Hen Broke/Chipped Her Beak

[cluckingheck]

So, I spent the last 4 hours deworming my entire flock and one of the last hens managed to break her beak when she jumped from the roost into the hardware cloth window two different times. She’s not bleeding as much as I thought she would, but that outer layer/section of the lifts up now. I don’t know how much of it is actually still attached but I was able to lift it up. How should I go about treating it? I separated her until I know what to do about her beak.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh ow! Personally (especially if she's being seperated), I would make a mash (soupier than just half and half) in a deep bowl. That way hopefully she isn't hitting anything hard with it.

I wouldn't touch the beak, and just see how it goes on it's own. Mine that chip their edges usually take about a week before it's not as noticeable

 

[The-White-Elephant]

I do hope she’ll recover, but here are the experts: @casportpony @azygous @Wyorp Rock

 

[Coops Dad]

Maybe use a small trace of cyanoacrylate (super glue) along the edge, staying away from the tissue underneath, and see if you can get it to stick. Alternatively, a small strip of cloth, lightly dampened and smeared with Gorilla Glue could be used to laminate the break in place.

Or you could keep an eye on it and see how it heals on its own.

BTW, I love those chubby cheeks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I usually leave broken beaks alone and let them heal or if torn, then fall off to where I can clip them.
Birds are going to be tender for a few days, so a wet mash can help.

Some do repair tears or breaks with a small piece of tea bag and super glue. You may want to check out the info and photos in this article.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/repairing-chickens-broken-beak/

 

[azygous]

Understand this. Your hen is in a lot of pain. Beaks have more nerve endings than anywhere else in a chicken's body. You need to stabilize and repair the beak to stop the pain and keep it from tearing all the way off. If that happens, there is no fixing it.

Get some super glue and a tea bag. Empty out the tea and open the bag up. You will cut a piece from the paper to fit over the crack in the beak.

Have someone help hold her. Wrap her tightly in a towel to confine wings and feet. This will also calm her down. Carefully apply the super glue in the area to fit the paper patch. (Gorilla Glue is not the right glue to use, sorry.) Lay the paper patch over the crack and hold for 60 seconds.

This will stop the pain and protect the beak from breaking off. Feed soft wet food until it heals.

You need to modify that window and put the screening on the outside. This will keep happening. I would bet real American money that if you had a similar obstacle, you would keep forgetting and running into it, too. She sees the ledge and not the screen. Fix it today!!

 

[cluckingheck]

Sorry for the late response, but it ended up falling off. It looks like a really thin layer and there’s still the hard part covering nerves other than the very end? I don’t know what to do now for her

 

[cluckingheck]

I have her separated and inside now. Should I let her eat & drink now or wait??

 

[azygous]

Get some antibacterial ointment and put that on her raw beak. Keep putting it on ever few hours to protect the raw wound from getting infected.

By all mean give her water to drink and make a very wet mash with her feed. You can give her 81 grain chewable (baby) aspirin for pain. She could go into shock from the intense pain. So put some sugar and electrolytes in her water. Make the water warm, not cold. Warm her feed, too. Keep her warm under a heat lamp of slip a heating pad under her bedding.

Did you fix that screening?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If she's willing to eat and drink, let her. Problems happen when they start to refuse nurishment