Injured Beak

[ZooAtHome]

While I was herding the chickens back into their run, Marjoram got caught behind the gate and panicked. After I got them inside, I noticed she had injured her beak. At first, I thought she broke it, but upon closer inspection, it seems just the top layer of keratin is knocked loose. There is a little spot of blood at the break point, but there was no active bleeding.

She is eating and preening just fine. I haven't seen her drink yet, but I'm pretty certain she will be able to. She does not appear to be in any discomfort.

I'm wondering, should try to superglue the keratin back into place or just let it heal on its own? I suspect that if I let it be, the beak underneath will grow new keratin as it heals and she will just scrape the old keratin off. Is that a correct assumption? Or would it be better to try to glue that keratin back down to protect the more sensitive tissue?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

it seems just the top layer of keratin is knocked loose.

She is eating and preening just fine. I haven't seen her drink yet, but I'm pretty certain she will be able to. She does not appear to be in any discomfort.

Isn't she just cute!
If she were mine, I would leave it along since it's the top layer. That will fall off on it's own.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Leave it alone, you'll cause more damage trying to "fix" it than letting it heal naturally. That said, you have to be really careful with her around other hens as they will pick at that incessantly, potentially causing real harm. Think about your chicks and how they attack each others beaks and eyes if anything is "off". It is built in, and they'll go after her if it is bad enough that they notice. So I would watch closely and if everyone is calm then great- but if anyone gets picking at her, get her away from them.

 

[ZooAtHome]

I just checked her and it has already fallen off. The newly exposed beak looks almost normal ... maybe a tad pinker and shinier than before but not bloody or raw. There is a tiny bit of dried blood along one edge, but nobody is picking at her. I'll look at it again in the morning and keep an eye on how the others are treating her. I suspect that she'll be good as new in a couple of days.