Bad broken beak on my hen!!!! HELP!!

[coach723]

OK so I do have veteran, that does need to be watered down then?

Veterycin does not need to be watered down. It will clean and aid healing and does not burn or sting, I know because I've used it on me. Personally I would use that and when it dries put some plain neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment (no pain killer) on it, gently. As severe as this break is I would not attempt to repair it as it would likely seal bacteria inside. As long as she can get adequate food and water, she will likely heal up and be OK. Make her feed into a loose soupy mash with water and raise the dish up to back height so she can learn to scoop with her lower beak, it will be much easier for her than trying to pick things up from ground height. Mixing in the water will also help keep her hydrated. Use a deeper dish for water and also raise it up some. Somewhere on here is a thread that talks about a bird that learned to drink by dunking it's whole head! They can adapt quite well with some time and support. Best of luck with her!

 

[shannon84]

Veterycin does not need to be watered down. It will clean and aid healing and does not burn or sting, I know because I've used it on me. Personally I would use that and when it dries put some plain neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment (no pain killer) on it, gently. As severe as this break is I would not attempt to repair it as it would likely seal bacteria inside. As long as she can get adequate food and water, she will likely heal up and be OK. Make her feed into a loose soupy mash with water and raise the dish up to back height so she can learn to scoop with her lower beak, it will be much easier for her than trying to pick things up from ground height. Mixing in the water will also help keep her hydrated. Use a deeper dish for water and also raise it up some. Somewhere on here is a thread that talks about a bird that learned to drink by dunking it's whole head! They can adapt quite well with some time and support. Best of luck with her!

I swear I was thinking about doing that with her food and water dish raising it up! I'll definitely do that, it's raining and very dark here and in the barn where her crate is so she's roosting right now, I guess she thinks it's bed time. So I'll do that first thing in the am. I can tell she wants to eat really bad but the beak is too painful. I syringe what I could get in her, I need to watch a video I guess BC I think I wasn't doing something right, or maybe it's my syringe. So a whole baby aspirin twice a day?

 

[shannon84]

Here are some threads and video of leraning to tube feed if you need to refer back to it later:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-pics-for-visuals-very-detailed-post.805615/

OK I just watched the video and I went about it the wrong way, omg it looks so hard, I'll be scared to pry open he sore beak and I didn't know that about the trachea this is stressful. I'm so scared of hurting her

 

[Eggcessive]

I would let her rest today and see how she is feeling tomorrow. Tube feeding is fairly easy, and you can give them a feeding in a couple of minutes. But I wouldn’t do it unless necessary. Opening the beak can be done by squeezing the sides of the beak. Note the hole at the base of the tongue—this the airway where you should avoid. I forgot to add the picture—it is in the next post under this. The correct place for a feeding tube to the crop is down the back of the chicken’s right throat. A 14 inch piece of aquarium air tubing (Walmart pet department) can be melted on one end to round off sharp edges, and used as a feeding tube. The non-melted end is connected to a normal 35 ml syringe from a feed store. This narrow tube works well for thin liquids. A vet or online store can sell normal feed tubes with catheter tipped syringes.

 

[Eggcessive]

 

[shannon84]

I would let her rest today and see how she is feeling tomorrow. Tube feeding is fairly easy, and you can give them a feeding in a couple of minutes. But I wouldn’t do it unless necessary. Opening the beak can be done by squeezing the sides of the beak. Note the hole at the base of the tongue—this the airway where you should avoid. I forgot to add the picture—it is in the next post under this. The correct place for a feeding tube to the crop is down the back of the chicken’s right throat. A 14 inch piece of aquarium air tubing (Walmart pet department) can be melted on one end to round off sharp edges, and used as a feeding tube. The non-melted end is connected to a normal 35 ml syringe from a feed store. This narrow tube works well for thin liquids. A vet or online store can sell normal feed tubes with catheter tipped syringes.

OK, that doesn't sound too terribly intimidating, hopefully she'll eat for me this morning so I don't have to do that. She was moving around a lot more when I was with her before her roosting time, seemed like she was getting over the shock of it. She is my bossy dominant hen with a lot of personality, I'm thinking she will recover good. I pray anyways. Thanks for taking the time to help me with this tragic issue, I was a full blown nut over this yesterday. Not around her, but I was freaking out.

 

[Eggcessive]

Be sure to re-read posts 15 and 21 if you has some free timet to read the 2 threads about similar beak injuries, and the tube feeding info. The second person never had to tube feed, but the first one tube fed for weeks. It took about 5 minutes 3 times a day, and her parents helped. In post 21 are the 2 threads about how to tube feed, and there are more available. Yesterday there were so many posts that some may have been missed. Be sure if you do tube feed, and use aquarium air tubing that the tip that goes into the thoat gets melted with a lighter, so that the sharp edgeds are softened.

 

[shannon84]

Be sure to re-read posts 15 and 21 if you has some free timet to read the 2 threads about similar beak injuries, and the tube feeding info. The second person never had to tube feed, but the first one tube fed for weeks. It took about 5 minutes 3 times a day, and her parents helped. In post 21 are the 2 threads about how to tube feed, and there are more available. Yesterday there were so many posts that some may have been missed. Be sure if you do tube feed, and use aquarium air tubing that the tip that goes into the thoat gets melted with a lighter, so that the sharp edgeds are softened.

Wow those stories are aspiring to read and makes Gilda's injury look extremely minor compared to those poor hens. Great news, she's back to eating drinking running around acting her self and was absolutely not happy being away from her two friends, she wasn't even caring about food so I put her where she can see them and she still wasn't happy! So I been cleaning her beak there is no blood or raw open looking sores, just looks like a normal beak! So I caved and let her in with her two buddie then she immediately starting eating, drinking and bossing her friends around and she's herself! She's the dominant one so she definitely won't get picked on, she's staying inside her clean dry coop on the roost chirping and singing! It feels like a miracle, I thought for sure this was going to be a bad daily struggle of tube feeding. Im glad you all educated me and explained things so detailed and gave me helpful links and vidieo! This website is a blessing, and so are you guys for taking the time to help me, because I was an absolute mess yesterday and felt very helpless.... Thanks again guys! I wonder how long it will take for her beak to grow back?

 

[shannon84]

Be sure to re-read posts 15 and 21 if you has some free timet to read the 2 threads about similar beak injuries, and the tube feeding info. The second person never had to tube feed, but the first one tube fed for weeks. It took about 5 minutes 3 times a day, and her parents helped. In post 21 are the 2 threads about how to tube feed, and there are more available. Yesterday there were so many posts that some may have been missed. Be sure if you do tube feed, and use aquarium air tubing that the tip that goes into the thoat gets melted with a lighter, so that the sharp edgeds are softened.

Do you know if my girls beak will eventually grow back?

 

[coach723]

Time will tell. It depends on how much damage to the quick was done. Either way, with support she should adapt well. There are so many stories of chickens losing their beaks and doing very well. I hope you will update us as time goes on.