Weasel attack - hen lived but beak broken

[mcclucker]

So I’ve had a weasel kill 12/13 chickens - 11 a month ago and 1 more today and the last one survived but the very tip of her beak is broken off and there seem to be some small pieces broken and missing near her nostrils. It must have just tried to bite her face off. I cleansed it down with veterycn spray but is there anything else I should do? It is still bleeding a bit. I’m worried about infection.

She is able to peck food but I’m guessing I should be giving her soft food for the next week or so?

This weasel is toast

 

[MandS]

Hi. Sorry for your losses before and glad the little blighter paid for it.

If it just the tip of the beak, it will bleed quite a bit and then look like a smaller (than the beak) scabby lump. If that is still there, there is a good chance it will grow back. It is like our fingernails - the tip of the beak keeps growing and the scabby thing is like the nail bed. One thing that can happen is that the beak grows back a bit misshapen, so you might need to shape it with a nail file once it has grown to a reasonable size (don't do it too soon). Around the nostrils - I have no idea - but I guess they will be like that from now on as I don't think there is any "nail bed" up there.

Good luck!

 

[mcclucker]

Thank you - it’s hard for me to see how much is missing up there because there is scabbing and I don’t want to disrupt that. Here’s a pic of the damage. The beak tip is just the very end of the upper beak so I’m glad that will probably heal. This bird escaped this weasel twice! She deserves her scars.

 

[mcclucker]

She seems to be able to breathe ok. I left her locked in the shed since it’s way too hot in my garage pen - my regular chicken hospital space. No one else out there to pick at her wounds

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a vet who might want to help her tomorrow? I would worry that her nostrils would close off with scabbing, secretions, or swelling. Maybe they could insert 2 small pieces of tubing, then suture around them to keep the nostrils open. Vetericyn is very good to use. Make her some very wet chicken feed, and put it in a bowl with higher sides. Then make sure the nostrils and wound are clear afterward. Good luck to you.

 

[mcclucker]

Maybe yes. I can call. Here’s a better angle.

 

[MandS]

The tip looks OK and should heal and grow back. Can't really tell from the photo about the nostril area. It doesn't look too bad but if you can get her to a vet, it might be a good idea as she may pick up an infection from the bite too.

 

[mcclucker]

Well she seems to be doing ok this morning. Scabbed but no swelling, ate wet chick food and watermelon (it’s so hot, I want to make sure she’s getting enough to drink). I will keep an eye for signs of infection and keep cleaning the wound. I’d rather not take her to the vet if I can help it, as this poor chicken was already pretty flighty and is now suffering from weasel PTSD

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad she is doing well. Please keep us informed on how she is getting along. Weasels can be kept out with 1/2 hardware cloth over windows and in runs. If you have chicken wire or other larger farm fencing over those, weasels can slip through.

 

[mcclucker]

Yeah, one edge of the new hardware cloth I put in wasn’t quite secure. I could see where it got in and it tried to drag the chicken it killed through that opening. We are also building a 2nd Fort Knox run this month for our new flock. I’m trapping this one hopefully today. This chicken is staying inside until then.