Not an emergency—prognosis for cracked beak

[BantyChooks]

I'll probably catch flak for this but I have a pheasant that got it's beak peck severely as a 1 week old. His top beak is gone back to the nares, the bottom about a quarter remains. I seperated it and it healed up. Re-introduced it to the other chicks and it happened again...again, I seperated it.
It finally got big enough that the others didn't pick on it anymore, so I re-introduced it again. They have been together for almost a year now, in an outdoor brooder (4 males).
He doesn't have any problems eating or drinking. I just had to save this chick....I don't know why this chick, cause I usually cull them when they are injured too badly to recover. But here he is, almost a year later.
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Wow, that's amazing.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Hi as iv raised quail before I suggest taking him to the vet and getting him check out.
Don’t put him down I think it’s very cruel and bad for killing an animal for it may survive

Culling isn’t cruel. I don’t cull, but I respect those who do. They don’t do it out of spite but compassion so the animal doesn’t suffer, and they cull humanely.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

It’s hard for me to consider taking a $5-10 chicken to a vet that’s going to coat a minimum of $100

I agree... Chickens, though I love them, aren’t worth a vet’s price.

 

[BantyChooks]

He's gone. Thank you everyone for your advice.

Being a bit of a morbid mind myself, I took a closer look at his beak after. There was no way that was going to heal, and just enough was left that trimming it would have been horribly painful and bled a lot with no guarantee he wouldn't starve anyway due to exposed nerves making it painful to eat. There was some rupturing inside the mouth too, so his face was just overall really messed up.

 

[007Sean]

He's gone. Thank you everyone for your advice.

Being a bit of a morbid mind, I took a closer look at his beak after. There was no way that was going to heal, and just enough was left that trimming it would have been horribly painful and bled a lot with no guarantee he wouldn't starve anyway due to exposed nerves making it painful to eat. There was some rupturing inside the mouth too, so his face was just overall really messed up.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am relieved he is no longer suffering.

 

[muddy75]

He's very young yet, so he's barely got any meat on his ribs, but he could go in the stock pot, I guess. Thank you.

probably a bit too soon to respond as i haven’t finished the thread yet, but one of my 5 week olds managed an escape and was killed by my dogs. because they brought it to us within minutes, we processed it and added to our breakfast that morning. while under normal circumstances I would not have butchered one so young, it was a great addition to breakfast!

 

[Kris5902]

He's gone. Thank you everyone for your advice.

Being a bit of a morbid mind, I took a closer look at his beak after. There was no way that was going to heal, and just enough was left that trimming it would have been horribly painful and bled a lot with no guarantee he wouldn't starve anyway due to exposed nerves making it painful to eat. There was some rupturing inside the mouth too, so his face was just overall really messed up.

You did the right thing, the compassionate thing. A quick and clean death is better by far than prolonging suffering. Thank you. And I’m sorry for the loss... even meat animals deserve a good life, and the poor little thing wouldn’t have had that by any means.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

He's gone. Thank you everyone for your advice.

Being a bit of a morbid mind myself, I took a closer look at his beak after. There was no way that was going to heal, and just enough was left that trimming it would have been horribly painful and bled a lot with no guarantee he wouldn't starve anyway due to exposed nerves making it painful to eat. There was some rupturing inside the mouth too, so his face was just overall really messed up.

 

[bobbi-j]

He's gone. Thank you everyone for your advice.

Being a bit of a morbid mind myself, I took a closer look at his beak after. There was no way that was going to heal, and just enough was left that trimming it would have been horribly painful and bled a lot with no guarantee he wouldn't starve anyway due to exposed nerves making it painful to eat. There was some rupturing inside the mouth too, so his face was just overall really messed up.

Good for you for taking care of him. I don't think it's morbid at all to see what you were dealing with. Now you know without question that you did the right thing for him.