Injured lower beak/jaw.

[Ghosty]

I believe there was a shift in dominance, and my favorite SG hen was driven from the flock and soundly thrashed. She cannot close her beak, and it appears there is damage to her lower jaw. I am tube feeding her in the hope of keeping her alive. I am just wondering if anyone has seen this type of injury, and if she has any hope of recovery.

 

[Ghosty]

I am wondering if I should tape her beak shut after I tube feed her to keep it in position.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am very sorry that this happened to your hen. Can you try to see a vet or an avian vet tomorrow? That is a significant injury. I have no experience with this, but here Is a thread to read with some other links in page 6 to more threads involving lower beak fractures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-with-broken-lower-jaw-beak.1048583/

 

[Ghosty]

I am very sorry that this happened to your hen. Can you try to see a vet or an avian vet tomorrow? That is a significant injury. I have no experience with this, but here Is a thread to read with some other links in page 6 to more threads involving lower beak fractures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-with-broken-lower-jaw-beak.1048583/

Thanks. I think my local vet would suggest euthanizing. I'll read up some more, thanks for the links. Maybe helping keep her beak in position will help. I have to work, so tube feeding will be difficult in the mornings.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would update your thread twice a day, just so it will be seen and hopefully someone with experience may have advice. It is interesting, but chickens who lose most of their beaks can sometimes learn how to eat, but a fractured or dislocated beak makes it harder.

 

[Ghosty]

I would update your thread twice a day, just so it will be seen and hopefully someone with experience may have advice. It is interesting, but chickens who lose most of their beaks can sometimes learn how to eat, but a fractured or dislocated beak makes it harder.

Ya, the hanging beak gets in the way of her trying to eat, and it seems to be worse since yesterday, like she aggravated it further. If I tape it up, maybe I can prevent that and it might heal better. I'm just afraid she will never regain full use of it, and never be able to eat properly because of the beak running interference. I hate to make her suffer further, but she has such fight I thought I'd give it a chance, but I'm getting a little discouraged.

 

[Ghosty]

Well, I had to put poor Polly down. The extent of the injury to her jaw was such that it would probably need to be amputated. Today, it was stretched open abnormally, the connective tissues in decay.

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh no, I am really sorry, but glad that you did the best thing for her so that she wouldn’t suffer.

 

[Ghosty]

Oh no, I am really sorry, but glad that you did the best thing for her so that she wouldn’t suffer.

Thanks. Here is a picture of her in better times.

 

[Eggcessive]

She was a pretty hen!