For all my chicken-loving buddies out there, I'm in need of a honest answer about a chicken being able to live with the top portion of its beak damaged-missing from injury.
If you can please let me know, I'd appreciate it as I don't want a chicken to die a slow death from starvation.
Thanks everyone.
9 comments:
Lana - I found this article after googling repairing a chicken beak - check it out - I'm thinking, nail repair kit with a little fabric stuff and hardner, nail glue , krazy glue, etc. See -
http://www.tillysnest.com/2011/12/how-to-fix-broken-beak.html
Sorry to hear about this! Let me know how it goes!!! Vickie
http://www.avianweb.com/brokenbeaks.html
Here's another link, Lana.
I put the word out in my Facebook forum. I see Vickie mentioned Tillysnest. I know her and would trust what she says.
Is the beak completely gone?
This is a response I received from one of my 'go to' experts.
Mike, it's important to know the nature of the damage to be able to suggest whether or how it can be fixed. Beaks grow like fingernails, so it will continue to grow. If it is cracked, some cracks can be repaired. Again, important to know the severity of the injury.
Is it damaged or missing, beaks are trimmed to prevent chickens from hurting each other, so long as the nostrils are not damaged chicken should be ok. How was it injured?
Is it damaged or missing, beaks are trimmed to prevent chickens from hurting each other, so long as the nostrils are not damaged chicken should be ok. How was it injured?
I am going to try to post a picture. She's still alive this morning. It's a chick. I wasn't in the room, but the Yorkie got to the chick and Deputy Dave had been able to save the chick from being beheaded. But, it was traumatic. It bled badly. The tongue is still there. But it looks as if the entire top beak is gone. I'm going to go check for nostrils as well, being okay.
I did a ton of research last night and found that making sure the dishes for food and water are deep. I will try to hand feed her in a little while.
Lana
Really sorry to hear about this, Lana. Hope your chick is doing okay today.
*hugs* and God bless. ♥
I got some pictures of the sweet chick. I've been holding her frequently throughout the day and when I put her down, she cries so LOUD and it's heartbreaking. Now, she jumps in my hand as I put it in the box. I've been putting water with electrolytes on the tip of my finger and touching it gently to the tip of what's left of her beak and it forces her to stick out her tongue and lick it off. However, I don't know if it will be enough to save her from starvation. It's sad. She goes to peck and meets air --- not going down far enough, as if she has phantom beak syndrome --- thinking the tip of the beak is still there, but not going far enough down to actually get the food. I've been trying to hand feed her the food, but she is struggling and appears to have lost her appetite. Before the injury, she'd hungrily eat from my hand, now she doesn't. I can only hope she eats enough to survive the worst part of the healing process. Meanwhile, I'm learning a lot more about chickens. I have to give props to farmers...they are some courageous folks to confront this kind of stuff on a regular basis. Pushing papers and having job boundaries is so much easier. Dealing with innocent creatures depending on your for their survival 24/7 is tough.
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