Beak injury- rubbed or cut through on top (w/ picture)

[RoxyBird]

Hey! I never did post a follow-up picture... I think it was a one time injury- vs. rubbing or deficiency. I haven't seen any similar injuries in the flock, and I keep a pretty close eye on them. I suspect (as suggested) that she got it caught on/in something and just sheared a layer off.

She looks almost normal now- the spot has grown out but it hardened up over time and thickened back to what appears to be normal looking beak. I believe the spot has grown past the growth area too- closer to the tip of her beak (but not quite there yet). You can see circles/rings where the layers don't line up (kinda like rings on a tree), but the center has thickened and she's polished it perfectly smooth via normal chicken activities/beak wiping, etc. Her top beak does look several mm overgrown for her, but nothing needing correction at this point. Not sure if it was a bit thicker there (like scar tissue) or what.

Since it's spring and things are growing, the birds have been given lawn mowing duties and have access to the part of the yard with a concrete pad. They seem to enjoy beak wiping on that, so I'm just letting her do her thing and keeping a casual eye on it.

 

[Hypertay]

Hmm, beak wiping.. Did you happen to give her anything that was sticky, like yogurt, right before her injury? I did, and my girls hate having it on their beaks so they fling it off and it splatters everything including each other. And the beak wiping! They wipe on anything. My husband suggested maybe the head hen pecked her sister on the beak a few times at some stuck yogurt. I thought maybe she rubbed it on the edge of a concrete block in trying to remove stuck yogurt. There are several around the outside of the run and coop. Maybe it's like someone biting their nails to the quick, they just can't help themselves and don't even notice doing it until it hurts! (from experience lol)

It's good to know that the beak will grow back on top. I've seen too many pictures of beaks that were cut off or burned off that don't grow back.