Yikes, Hens beak bleeding slightly from trimming. What to do?

[wanna be chicken lady]

I hate to even say it happened. I have a hen that was eating eggs. I was going to toss her to the wild but couldn't do it. So we clipped her beak and it is bleeding slightly. Is this horrible? Will she just heal? I feel like an awful chicken mom.

 

[silkiechicken]

You probably hit the quick. Quick stop, corn starch, or flower would work to stop it. Might try blinders made for game birds to stop her from picking at things as well.

 

[wanna be chicken lady]

Yes, I was hoping that over night while she sleeps it will heal. Although if that is not long enough, blinders sound like a good idea. Poor girl.

 

[nzpouter]

dip her beak in flour... over here egg eating hens are clipped on the neck.

 

[Mikhail]

why did you clip her beak? did she need it trimmed?

 

[4hooves&featheredfriends]

I trimmed my cross beak a bit unfortunately a bit to the quick and tried direct pressure - it started bleeding every time I removed the pressure. Then I used a styptic pencil as you might on a dog- that worked but when the blood in the mouth ran into it the beak would bleed again.

Finally, I took an ice cube wrapped in a thin cloth and applied that within a minute or so it stopped bleeding. I think I had wished I had known about the flour

, but it did work.

 

[aidenbaby]

Mikhail - She trimmed the beak because she was eating eggs. It is in the original post.

Could she have been eating the eggs because she was deficient in something? Calcium or protein maybe.

For my own future reference, is it possible to trim a beak with a grinder, like the Peticure thing?

 

[wanna be chicken lady]

Thanks. Actually my "old-timer-farmer-friend" with all due respect, came over and quicker than ever grabbed her, clipped her beak, her wings, and said what one poster said, "I would have clipped her at the neck, but this should take care of the problem". Poof it was over. Anyway I had called her to ask about clipping her wings. I figured if she couldn't get into the nest, she wouldn't get the eggs. A second chance on life. My friend wasn't worried about the bleeding and rubbed mash on her beak. I just like to get more opinions. About the need for breaking eggs, I don't know. They are in a nice size inclosure. I feed Home Grown mash ( it doesn't come in pellets) and scratch. Being feed store bought, I think it has all the protiens and other nutrients that they need. Anyway I am about 11 months new at this. It is my first flock.

 

[silkiechicken]

How much scratch? The layer has all they need IF that is the only thing they are eating. If they eat too much scratch, they won't get enough protein/calcium. Also, you can try making the nest box area dark and pulling out eggs more often, but egg eating can spread so just keep an eye out.

 

[wanna be chicken lady]

A few handfulls thrown out on the ground. Yes, I pull the eggs out a couple times a day. I have noticed they don't seem to eat their food as well as they were before I gave them the scratch. Should I quit the scratch. I gave it to them as a treat and thought it might keep them busy, didn't realize that would keep them from geeting the protiens needed. Thanks.