beak trimming

[chickaboo7]

I went to get feed today & there was a sign Chickens $10.00 RR & PR mix. I went to look a saw 75+ birds in a 10x10 dog run. Their beaks were all short I asked why and was told it keeps them from pecking each other. What's up with that I've never seen it before & the poor girls now look like ducks. I brought 2 home. Will it grow back? can they forage OK? Does it hurt? Anything I should do special for them?

I also brought a cochin bantam with no feathers on her head What can I do for her?

 

[silkiechicken]

Poor things, they were probably abused and cramped their whole lives. The hens had their beaks dubbed meaning it will never grow back. When they were chicks their beaks were pressed against a hot plate and burnt off so that they cant pick each other in confinement. It probably doesn't hurt now but they wont be as good as foraging as normal chickens. Depending on how far they cut into their beaks, you might have to keep their feeders kind of deep else they might not be able to eat. With no feathers on the head, just make sure they don't get picked out and she will be fine. They will grow back eventually.

You already did something special for them, got them out of that tiny pen.

 

[4H kids and mom]

Wether or not the beak will grow back depends on how far down it was "trimmed". If they cut the nerves at all, then no it wont grow back. If they missed the nerves, then it will grow back, but their beaks grow very, very slowly. We're talking a year or more to get a full beak again. I once adopted a parrot with a broken upper beak, and it had been broken so bad that it never regrew. She had to be fed with an eye dropper (thats the reason her family gave her up. It was too time consuming for them to feed her every couple hours.

) Wether it will grow back on your chicken...you'll just have to wait and see. But watch how they eat, because they will have more trouble than your other chickens, and may even need a softer crumble or even a wet mash that they can scoop rather than peck at. As for the featherless head, that will regrow when she moults.

 

[bigzio]

I'm upset and have nothing positive to add!

bigzio

 

[chickaboo7]

Thanks so much!!! If anyone in NJ wants to help these poor birds post it here and I'll give directions. They are in south west jersey on 130 so some people in PA. might want to help. They are about 17 weeks old.

Thanks
I wish I could get them all