Broken cross beak

Ali123123123

Chirping
Mar 24, 2020
70
38
73
Victoria, BC, Canada
Hi There,

One of my dear chickens has a cross beak. She does fine usually and is just over 2 years old. The tip of the beak occasionally breaks off and it doesn’t bleed.

However, this morning when I went out, her beak tip had broken off and there was blood everywhere. She seems to eat a little and drink a little but not like usual for the morning. Is there anything I should do? I worry if I clean the blood off her beak it will open the wound again.

Thanks for your advice!
 
Hi There,

One of my dear chickens has a cross beak. She does fine usually and is just over 2 years old. The tip of the beak occasionally breaks off and it doesn’t bleed.

However, this morning when I went out, her beak tip had broken off and there was blood everywhere. She seems to eat a little and drink a little but not like usual for the morning. Is there anything I should do? I worry if I clean the blood off her beak it will open the wound again.

Thanks for your advice!
Hi. Can you post some photos so we can see the damage?

Generally if not broken badly, I leave alone unless something needs slightly trimmed.
A broken beak is going to be very tender until it starts healing and hardening up, so she's likely not going to eat/drink a lot. Provide her with a dish of wet mushy feed so she's not trying to peck at individual pieces.
What type of container do you use for water?

If no one is picking at her beak I think I would leave the blood on there (might change my mind when I see it). It will wear off from eating/drinking.
 
Thanks so much! Here are some pictures.

They drink water out of a bowl. No one is pecking her. When I gave her watered down food she ate some. Some blood was left on the food.
 

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It is my understanding that beak injuries are very painful for a few days, but they get better as the injured tissue dries out. Wet mushy chicken feed and water in a deeper small bowl, mixed a little at a time, might be best for feeding right now.
 
Thanks so much! Here are some pictures.

They drink water out of a bowl. No one is pecking her. When I gave her watered down food she ate some. Some blood was left on the food.
Thank you for the photos!
It's good that she has a bowl to drink out of, much easier for them when they have a cracked or broken beak.
The watered down food is a little easier to manage as well.

It will take her a few days not to be so sore, so just be patient and watch to see that she's at least drinking well.

Do you trim her beak regularly? If not, then that may be something to consider doing so it doesn't get hung up and break as easily.
 
Thank you for all your advice.

I don’t normally trim her beak. I didn’t want to cut it because I was worried it would bleed. How do you know how far to trim? Can you use nail trimmers or is there a better tool?
 

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