Rescue Girl with questionable broken beak or malformation

[Aunt Angus]

I think it's kind of endearing. If she's doing well (and it seems as though she is), I'd leave it and monitor her weight and that area where on the bottom break that looks bloody, just to be on the safe side. In all fairness, I'm a tad paranoid. The mash seems like a good idea.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And kudos to you for stepping up! Bravo!

 

[staceyj]

See where I’ve made these fine lines? IMHO, That top beak would be safe to file gently with a good nail file.

See where it’s coming into contact with the bottom
Half? Notice how that half of the bottom is shorter and sharper and wearing at an angle.

I think as the top beak overgrows, it’s shape is putting pressure on it and is what’s causing that contusion (and maybe fissure) at the
meeting place between the two halves.

Also in the longer bottom half of the beak... this picture of yours is so good, one can clearly see the kwik through the beak.

I marked that one as well with a thin black line. Just two or three gentle swipes with a file on that corner spot would keep it from hitting the outer edge of the top beak.

I find that beak trimming or filing can be very controlled if approached quietly and with gentleness.

I wrap my birds snug in a towel like a burrito.
Then, because chickens don’t appreciate having their faces fooled with, the best way to hold them steady for this is to cover their head like a babushka with the towel, then grasp their wattles between your pinching fingers right up close to their chin. It works the very best for me to hold them quite still for this procedure.
Bonus points if you have a really good helper who’s good with the file (your wife) while you do the holding.

Again, just my opinions.
I mull over pictures I examine here while doing other things and often come back again and again - to share my thoughts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She eats and drinks and has good body girth.

I think I would leave it be for the moment and monitor her weight and the beak. I would let her settle in first. Adjusting to a new environment is probably stressful enough.
At some point the beak may need to be trimmed/filed.

 

[azygous]

Very elegant solution @staceyj ! That should free this girl from considerable pain.

 

[MagicMarcy66]

Thank you everyone for your response, I'm going to be watching her more closely and handling her more as the days go on. My son and I really can't tell if it's a deformity or an old injury and I agree at the confluence of the lower beak we couldn't be sure if it's old blood or mud. Just wanted to keep the transition at a lower stress level for her.

The Rooster that came with them cares for her very tenderly, he allows her to sit between his legs and guards her. I have them in our garage in a puppy playpen on straw to help them stay warm because it's been very wet here. We're supposed to get 8 inches of rain but have very good drainage on our property.

I'll compare her weight to her Sister's weight, and her comb does look remarkably well for her condition. And all of her tail feathers are missing so I'm thinking something tried to get her with in the last few days.

If I feed her the oatmeal and mash soft diet will it be something I have to do for the rest of her life, and will this inhibit her egg production? We haven't had this type of situation with any of our hens that I can remember even as a little girl back home. My Mom and dad are both gone and can't ask them. I just want to prepare for her care and stock up on supplies if need be.

Our flock of girls we had before we moved here were rehomed and are doing very well since we left Ca.

Glad the pictures were helpful too.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If I feed her the oatmeal and mash soft diet will it be something I have to do for the rest of her life, and will this inhibit her egg production?

What was she eating before you got her, did the previous owners say? Layer feed?
What type of feed do you have for the chickens?

I would not add oatmeal to the mash. If you are going to offer wet feed, then just use her normal feed, no additions.

Provide the hens with oyster shell free choice. This is used as a Calcium supplement, they will take what they need.

 

[WVduckchick]

I would be tempted to try several bowls of different things and see what she manages to eat the best. Some wet mash, some dry layer feed, etc. With her body mass, she has obviously learned to eat with the beak deformity (I have one with a beak bent to one side) but providing what she is used to eating may be crucial. At least until she learns new methods.

I’d really be curious to observe her trying to eat something like scratch from a solid ground (concrete or smooth hard dirt) just to see how she manages it. Birds can be amazingly adaptive.

 

[staceyj]

It’s true most chickens eat their feed just fine dry. And in a case like yours I’d offer both.
Some chicken keepers ferment their feed for nutrition purposes.
And some for other reasons. Examples: cold weather treat, beak injury, tempting a sick or injured bird to eat, trying to get a bird to take in more hydration...

people like me occasionally offer “mash” just because!

I don’t even let mine soak.
I literally pour warm water straight from the tap over a bowl of plain dry chicken crumble.
By the time I walk from my kitchen sink to the coop, it’s absorbed all of it.
No fuss, no muss, but somehow my chickens act as if I’ve TOILED over it. And if I toss on a dollop of plain no fat yogurt.....

I’M A ROCKSTAR!

Eating by means of little bits of food takes a lot of pecks! And chickens peck hard.

A wet mash is just easier to eat for an animal with a mouth issue and has the secondary benefit of ensuring hydration. Like picking up a whole glob of mashed potatoes vs, one piece of crumble at a time.
More food per mouthful.

This bird has a split bottom beak. The bottom beak acts as a ladle when they drink.

So one might say she’s equipped with her own dribble cup.

IMHO, Wet food would just be something to consider if you feel she needs a boost, has a sharp keel bone, is lighter than the others, or suffering in the heat. It would help solve any shortcomings in both these areas.

Listen, she’s made it this long eating who-knows-what, so none of what I’ve said is a directive!
We just all love to make suggestions!

 

[Shadrach]

Rescued a Rhode Island Red girl from our next door neighbor who released their flock to be eaten by the coyotes. Well to say the least I had to play nice, but this is so angering.

I'm attaching pictures of Little Lady's beak. I could go on about these 3 chicken but for now I'll stick to this issue.

Her lower beak is split from the tip to the neck and will attach pictures. Not sure if it's a deformity. The previous owner said they were purchased from a hatchery and they were not pets.

Let me know what you think. She eats and drinks and has good body girth. I'll be deworming in a few days. They have had no human interaction and that will change, and the wife is just glad I will be treating them like pets.

Magic Marcy66

There is nothing you can do, or should do with a lower beak deformity, or fracture. It's a job for a vet and the fowl should be anesthetized while any surgery is performed.
The lower beak in particular is extremely sensitive and as this article explains there are receptors buried in the beak that are not visible without specialist equipment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/
If she has problems eating then some very careful adjustment to the top beak over time is possible.
Better is to adjust the texture and consistency of her feed.
If she is otherwise healthy then let her be.