HELP! CHICKEN WITH BLEEDING/CRACKED BEAK!!!!!!

[IslaBean]

I am in desperaate nead of help. I recently found my six month old easter egger pullet with a cracked and bleeding beak. The past week she had been acting very timid of people. I'm not sure if this is at all related to the beak. I think this just happened because I would have had to notice her beak. Attatched are photos of her beak. (I know there are a lot) Her beak is normally all pale yellow. She seems to be eating and drinking normally. I did notice that she was eating a lot slower than the other chickens and was done minutes before they were. She usually is the first one done eating, but this was rather sooner. Please give any advice that would be usefull. Pearl is a very special girl and I would do anything to help heal her.
Please help Pearl!

 

[theuglychick]

Hmmm, poor sweet girl!

I've had parrots crack their beaks so I can tell you how I would treat it.

I'd watch it closely, rinse it with saline twice daily, if you can, (I buy the saline nose spray- SALINE only- because it's easy to squirt and rinse with) ( rinse toward the tip) and treat with an antibiotic in water such as a sulfa drug (such as bird sulfa), and give her a mash of food and cooked eggs, lots of TLC and soft healthy treats. For parrots, the crack will eventually heal and grow out over time. I'd imagine it would be similar for a chicken.

Just watch that that beak doesn't start to grow crooked and make sure she is eating drinking plenty.

I'll say a little prayer for her!

 

[IslaBean]

Hmmm, poor sweet girl!

I've had parrots crack their beaks so I can tell you how I would treat it.

I'd watch it closely, rinse it with saline twice daily, if you can, (I buy the saline nose spray- SALINE only- because it's easy to squirt and rinse with) ( rinse toward the tip) and treat with an antibiotic in water such as a sulfa drug (such as bird sulfa), and give her a mash of food and cooked eggs, lots of TLC and soft healthy treats. For parrots, the crack will eventually heal and grow out over time. I'd imagine it would be similar for a chicken.

Just watch that that beak doesn't start to grow crooked and make sure she is eating drinking plenty.

I'll say a little prayer for her!

What does the saline spray do? Will it hurt her?

 

[theuglychick]

Do y'all have any idea what could have happened to it?

 

[theuglychick]

Saline is just sterile salt water. It'll just gently clean away any outside dirt, debris, food... anything that can cause bacteria and slow healing. I like the nasal spray because it squirts in a jet really well. Just be careful that it doesn't get it in her nose.

 

[IslaBean]

Do y'all have any idea what could have happened to it?

I'm not sure. Many articles say this happens if they are bored and penned up, but my chickens free range all day. I don't know if maybe one of the other chickens could have done it to her (shes at the bottom of the pecking order). It looks as if she hit the top of her beak on something and it caused the sides to crack.

 

[theuglychick]

I'm so sorry for her. I wish they could talk

Oh! And plain yogurt is great to give her too.

Hoping she's feeling better soon.

 

[IslaBean]

Any advice would be helpful

 

[theuglychick]

Almost looks like it was snapped in a mouse trap or something.

 

[sourland]

Hard to tell for sure, but it appears as if she may have cracked her beak. I would provide her with wet mash so that she can eat more easily. There is a possibility that part of her upper beak may fall off, but there is enough remaining that she should still be able to eat. Commercial production houses frequently clip the upper beaks (a practice that I hate) and the birds do quite well.