Hen with a cut beak?

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

I bought this hen from my local swap shop because she caught my eye and one of my girls had recently passed, I didn't realize until I got her home now that it looks as if her beak was clipped! She has a hard time competing for food with my other chickens so I always feed her away from them and I give her a deep dish but even so she still has a hard time picking up food, will it heal? What else can I do to help her eat?

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Also yes she's eating some cat food, she can't eat the crumble because it always falls out of her beak and even when i separated her and giving her plenty of deep dish crumble and wet crumble by the end of the day her crop is still empty


Just ordered some pellets so I might have to start her on her adult diet a bit early in hopes it'll be easier for her to eat it

 

[TaylorGlade]

I bought this hen from my local swap shop because she caught my eye and one of my girls had recently passed, I didn't realize until I got her home now that it looks as if her beak was clipped! She has a hard time competing for food with my other chickens so I always feed her away from them and I give her a deep dish but even so she still has a hard time picking up food, will it heal? What else can I do to help her eat?

You may want to make a mash by soaking her food to make it easier for her to eat. If it's an injury, it may heal and grow back. I cannot tell from the photo if it's an accident or deformity from birth? Maybe someone else can.

UPDATE: Just saw your second post - which cross posted with mine - that you were already feeding her wet crumble with no success. If she still has trouble with the pellets, maybe try moistening them. Poor girl

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

You may want to make a mash by soaking her food to make it easier for her to eat. If it's an injury, it may heal and grow back. I cannot tell from the photo if it's an accident or deformity from birth? Maybe someone else can.

It looks to be a severe case of human intervention.. her and all the other chickens in the pen that I bought her from had the same thing and with the way that it's healed it looks like someone cut it at the base

 

[theoldchick]

Could be her beak was clipped by whomever hatched her. It is a common thing to do in the egg industry to prevent cannibalism. Occasionally people will order clipped beaks from a hatchery for the same reason.

 

[TaylorGlade]

It looks to be a severe case of human intervention.. her and all the other chickens in the pen that I bought her from had the same thing and with the way that it's healed it looks like someone cut it at the base

I know some beak injuries do grow back, so I really hope that's the case. If she can't eat the wet food, have you tried feeding her with a syringe?

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

More pictures, I've actually been talking to a friend of mine about a prosthetic beak but for it to work we have to file it down and I'm afraid it might hurt her. That's why I'm considering all my options first?

 

[Jennifer Rogers]

Her beak was clipped, and it won't grow back. It is sad that people would do this to such sweet and emotional creatures. They do that because it keeps the bird from killing other birds when they are crammed together in tiny cages for egg production or breeding. Give her wet foods. That should help her.

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Could be her beak was clipped by whomever hatched her. It is a common thing to do in the egg industry to prevent cannibalism. Occasionally people will order clipped beaks from a hatchery for the same reason.

I know you got to do it but it's still a pretty mean practice, like clipping a dog's ears or cropping its tail

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

I know some beak injuries do grow back, so I really hope that's the case. If she can't eat the wet food, have you tried feeding her with a syringe?

It hasn't had to come to syringe feeding yet, she can still pick up large food pieces so I've been feeding her cat and dog food along with cut up fruits and veggies