Injury to base of beak -- possible trauma or frostbite? No big deal?

[Noble Rooster]

I posted on this the other day but was finally able to get a few pix and a better look at what is going on. My 9-month-old Golden Comet seems to have sustained some sort of injury to the base of her beak (where it meets her face). Looking back over various pictures I've taken of her since 12-24 the beak seems to have lost the very top layer of tissue -- it went white for a few days, and then yesterday I thought I saw crusted pus but it was the same color as her beak usually is so I thought perhaps it was starting to regrow, and today there was blood. We cleaned it out and put Neosporin on it and she doesn't seem to be bothered by it, but I was wondering if anyone else has seen this? To me it looks like what might happen if you stub your toe really hard and the nail ends up falling off at the base, right near the quick -- not a big deal but just kind of a pain. The blood has me a bit concerned now since it's possible one of the other girls is bothering it. There are 6 of them in a 3X8 coop with an attached 2X6 run, though they haven't been out there much in that the past 2 days because there's a little snow out there and princess feet won't touch snow, of course.

They have been out for supervised roaming but again, princesses and snow…

I've attached a photo of her on the 12-24, when it looks like it might be starting to crack a little, 12-30, where you can see a triangular section at the base of the beak, and today where it's now chipped and bleeding a little. I circled the affected area in the photos – I hope the circle is visible.

If anyone else has seen this and has any thoughts, I’d be most grateful. Thank you in advance!

Today (1-2):

12-30:

12-24:

 

[Noble Rooster]

Hi, just a bump on this. The girl I originally posted about still has the problem but it's beginning to heal, and now I've noticed it with a second girl. It's like the top layer of beak is chipping off at the base. More photos posted below:

In the bottom 2 photos, the red inside the circle is blood. In the top photo there's no blood, just chipping of the beak layers. I have noticed blood on her before, though.

Has anyone seen this before? Do beaks go through a regenerating process?

Thank you in advance!

 

[HeatherFeather]

I was just about to post in reference to the exact same problem I am having with two of my birds. I'll follow the thread along, and if anything is different with mine, I'll start my own thread. My birds are a Wyandotte and a Sussex.

 

[Noble Rooster]

Quote:
Thanks, HeatherFeather. Can you please post photos of your birds too?

 

[HeatherFeather]

i keep wanting to put up pics on here lately but have difficulty co-ordinating the whereabouts of our camera and the charging of batteries, and a helper to take pics or hold a chicken...but I'll see if I can get it together this time.

When I first noticed it on one bird yesterday, the blood had run into her nostril, and I thought her nose was bleeding. I saw another chicken pecking at her beak, trying to eat the blood. I wonder if the pecking caused it? I separated her for the night and it had scabbed up so I put her back. Her beak looks damaged at the base on top, like yours does, and it seems to have been bleeding from the skin where the beak attaches.

I go out this aft. and a second bird looks bloody nosed, but I can't catch her until they go in to roost. She was also puffed out-are yours puffed out Noble Rooster?

 

[fldiver97]

Never seen/heard of it before.....I would not think it is due to frostbite, other areas are much more prone to it. One thing that comes to mind, other than trauma, is a fungal infection. I could imagine that to be the cause of this especially in more than one bird.... As far as trauma goes, any chance that they can injure that part of the beak maybe with some type of wire, like fence where they are picking? I assume you have not noticed thegirls pecking on each other to that specific area? If there is blood they may start pecking her though. You may have to section a part of the coop off or seperate her until it is at least somewhat healed. I hpe some of the 'older' chickenfolks (not in age but experience) know what this is....

 

[HeatherFeather]

My chickens in question have a tiny bit of frostbite on their combs. I can't help but notice that Westchester County NY where Noble Rooster lives and Oshawa ON where I live are both on Massive bodies of water...It has been cold here and I can see from Noble's pics that there is snow there too. Could a humid/cold micro climate have anything to do with it? There are definate layers of beak missing, the exact same thing that Noble Rooster describes/shows.

I've put my girl in her own cage inside the shed, and put her on electrolytes, cleaned the wound, put salve on.

 

[Noble Rooster]

Quote:
I was thinking possibly either fungus or climate-related as well. Like everywhere it's been quite cold and there's been some humidity as the snow slowly evaporates. I had been thinking possible frostbite originally because I've noticed that when they drink, that part of their beak gets wet. When they drink the warm water I give them in the morning and then go out into the run where the air is cold, I was wondering if the water on their beaks freezes or does something along those lines. Mine otherwise do not seem to have frostbite so far (knock wood) and have been handling the cold well.

When there was blood visible the other girls did not seem to be pecking at it, but I've been concerned about that and have been keeping an eye out for any such behavior. Unlike your girl, HeatherFeather, mine haven't been fluffed out -- they've been eating, playing, laying, and being their usual selves. The beaks don't seem to hurt when I touch them either. I've just used an alcohol wipe to clean them out and Neosporin thus far. The Neosporin helped the first girl and it seemed like hers was healing up, and then it opened again (slightly farther down the beak). I put more on yesterday and today it was better.

Everyone has bunked down for the night so I'll see where things are in the morning. Meanwhile, any further enlightenment on beak structure or other thoughts on what might be going on are most appreciated! HeatherFeather, maybe we can come up with a list of things that are similar/different for our birds' situations to see if we can figure anything else out?

 

[Noble Rooster]

Sorry for the multiple postings.

A friend found the following thread on Mad City Chickens. It's a few years old and the chicken in question had an issue with the tip, not the base of the beak (and it looks like it could have been a bad beak trim), but the idea that perhaps the tissue is getting dry/cracked with the cold is something we can consider as well. I know my cuticles look horrible with doing chores in this weather. Chicken facial moisturizers?

http://groups.google.com/group/Mad-City-Chickens/browse_thread/thread/134608b4e4469382

 

[HeatherFeather]

that article mentioned grit-which I don't give mine. You?

I also give my girls warm water in the morning.