Rescue Girl with questionable broken beak or malformation

[Wyorp Rock]

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!

There's nothing wrong with wet feed.
I give mine wet feed daily. I make mine "fresh" too (no fermenting) - I either soak it overnight or for an hour or so in the morning.
My birds love wet feed.
They also have dry feed available free choice.

 

[Kiki]

Purposely wetting feed is different than feed getting wet on it's own.
Feed that gets wet on it's own and sits for who knows how long can get moldy.

 

[staceyj]

Purposely wetting feed is different than feed getting wet on it's own.
Feed that gets wet on it's own and sits for who knows how long can get moldy.

This is a VERY IMPORTANT POINT!

When I serve wet feed, I serve it in a heavy dog bowl and it’s always taken up each day. The bowl is usually empty by mid-late afternoon. If it’s not empty I just dispose of any remainder and wash the bowl for the next morning.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Purposely wetting feed is different than feed getting wet on it's own.
Feed that gets wet on it's own and sits for who knows how long can get moldy.

This is a VERY IMPORTANT POINT!

When I serve wet feed, I serve it in a heavy dog bowl and it’s always taken up each day. The bowl is usually empty by mid-late afternoon. If it’s not empty I just dispose of any remainder and wash the bowl for the next morning.

Yes, very important!
Even spilled dry feed can mold very quickly here in the summer! One time I spilled some feed outside the run when taking it up for the night. It was dark, so...I thought, I'll wait until morning when I could see. It was hot/humid and the feed was on some grass - it was already growing a bit of mold the next morning!!

I use hanging cups in the run for both wet and dry feed LOL I have 6 cups for only 11 birds (helps with pecky foodies too - that head hen can't control 6 feed stations!!) 3 contain dry, 3 contain wet. I do re-fill wet/dry throughout the day since I am mostly home. All cups are taken up at the end of the day and washed.

 

[MagicMarcy66]

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.

They weren't feeding them. They were just letting them roam free to eat whatever. Luckily we live in the country and here in the south there is an abundance of bugs year round. I never knew they did this to their flocks until a week ago when the rooster followed me and my grandsons from the back of our property and then turned and went next door when we got to the break in the trees between our property. I will get oyster shells to add to the food. When I go out to the garage to see them they move to the opposite end of the pen and she goes under the rooster for cover. He really does what ever he can to protect her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They weren't feeding them. They were just letting them roam free to eat whatever. Luckily we live in the country and here in the south there is an abundance of bugs year round. I never knew they did this to their flocks until a week ago when the rooster followed me and my grandsons from the back of our property and then turned and went next door when we got to the break in the trees between our property. I will get oyster shells to add to the food. When I go out to the garage to see them they move to the opposite end of the pen and she goes under the rooster for cover. He really does what ever he can to protect her.

Sounds like an attentive rooster. I would be cautious not to upset him too much when trying to catch her, if she needs to be seen to, I suggest that you wait until dark/roosting time, then get her. There's a few things that tick a rooster off and messing with a hen is one of those things. This is where people seem to get into trouble with a rooster.

So, these people next door, just let them all go to you? If you have a lot of forage, the probably the majority of their diet would consist of that. Do you plan on continuing to let them free range or are you going to confine them to coop/run?

 

[staceyj]

They weren't feeding them. They were just letting them roam free to eat whatever. Luckily we live in the country and here in the south there is an abundance of bugs year round. I never knew they did this to their flocks until a week ago when the rooster followed me and my grandsons from the back of our property and then turned and went next door when we got to the break in the trees between our property. I will get oyster shells to add to the food. When I go out to the garage to see them they move to the opposite end of the pen and she goes under the rooster for cover. He really does what ever he can to protect her.

Wow! These birds have hit the jackpot!

Don’t worry. They will all warm up to you and it won’t take long.
You’ll be like the pied piper once they connect a steady supply of food with you!

Watch the rooster around the grandkids though until you are sure of his attitude and personality.

 

[MagicMarcy66]

View attachment 1678941

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.

I agree with your opinion, and just wondering if she were anesthetized could the base of her beak be sewn or wired together and if so would that encourage the beak to grow out, as well as encourage formation and growth of normal healthy beak? To me it looks as though there is a piece of her beak missing in the middle???

They are completely wild, no handling at all what so ever, so when I approach the last thing I want is for her to bump into the wiring of the playpen and possibly cause further damage.

My husband left for Nashville this morning and will be back this weekend and possibly have my Son come over to help me with her. The rooster is quite confrontational unfortunately with very, very, very, sharp spurs. Thank goodness for muck boot!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree with your opinion, and just wondering if she were anesthetized could the base of her beak be sewn or wired together and if so would that encourage the beak to grow out, as well as encourage formation and growth of normal healthy beak? To me it looks as though there is a piece of her beak missing in the middle???

They are completely wild, no handling at all what so ever, so when I approach the last thing I want is for her to bump into the wiring of the playpen and possibly cause further damage.

My husband left for Nashville this morning and will be back this weekend and possibly have my Son come over to help me with her. The rooster is quite confrontational unfortunately with very, very, very, sharp spurs. Thank goodness for muck boot!!!

If they were living "wild" I'm not surprised the rooster is confrontational, especially if you have them all in the garage now.
Where are you planning on keeping them long term.

 

[MagicMarcy66]

We have a coop we will be assembling out in our yard. And will be building a raised coop that we will be able to run electrical to so if we have to heat it in the winter we can do so.