Injury: what is this (non emergency)

[ChickenMullets]

A few weeks ago my neighbors husky got into the yard. It did not get into my chicken run but it sure put them into panic. A few had injured their beaks, i assume from panic flying directly into the walls. 3 had injured their beaks, 2 healed perfectly fine.

However one young hen, Nona, her beak seems to have healed funny and she can no longer close her mouth. Why does it look so thick, inside her beak on the top. Its almost like she regrew bone inside the underside of her beak top.

She seems to be eating and drinking though she much prefers puddles of water vs drinking from nipple waterer. She is the bottom of the pecking order and now shes also a loud mouth breather lmao

Has anyone seen this before? I can get more pics if needed.

 

[azygous]

Beaks are living tissue with an abundance of nerve endings. Flying head first into a solid wall has produced severe injury to the beak. And she's experiencing a corresponding amount of severe pain.

Since the beak is living tissue, when it's injured it will try to grow new tissue to repair it. However, it appears the damage must be beyond the point where the new tissue growth will produce normal beak regrowth. Instead, it's producing scar tissue that is causing abnormal beak growth backward rather than at the tip. It's also interfering with her nares where most air exchange occurs. Thus the mouth breathing.

Unfortunately, I don't see that there's anything you can do about this other than to shoot that dog if it ever returns to your yard.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Is that just debris on the tip of the upper beak or abnormal growth? Pictures of the other side profile and front (and maybe inside if it's not too stressful for her) might help pinpoint what's going on. Her lower beak looks a little overgrown, not too bad yet but if the upper beak doesn't come back to a more normal shape she might need filing to maintain it.

 

[ChickenMullets]

Beaks are living tissue with an abundance of nerve endings. Flying head first into a solid wall has produced severe injury to the beak. And she's experiencing a corresponding amount of severe pain.

Since the beak is living tissue, when it's injured it will try to grow new tissue to repair it. However, it appears the damage must be beyond the point where the new tissue growth will produce normal beak regrowth. Instead, it's producing scar tissue that is causing abnormal beak growth backward rather than at the tip. It's also interfering with her nares where most air exchange occurs. Thus the mouth breathing.

Unfortunately, I don't see that there's anything you can do about this other than to shoot that dog if it ever returns to your yard.

Thank you for this answer. The neighbors have been taking it seriously and could not be more apologetic and hoping that this is the last time it occurs. They have been taking measures to prevent their dog from escaping again, however it is a husky and they are known escape artists sooooo we shall see how this cookie crumbles.

She does not honestly seem uncomfortable but i am sure she is. Is this something that will continue to be painful for her, is culling her something to consider? Not something i ever want to do to young healthy laying birds BUT I also don't believe it's best to keep animals in pain to spare my personal feelings.

 

[ChickenMullets]

Is that just debris on the tip of the upper beak or abnormal growth? Pictures of the other side profile and front (and maybe inside if it's not too stressful for her) might help pinpoint what's going on. Her lower beak looks a little overgrown, not too bad yet but if the upper beak doesn't come back to a more normal shape she might need filing to maintain it.

It was debris that gets caught in the injury on her beak.Fibrous materials get snagged. It was gently removed after the photo was taken. I have taken more photos, not easy without help - she is such a big girl. Her beak was very overgrown when i adopted her at 20 weeks old. I will post them in a moment, they are on my phone not PC.

 

[ChickenMullets]

Is that just debris on the tip of the upper beak or abnormal growth? Pictures of the other side profile and front (and maybe inside if it's not too stressful for her) might help pinpoint what's going on. Her lower beak looks a little overgrown, not too bad yet but if the upper beak doesn't come back to a more normal shape she might need filing to maintain it.

 

[azygous]

No need to euthanize at this point. Her beak is healing, and the pain will eventually stop. She should be able to function okay with blocked nares, but she will likely have encumbered sensation in her beak from now on. This would be like you wrecked your strong hand causing severe nerve damage, and you can imagine how that would affect your manual dexterity. Beaks are even more sensitive since a chicken uses their beak to not only eat and find food, but to communicate as well. It could have been much worse.

 

[ChickenMullets]

No need to euthanize at this point. Her beak is healing, and the pain will eventually stop. She should be able to function okay with blocked nares, but she will likely have encumbered sensation in her beak from now on. This would be like you wrecked your strong hand causing severe nerve damage, and you can imagine how that would affect your manual dexterity. Beaks are even more sensitive since a chicken uses their beak to not only eat and find food, but to communicate as well. It could have been much worse.

Thank you.