Hen with top beak broken at 45 degrees. UPDATED PICS POST #1

[Rockin' Reds]

Quote:
Well...it was definitely an experience that's for sure!! The vet actually told me not to return it to the natural position because the break was so severe it would more than likely break off with too much manipulation. So, I just glued the break the best I could. Trying to keep it out of her nostrils was the biggest challenge, but with the hubby's help it seemed to work okay. I was worried about it dripping into her mouth and gluing her tongue down, but that turned out okay too. The break is just soooo long...all the way across almost. Geez...I don't know what the heck happened, but it must have been ugly. Poor Nugget.

Got some food down her tonight, not much, but she was really fighting me. I will try again in the morning....hopefully we will both have a new attitude about it then.

Thanks again for all the encouragement...I really needed it tonight.

 

[crtrlovr]

wow--- was sitting here with my heart in my throat hoping Nugget made it ok, (and that Mom did too!). Hope your girl makes a full recovery and grows a beautiful new beak. If not, at least she's got a stable top beak now.

You did well!

 

[5parrots&zoo]

I certainly hope you can keep getting her to eat something. Wow, sometimes those freak accidents really can throw one for a loop. You are an awesome steward to little Nugget. I hope and pray all ends well....

 

[bonwald]

I'm so sorry that you had to go through this. I've had some experience with a broken beak in a very young chicken. I was amazed at how fast the new one came in. I guess Mother Nature knew how badly that baby needed a beak. I hope your Nugget does as well. When one of my girls (chickens) is in trouble, I add a little bit of a vitamin/electrolytes mix that I get at the local Tractor Supply. I don't know the correct dosage, but 1/4 tsp per pint of water has done well for me. I think I would really watch her injury, for infection. Possibly it would be good to keep her in a clean area-separate from her friends until the wound looks healed, anyway. I've mixed water with medicated chick starter crumbles to make a mash which you can dilute to whatever consistency she likes. This should be a bit easier on that break. The old beak may start to fall off when the new one starts to come in. Don't try to re-glue it, then. She will do just fine without it. I'm proud that you had the courage to try to help her.

 

[tiki244]

Awe good news so far. Thats good!

HOPEFUL!!!

 

[BrattishTaz]

I hope she recovers quickly.

I had a chick that was too badly injured to eat crumble so I offered shakes made with yogurt, scrambled egg, Gatoraid (it wasn't drinking much either), and baby food meat. You could probably add some type of baby food veggies to the mix as well. The chick was able to drink enough of the mixture to get it through recovery. Good luck.

 

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

I have an easter egger with a "cross beak" is what the hatcher called it. She's the sweetest bird, just over a month old. When I open the coop, she's the first to pop out and say "hello." She's a bit smaller than her "sister"... though at this point that could turn out to be her "brother." Maybe I will try that Parrot "mash" with her. I thought about switching to gamebird crumbles that are higher in protein. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Rockin' Reds]

Update: went and got some baby food this morning and tried out the green beans. She seemed to take that a lot better than the protein mash I was trying last night. Although there is not near the protein in it, I felt pretty good about what she ate. I scrambled an egg for her and mashed it up and she went crazy for it. I held the dish up high so she wouldn't have to close the top beak as much to pinch the food. She kind of grabbed it and tilted her head back and down the hatch it went!! YAY!!

Once I got her to settle down a bit she actually did really well with eating it on her own. I tried another egg this afternoon and put it in a deep dish in her cage. She worked on it for about 15 minutes or so and got about half down. So, I think slowly but surely she is learning to cope with her injury.

 

[leadwolf1]

 

[NovaAman]

Wow. Sorry if I sound dumb, but I didn't know chickens could regrow beaks. Now I can say I've learned something new today.

Happy to hear your Nugget is doing well.