Broken beak tip

[Canidae]

Yesterday I noticed one of my hens had broken the tip of her beak. I'm not sure when it happened but it couldn't have been longer than a day or two before I noticed. It's not as bad as some beak injuries I've seen, it's just the tip- almost like it was clipped with nail clippers or something. I'm wondering if she caught it on something. I cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide and have been applying neosporin. I can still tell it's causing her a lot of pain however. She's drinking but not eating, quiet, lethargic, and a little puffed up. I've been trying to give her soft, warm food but she isn't interested. What can I do to relieve her pain?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a picture of the beak? Yes, those injuries can be very painful for a couple of days. Feeding some mushy wet chicken feed, soft scrambled egg may tempt her to eat. As long as she is drinking, she should eat soon.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Post pictures, please...!

For what it's worth...
If she was my hen and I was not allergic to Essential Oils, I would choose to use Peppermint Essential Oil to try to relieve her pain.

I would just dilute a bit of Peppermint Essential Oil with at least as much of Olive Oil in water, and put the mix directly on her wound. Not too much above, since I would want to keep Essential Oils very far from her eyes...!

...After what I would feed her (at least) some wet cat food mixed with a bit of honey, curcumin, and thyme.

Good luck!

 

[Canidae]

I haven't been able to find the time to take pictures today, I will try to tomorrow! I've given her a low dose of aspirin. ~40mg crushed up in yoghurt

 

[Eggcessive]

Your vet could be of help with pain management if needed, but in a mild beak injury, the pain might not last too long hopefully. They can use meloxicam or something like Rimadyl for pain.

 

[Eggcessive]

Peppermint oil can be helpful for pain, but in birds most sources say that it should not be used in birds due to toxicity. Diluting it a lot might be acceptable, but then the pain relief might also be diminished. Most links say to avoid it altogether in birds. Being close to the nostrils, I would not use it. Here are a few links to read:
https://birdcageshere.com/2021/10/22/is-peppermint-oil-safe-for-birds/

https://vetmeds.org/pet-poison-control-list/peppermint-oil/#!form/PPCDonations

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's not as bad as some beak injuries I've seen, it's just the tip- almost like it was clipped with nail clippers or something.

I haven't been able to find the time to take pictures today, I will try to tomorrow! I've given her a low dose of aspirin. ~40mg crushed up in yoghurt

If it's just the tip of the beak, then it shouldn't be too sensitive after a day or two.

Often they will eat better if given a wet mash for a few days. A minor break generally doesn't require pain medications at all, but the aspirin for a day or two should be sufficient. If you wish to give something else, seek vet care as suggested and have the vet prescribe something stronger than aspirin.

 

[Canidae]

Sorry about the super late response. I gave her aspirin for a few days and she's eating just fine now. Here's pictures from today. Should the tip regrow?

 

[Eggcessive]

It should grow back in time. Thanks for the update.