SOS! Part of Chicken's Top Beak Fell Off Leaving Exposed Fleshy Underside

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coach723 said:
If you don't have blood stop powder on hand you can use cornstarch, flour, or turmeric (the kitchen spice) powder to help stop the bleeding. Feed her moistened feed/mash and water in deeper, open dishes, and raise them up on something, that way she can scoop with her lower beak. It's going to be really sore for a few days, then will dry up and harden off. Once that happens it will be much less painful and she'll likely leave it alone then. It's a small bit, so most likely the beak will grow back over time. Beaks grow slowly.
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I had a pullet break a side piece off. It took awhile but It looks good as new a year later.
 
Earthdale said:
I would try hobbling her some what like you do when a chick has splayed legs, that should stop her scratching it.
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I may try this if the issue persists. Luckily, she has refrained from scratching it (at least enough so that it hasn't bled since yesterday morning)--so that may not be necessary. The wound is looking less fresh today and I think that's a good thing. I still always panic every time she eyes a hard surface with "that look" (i.e. the "I wanna smash I mean wipe my injured beak all over you" look). She officially hates me lol.
 
GravityWaves said:
I had the same thing happen with my rooster and he didn't seem to want any dry food for a while, likely because it was so tender. Almost like poking a cavity in your tooth or something.

This is good advice. Also, I didn't see if she was separated or not but you don't want the others pecking at the blood on her beak and making it worse.
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Thank you! I'm glad your rooster got through it. I've since found a combo of cat food (beef and chicken--I figure the iron will help with all the blood she lost) and mash with water is a good combo. She loves it enough to eat through discomfort and somehow it doesn't "stick" to her beak as much as plain mash, so she fusses with it less. I've also been trying my best to gently wipe her beak afterwards but she acts like I'm trying to kill her.
 
@GravityWaves @coach723 @shaila @Chicken poppy thank you all for your continued help. I've taken it to heart and I'm implementing what I can. As of this morning, things are looking up--not the 180 degree transformation I want, but better:
  • Bleeding/Wound: She hasn't fussed with her beak enough for it to re-open since yesterday morning. So it's been 24 hours and the wound looks drier and less fresh. I'm hoping the more time goes on, the less likely she will be to reopen it.
  • Eating: I was worried about this most since she hadn't eaten much yesterday. But I've found the best combo for her is a couple tablespoons of cat food (beef for iron--she needs it!) mixed with mash and a little extra water gets her eating. It also sticks to her beak less than plain mash. She ate a very decent helping this morning. It was nice to feel something in her crop. Next I may mix in nutri-drench.
  • Pain: I worry about this. After eating she does get very dazed and sleepy seeming--though I know me fussing over cleaning her beak stresses her. She's also in a very dim basement area with nothing to do. Do you think the sleepy behavior is due to pain/stress/environment?
  • Drinking: I'm having the hardest time getting her to drink. I put colloidal silver in her water so if/when she does, that acts a bit as topical infection prevention, but of course she never goes for it. I've been mixing lots of water in her food so hopefully that has helped keep her hydrated enough.
  • Infection Prevention: I'm trying my best to keep her beak clean by spraying it liberally with vetericyn after each feeding and post-clean-up. I don't see redness or swelling yet, but it's hard to tell since it's just a dark scabbed area. I'll try to post photos later today.
Let me know any thoughts/advice that comes to mind as I continue helping Willow recover. Fingers crossed she will be right as rain soon enough. As the head honcho whose defining trait is perpetual movement, it's so hard to see her like this, away from her flock :hit
 
It is very painful at first, I imagine like losing a toenail or fingernail, imagine how sensitive that would be. The pain should be a little better every day. The moisture in the food may be why she's drinking less. Just make sure droppings are normal. The low light is also probably making her less active. I've never had a beak get infected from a break, so that is probably not a huge worry, the fact that it's drying out is good. Being away from the flock is also sometimes very stressful for them. If your set up will allow it you might crate her in the run, so she can see them and they can see her, until it's healed enough that you aren't worried about it bleeding again. She may be happier that way, and it will make putting her back with the flock easier. I always do it that way unless a bird is so ill they really need to be inside, or isolated.
 
Im glad shes getting better.

It is a very slow process at first, and she will be VERY sleepy, lethargic looking even. For the first day, mine were just out of it, needed cuddles, didn’t do very much at all. Second day was a bit better, and third day they we’re basically all back to normal

She will probably take a while longer, but thats totally normal. Its definitely painful.
 
coach723 said:
It is very painful at first, I imagine like losing a toenail or fingernail, imagine how sensitive that would be. The pain should be a little better every day. The moisture in the food may be why she's drinking less. Just make sure droppings are normal. The low light is also probably making her less active. I've never had a beak get infected from a break, so that is probably not a huge worry, the fact that it's drying out is good. Being away from the flock is also sometimes very stressful for them. If your set up will allow it you might crate her in the run, so she can see them and they can see her, until it's healed enough that you aren't worried about it bleeding again. She may be happier that way, and it will make putting her back with the flock easier. I always do it that way unless a bird is so ill they really need to be inside, or isolated.
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That's good to know--thank you. I just gave her "lunch" and she ate for an even longer time before starting to get agitated (and I only think she gets agitated because she wants to wipe her face and I always stop her). She did manage a couple good face scratches I couldn't block, but this time she didn't bleed--so I'll take that as progress.

I'm hoping by tomorrow I can just leave food down there for her confidently. Right now I'm doing three "feedings" a day with feed, cat food, oats, and water mixed together. She eats a decent amount--enough to feel it in her crop, but never gets a huge, full crop. She did lay a healthy egg about an hour ago.

I'd love to put her in the run in a crate, but her personality is too bonkers. She always tries to peck through the cage and paces like crazy--and I'm worried she'd easily end up reopening something. I don't worry about her re-entering because the current flock is all betas and she's a huge, tough broad lol. I know she'll throw down the law instantly and no one will challenge her. I'm hoping by next week I can have her back out. I'm not sure on the timeline for this sort of injury.

I'll snap a photo early this evening when the light in the basement is good. Thanks again for all the helpful feedback.
 

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