Beak Injury

[OrpingtonHopeful]

MY BO chick is 6 weeks old and I noticed a couple days ago that a few had little cuts near their developing combs- then this one has a chunk it seems missing from the top of her beak just where the hard beak meets up to her head.

I was wondering if it was the metal baby chick feeder, so I have removed it in case-

It has a little scab, but it seems a bit worse than it did yesterday- no swelling no infection, just a chunk/divet missing. I don't see anyone (there are only 4 all BO all together since they were day old) picking on her.

I hate to stress her to add neosporin when it looks really clean and no infection- Is there anything else I should do? Any theories on how this happens? Will her beak heal? It seems minor but I was wondering-I guess comparing it to a human nail injured right as it joins to the flesh of the finger- you often loose the nail- could she loose her top beak?

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

I would say she needs extra calcium
not enough to hurt her kidneys but some

by adding a little oyster shell to the feeder 4 days a week/ Then she will eat what she needs. It should not hurt the pullets at their age
she will grow the beak if it is ment to grow
also add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to the gallon of water as it will help the body use the calcium and Vit D

I would make the wet mash probiotic for the pullets adding 2-1000 mg Vit E capsule daily for a week. This will be squeezed into the wet mash and this amt for all the pullets

some times chickens inbred come up with these abnormalties

Is this the first time you noticed this abnormalty?
As a new chick the beak was okay?

any questions email me

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Her beak has always been perfect. We got her as a day old from the feed store and they order from Ideal...Honestly I thought either someone pecked her, or more likely the metal baby chick feeder cut her (it cut the crud out of my finger when I tried to pull it apart to clean it more than once)

Thank you for the phenomenal care advice! I always enjoy your posts- you are so kind to give so freely of your very sage advice

 

[threehorses]

Wow, ouch! The area that's cutting - is it bent back? Can you do anything to fix that?

I pulled out an old feeder to use again the other day (but have it out in the sun baking at the moment). I'm going to really check it as this is the second post in not very many days about feeders cutting birds.

I just wanted to add that hopefully, as some birds are debeaked about in the same spot, that she'll be ok. I wouldn't worry too much about it but definitely keep an eye on it.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

If that is what happened I would use some alcohol to clean it with a cutip gently
then put the neosporin on daily
she will get to be a pet by the time you quit putting neosporin on the wound
do not use peroxide as it kills new flesh

the wet mash probiotic is this

8 tsp of dry crumble feed
14 tsp of milk any kind
2 tsp of apple sauce added last after Vit E is squeezed into the wet mash
mix good and feed 2 tsp per chick

Also in her feed I would put two 500 mg biotin capsule daily
you may have to make the wet mash up and then take her 2 tsp out of the mix after adding the Vit E

and put the two capsules of Biotin emptied into the wet mash for her to get the beak to grow

I would make a pen large enough to put the chick by her self into just when she eats the wet mash so she gets the Vit E and Biotin for her self
then let her out with the others the rest of the day

this is to get the beak growing over it self

thanks for your kind words
I always try to think for the sick chicken and talk for them
to help the stressed owner is a blessing also

any questions email me

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

How to Treat Chicken Eye and Beak Injuries

Raising chickens sometimes requires treating injuries. Eye and beak injuries are not uncommon, especially when a predator attacks the coop. You can, in fact, take care of a blind chicken and learn how to feed a chicken with a broken beak — so don’t worry that your coop has suffered a devastating loss.
Chickens’ eyes are sometimes damaged during fights or predator attacks. A little pirate patch on a chicken would look silly, so cleaning the eye and keeping the chicken separated from the flock is about the best you can do. Clean eyes with a nonmedicated eyewash for pets or humans. A chicken will be fine if it’s blind in one eye, but if it’s blind in both eyes, you need to cage it if you decide to keep it.
Chickens’ beaks sometimes get broken or cut off in freak accidents. Missing beak portions don’t grow back. Depending on how much beak is left, the bird may or may not be able to eat normally. If a small amount is missing from the end of one or both beak halves, the bird will be fine. However, if large portions of either the top or bottom beak are gone, the bird will have great difficulty eating. It needs its beak to pick up feed (not to chew or crush it).
Try different sizes and shapes of feed to see what the bird is best able to eat. You can hand-feed the chicken by putting small amounts of feed at a time in its mouth or into the crop. The chicken should still be able to drink. We have even heard of people gluing portions of beaks back onto birds, and if the bird is a pet, it doesn’t hurt to try. If, however, the bird isn’t able to maintain a decent weight on its own, it’s probably more humane to destroy it.
http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/...s/how-to-treat-chicken-eye-and-beak-injuries/