Her beak should grow back, doesn’t look that bad. In a lot of commercial operations, the hens have almost their. whole top beak. cut off and they still are able to eat.
New hen with broken beak
- Thread starter CorinneC
- Start date
She should be able to feed herself, I have seen much worse beak breaks that they were able to eat with. Unless there is something else going on with her. I would let her feed normally, use mash or deeper dishes, all the previous suggestions. whatever works for her. She may be thin due to being kept from feed where ever she came from, she may have been and may continue to be low in the pecking order. I would weigh her regularly (a digital kitchen scale works well) and monitor her weight to see if she's maintaining or gaining weight. The beak doesn't look like it was damaged enough to not grow back eventually. Do some observing to make sure she is getting access to feeders and waterers. I've never actually seen adult hens feed another adult hen, so not sure what is going on there. If she continues to not gain weight then I would have a fecal test done to rule out internal parasites as a contributor to weight loss (since she's a new bird that would be a good idea anyway).
I wouldn't tube feed her, it's a lot of stress.
Just try giving her a deep dish of soft food. A lot of commercial farmers cut the tips off the beaks of the chicks so they can't peck each other to death when overcrowded, which, although cruel and unnecessary when they aren't desperately crowded, doesn't stop them from eating.
Just try giving her a deep dish of soft food. A lot of commercial farmers cut the tips off the beaks of the chicks so they can't peck each other to death when overcrowded, which, although cruel and unnecessary when they aren't desperately crowded, doesn't stop them from eating.
Can you get a front view of her? (face/beak)
She is not cross beaked is she?
Still, to me, if it's broken, then that's the cleanest break I've ever seen - it looks very smooth almost as if it were trimmed/filed.
I would offer her a deep dish of wet chick starter, see if she can eat that on her own. She should be able to feed herself.
And can you get any photos of what you're seeing when you say they're feeding her? Because as far as I'm aware, chickens don't feed each other, period. Not their babies, not their mates. I don't know that they'd have the instinct to do so. The closest they get is a rooster tidbitting, but that's just him saying "look! food here!" to a hen, not putting it in her beak.
- Thread starter
- #16
I
wish I had a video of it! It was proper feeding, like mumma bird feeding babies. Regurgitated. I had never seen it before, but there you go! I’ll keep my phone handy in case they do it again!
- Thread starter
- #17
The front is just as clean, I thought maybe it was worse and it’s in the process of growing back? I’ll try and get another photo.
Uh... chickens don't regurgitate food for their babies. They show the babies where food is and the babies eat it. I don't see any reason why they would know how to do that.
Moreover, chickens aren't supposed to throw up, ever. It can lead to them aspirating and kill them.
Either something is wrong with your other chickens, or those aren't chickens.
Moreover, chickens aren't supposed to throw up, ever. It can lead to them aspirating and kill them.
Either something is wrong with your other chickens, or those aren't chickens.
- Thread starter
- #19
Maybe they are pecking at her face or beak for some reason, I have never, ever seen a chicken put food in another mouth. I have on the other hand, seen them steal food from another mouth.
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