Chipped Lower Beak Injury in Roo?

[heatherbeast]

Hi all,

This injury appears recent. I handle my year-old Bielefelder roo nearly daily, and noticed this today. He had a barely clotted scab about halfway down his lower mandible. It appears to have caused chipping and raising of the beak. I cleaned the wound with saline and put Neosporin without painkillers on it.

I expect it will heal, but I want to understand WHAT could it be and HOW this could have happened. Snakebite? REALLY nasty hen peck? (but they are happy with each other!) The location seems strange to me, and I certainly want to keep it from happening again.

He free ranges during the day with his flock, and eats and drinks fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Likely got caught on something. Maybe sticking the beak through some wire to get a bug or weed.
Unless you see it happen, there's really no way to know how.

I think it will heal fine, just give it a little time