Broken beak

[rmwalker48]

I was curious and couldn't find a definite answer to this. I have 2, 4 month old RSL hens. I noticed this morning that the tip of one of their beak has broken off. Are chicks born with a pecking tip that helps aid in hatching then lose it later? Its now the same length as the bottom beak where before it was longer and very sharp. I know it doesn't hinder her ability to eat. I checked the other chicken and hers is still very pointy. They both scrape their beaks back and forth on the fencing when I come up to their coop to let them out. Thanks in advance for any ideas on this...

 

[teach1rusl]

They lose the egg tooth within the first week or so. Beaks grow a little like fingernails, so if one is clipped or broken (at least toward the end of the beak), it will grow back out. This isn't the case for birds that are debeaked

in hatcheries or on factory farms...

 

[ladyrsanti]

My 15 week old cockerel just chipped the tip of his upper beak sometime this morning. They are so thick and strong, it's hard to imagine what he could have done to have damaged it like that. My guess is that he flew down from the roost and hit the concrete wall or something. They're so bad with their landings yet they often refuse to take the "stairs". His is upper is just ever so slightly shorter than the lower beak now. I think it's fine.

I've seen pictures of debeaked chickens before and now I wonder, is it that they are cut so far back that they don't grow? Or is it simply that they are not alive long enough to see enough growth to be a threat?

 

[teach1rusl]

I've seen pictures of debeaked chickens before and now I wonder, is it that they are cut so far back that they don't grow? Or is it simply that they are not alive long enough to see enough growth to be a threat?

I've seen videos that look like they are cauterized in some cases. I've also see pics of rescue chickens here on BYC that have been debeaked, and they don't grow back, so it's not a 'time' thing. At least in many cases. Maybe some places do a less severe debeaking that could grow back???

I've had to clip (with toenail clippers, followed by emory board filing) a few upper beaks on my birds-they just end up with long overhangs on their upper beaks - not sure why some of my birds' beaks grow so quickly, because I most free range and so they have lots of exposure to many rough surfaces. They sure can poop up my sidewalks, so I know they have ample opportunities to wear their beaks down....lol.