Non-emergent: Beak Injury (Maybe?)

[ASalamander]

Hello all! I'm a noob chicken momma with only three Buff Orphs in my flock. They're around two months or so and are currently living out in the coop. I bought them from Orschlens (I know, hatchery chicks, tisk tisk). So far I haven't had any health issues with them aside from this!

Right before I was getting them ready to move out to the coop (which was delayed due to storms) I noticed that my biggest pullet, Blu, had a small amount of discoloration on her beak right where it meets the comb. It looked brownish and was slightly soft to the touch. I did some research while watching her carefully for the next few days but my search yielded nothing and Blu was acting completely normal. So I just chalked it up to her having done some dumb chicken thing again and accidentally bruised her beak in the process.

Over the past three weeks or so her beak has been very slowly improving; the key words there are very slowly. There's not been much progress. However she is acting and growing normally, so I haven't been exceedingly worried. In fact, she's the biggest out of all three pullets.

But two days ago I've noticed that the other two have suddenly acquired the same discoloration spots on their beaks. Kangaroo's spot is darker than Blu's, and Sunny's is lighter. All of them are still acting happy, growing and eating/drinking voraciously. I'm feeding them medicated grower with mealworms and some leafy greens as occasional treats. They're free-run; mostly they just hang behind the coop in the shade and long grass, though. At night I let them huddle together in a nesting box because they're still young and very attached to one another.

So... should I be worried? What's going on which my chickies?

 

[ASalamander]

Update: Pictures!

Sunny's a little shy, but hers is the worst.
http://i.imgur.com/tcZSfmw.jpg

Roo barely has any spot at all. Her beak has always been white like that, too.
http://imgur.com/YderNoR

Blu's spot. (The white behind her eye is small feathers coming in)
http://i.imgur.com/MJgPoTV.jpg

Blu wanted a closeup.
http://i.imgur.com/IKtvNFD.jpg

 

[ASalamander]

Bump.

 

[StephieSky]

Hi :O)
The only information I could find in my quest for the same issue was this:
(Keeping in mind there are no other sores visible either internal or external on my hens. They do not have any signs or symptoms of canker or pox )

Beaks do bruise. Just like fingernails they will show signs of bruising and are slow to heal after an injury. Much the same as a fingernail.
You need to remove any stagnant or standing water that is not always clean. When a bird drinks from standing water any microscopic floating algae or bacterial film on the water surface will coat the birds beak. Often clinging to the point where the feathers just meet the beak and increasing the amount of time the birds beaks remains damp which provides a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal infections.
For some weird reason one of my chickens would only drink from the drain basin of a flower pot I have after I added Vitamins/Electrolytes & ProBios to their water dispenser. So, I filled the basin with wadded and rolled garden netting so she can no longer have access to it.
If your birds beak is softer than expected it is also recommended that you gradually wean them off mash, fermented feed or wet feed. The idea is to allow the beak to completely dry out as often as possible so a dry ration is recommended. Clinging bits of wet feed can lead to rotting of the beak itself in birds with soft beaks.
I take a Vitamin E capsule, puncture the tip of it, and rub the Vit E on the beak to provide a excellent protective shield. If you do notice any erosion in the external structure. Holes, cracks at any point on the surface – I dabbed it with a bit of bacitracin ointment, enough to fill the dot sized hole, and then covered with Vit E.
The slight evidence of this in my hen was a presentation from the main issue though. That issue being the access to dirty water that was polluted with algae, decayed bits of plant matter and manure run off from the pot itself. The soft beak exacerbating the problem and making her more vulnerable to my error.

A soft beak is most often a sign of a Vitamin D or calcium deficient diet.

I hope this helps some. So long as they're otherwise healthy and acting like normal goofy chickens I'd not worrry unduly. Just keep an eye out for any emergent sores in their mouth or throat down the road.

 

[ASalamander]

Thank you for the reply!

The food I have them on now is medicated crumbles so wet food shouldn't be an issue other than treats, which I'll cut out until they get better. I change their water our once every four or five days or whenever it's looking dirty. Unless they're bathing in our septic lagoon (which I highly doubt, it's fenced and if they were they'd smell to the high heavens) they don't have any close access to stagnent water. So I think the problem is probably a deficiency.

I will definitely purchase some Vitamins/Electrolytes and Probios for their waterer the next time I'm in town. I'll also grabs some Vit E tablets and cover their beaks with antibiotic ointment as necessary. Additionally I'm going to switch where I get their water from. Right now I'm getting it from the inside tap which is run through a water softener. Any other suggestions?

 

[StephieSky]

I'm pretty sure I'd start changing the water out every two days. It doesn't take long for bacteria to breed in temperate waters. I've noticed even changing mine daily the few times I've rushed it a film will build up on the wet surface of the dispenser itself. Decaying matter of any kind and lack of circulation make for a very bad brew that kills off beneficial bacteria and is perfect for all manner of parasites and bad bacteria to blossom. Having a wet pet also ( I have an 18" oscar fish in a 200 gal tank ) I knew this, I just wasn't thinking!

My hens are also still on an antibiotic : / But I have called with my concerns because everything I've read indicates the use of one medication can often open the doorway for other issues ...and my hens have 999 issues. The ProBios restores some balance and I'll never stop using it. The last time I talked with the vet personally he told me point blank he was more than surprised and really pleased one of my hens was still on her feet So something is definitely going right.

