlpike- I read this thread every day and think how strong and brave and determined you are. You're doing a great job.

You've got some really smart people helping you figure out how to get through this. The rest of us are back behind them cheering for you and Fuzzy Butt!

x2

 

[ten chicks]

I made some oatmeal for her, but she shows no interest in it whatsoever. I even but some on her tounge, but she sticks her tounge out and pushes it out. The only food she shows interest in is the corn and oats and laying ration (her normal food). She always walks up to it, and touches her beak to it, but that's all she does

You made oatmeal or you added warm water to her regular feed so it resembled oatmeal? Try adding the water to her feed,moisten feed,see if she will try and eat some.

Or mix together corn,oats and feed,add water to cover and let it sit overnight(this is how i start my fermented feed). This will soften up the feed,just strain if too much liquid.

 

[casportpony]

Buy some crickets or huge mealworms and see if she'll try to eat those from your hand.

-Kathy

 

[tmlpike]

Update. When we tried to tube feed her this morning, it would not work. She was fighting. She kept on tucking her neck in, and pulling her beak away when we opened it up. This is not good. We tried it for about half an hour and then gave up. She would not let us feed her. And when she did keep her mouth open, I could not get the tube down because her neck was scrunched down. Even though this seems like she is getting stronger, I don't think so. She seems to be loosing weight, and is sleeping a lot and always closing her eyes. She will not eat and drink on her own. She doesn't even try. All she does is looks at the food. We've tried giving her oatmeal, mashed potatoes, rice, and tiny bread pieces. I'm loosing hope. we are going to try and tube feed her again tonight, but I honestly don't know if it will even work.

 

[katbriar]

Is there any way to cover her eyes? I've read several posts where people cover or lightly wrap their birds with a towel and the birds stay calm for crop surgeries, emergency amputations and caponizing

I know it will be harder in your case because you need part of her head uncovered for tube feeding.

I have worked with horses and dogs tending to some pretty painful wounds. One of the things I've learned is that the smoother you can make the treatment the more routine it becomes for them and the less they stress and struggle. Conversely, if I've been clumsy the animal stresses and struggles more, sometimes banging around its sore body part which makes it more painful. Then they associate the treatment with stress, struggle, and pain and the only thing they want to do the next time is get out quicker. I hope that makes sense.

Of course the very place you need to work on (tube feeding through her beak) is her very most tender spot.

I know you are working so hard, and feeling stressed yourself. I've never had to do this for a chicken before so all I've written above is just guessing. But maybe practicing your routine (to get yourself smoother and staying calm) would help since right now you are trying to learn and help her at the same time. Maybe casportpony or someone else who is an expert can tell you if you could practice with a healthy bird.

You're doing great!