Need advice for injured hen, please read

[JulieCB]

One of our Buff Orps has a broken beak. The break is near the top of the beak, not the tip. It looks like a piece has cracked but is still attached. I have an appointment with an avian vet first thing in the morning. I fed her a scrambled egg which she ate, and she has access to water and pureed watermelon. We isolated her in a dog pen but of course she is very happy in there. My real question is: should we place the dog pen in the secure run where she can interact minimally with the other hens or isolate her completely in our house? I've read that leaving them near the rest of the hens may ease the transition back to the flock. Thanks for any advice.

 

[GravityWaves]

One of our Buff Orps has a broken beak. The break is near the top of the beak, not the tip. It looks like a piece has cracked but is still attached. I have an appointment with an avian vet first thing in the morning. I fed her a scrambled egg which she ate, and she has access to water and pureed watermelon. We isolated her in a dog pen but of course she is very happy in there. My real question is: should we place the dog pen in the secure run where she can interact minimally with the other hens or isolate her completely in our house? I've read that leaving them near the rest of the hens may ease the transition back to the flock. Thanks for any advice.

How bad is it? Any pictures? Sounds like you're doing everything right. I'd probably put the dog pen in the run with the others as long as she's protected from the elements. When a flock bird is injured or separated for whatever reason, it does help to keep them near the others so they can see and "talk" to each other and there's usually less squabbling when they're fully reintroduced.

 

[JulieCB]

 

[GravityWaves]

View attachment 3116587

Ouch! That looks painful. I'd say the vet will clean it up good and maybe clip off the piece that is hanging. She might get antibiotics and will probably have to eat her feed moistened into a wet mash for a while until her beak heals some. Although it looks bad, her beak will grow back and she should be good as new.

 

[JulieCB]

Ouch! That looks painful. I'd say the vet will clean it up good and maybe clip off the piece that is hanging. She might get antibiotics and will probably have to eat her feed moistened into a wet mash for a while until her beak heals some. Although it looks bad, her beak will grow back and she should be good as new.

Thanks so much for the reassurance.