 

[ASalamander]

When I change the water I do give the waterer a good scrub with a dedicated sponge to get rid of any residue. But now I'll start doing it every other day! Thankfully we already have some four-legged livestock so we know the importance of switching antibiotics/preventative medication regularly. I think the horses rotate between three different dewormers and the cattle switch out spray-ons every application. The cows certainly have enough problems without us adding to them! They too have 999 problems, haha.

Your poor hens, though. When I got my chickies I didn't name them for almost a month because I had read everything that can go wrong with them and was certain at least one would die. Thankfully this is the only real issue I've faced so far. And it's always reassuring to hear praise from vets about your pets! I'm sure your hens are lucky to be yours.

Again, thank you for the advice! I feel much better knowing what's wrong with them and confident that I can fix it!

 

[StephieSky]

Lots of animals! I only have a few. Fortunately I do have an enormous collection of water testing supplies for my fish and I've been working hard to get up to speed on poultry requirements. Some of this might prove useful for you -

Accepted Poultry drinking water quality standards​

Poor water quality, can retard growth, curtail egg production, or produce lower egg quality. Feed conversion, for example, has been positively correlated to the presence of sulfate and copper concentrations in the water, and livability with potassium, chloride, and calcium. Body weight is positively influenced by water hardness and dissolved oxygen, and negatively influenced by total bacteria and a pH less than 6.0.

Chlorination:
May be required to remove bacteria; prevent slime and algae build-up in water lines; precipitate out nitrites, iron, manganese and sulphur. Continual use of chlorine may reduce effectiveness of any medications applied through the water system.

Water Temperature
Drinking water temperatures should be between 10*C to 15°C (50*F to 59*F) for the most comfortable consumption by mature birds, but some studies have indicated that water temperatures of about 25°C (77*F) reduce mortality in chicks and poults. Temperatures over 30°C (86*F) will reduce consumption and birds will refuse to drink if water temperatures are over 44°C (111.2*F)


Parameter

​

Ammonium

< 2.0​

Nitrite (mg/L)

< 0.1​

Nitrate (mg/L)

< 100
Levels from 3 to 20 mg/l may affect performance​

Chloride

< 250
Levels as low as 14 mg / l may be detrimental if the sodium level is higher than 50 mg / l​

Sodium

< 50
Levels above 50 mg / l may affect performance if the sulfate or chloride level is high.​

Iron (mg/L)

< 0.5​

Manganese (mg/L)

< 1.0​

Calcium (mg/L)

< 200​

Magnesium (mg/L)

< 100​

Sulfate (mg/L)

< 250​

Coliform bacteria (CFU/ml)

< 100
0/ml is desirable​

Total germ count (CFU/ml)

< 100,000​

Total dissolved solids (mg/L)

< 1,000​

pH

6.8 to 7.5 is desirable
5-8.5 is tolerated with levels below 6.3 showing a marked degrading of performance.​

Standards for animal drinking water indicate that there should be fewer than 100 bacteria of all types per milliliter (ml) of water and fewer than 50 coliform bacteria per ml. Recent field research indicates that a bacteria level of zero may be desirable to obtain optimum performance.

Even if the water source has a low bacteria level, poultry may be exposed to the microorganisms that grow in waterers. Because these organisms can develop very rapidly, waterers should be cleaned properly each day. Chlorination or use of other disinfectants in the water along with good waterer cleaning is an effective way of controlling microbial levels however these methods may reduce effectiveness of any medications applied through the water system.

Nitrites & Nitrates
The toxicity of nitrates to poultry varies with the age of the birds, older birds being more tolerant. Levels in excess of 50 mg/l for chickens and 75 mg/l for turkeys have proven harmful in laboratory trials. A recent study with commercial broilers showed that nitrate levels greater than 20 mg/l had a negative affect on weight, feed conversion, or performance. Levels between 3 and 20 mg/l were suspected to affect performance. Nitrites are toxic at much lower levels than nitrates; concentrations as low as 1 mg/l can be toxic.

Water Hardness & Softness
Acidic ( soft ) water has a pH lower than 7 and alkaline ( hard ) water has a pH greater than 7. Acid drinking water can affect digestion, corrode watering equipment, and be incompatible with medicines and vaccines. Field research indicates that drinking water with a Ph lower than 6 can impair broiler performance. Water with a pH between 6.0 and 6.3 is suspected of having a negative effect.
Although hard water may cause stains, leave residues, or cause other physical problems in water-handling equipment, hard water has not been demonstrated to have either a positive or negative impact on poultry performance. In treating hard water that is to be used as drinking water for poultry, however, care should be taken not to increase any existing chemical imbalance in the water.

ZINC – 1.5 mg/l – higher levels are toxic - 0 mg/l is desirable
LEAD – 0.02 mg /l higher levels are toxic - 0 mg/ l is desirable
Sodium - Excessive levels of sodium (Na) have a diuretic effect.
Chloride - Consuming too much chloride (Cl) has a detrimental effect on metabolism. Chloride levels as high as 25 mg/l are not a problem if the sodium level is in the normal range.
Sulfate - High sulfate (SO4) levels have a laxative effect.
Magnesium - A symptom of a high magnesium (Mg) level is loose droppings.

Excessively high or low concentrations of other chemicals can produce recognizable symptoms. Excessive amounts of manganese (Mn) can produce a flavor problem and low consumption levels. Too much copper (Cu) can give the water a bitter taste and may cause liver damage. High phosphate (PO4) levels may indicate contamination from sewage.