# Cracked beak



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Late last year I started a thread about one of my BR's that had cracked its upper beak. Earlier this year I observed the new beak growing underneath the old beak. Two weeks ago I noticed one of my BR's not being able to peck and eat feed. I noticed that her lower beak was about 1/8" longer than her upper beak (scupper lip.) 
It turns out that it's the same hen that had cracked her upper beak last year. It appears that the old upper beak is almost ready to separate and fall away. I hadnt noticed it before.
In the meantime, I had to trim back her lower beak in order for her to be able to pick up feed and eat normally again instead of the wet gruel I've been feeding her daily.
I just finished trimming the lower beak about 30 minutes ago. You can see the items I used; dog toenail clippers to slice downward and square the tip at the edge of the quick. Then used large toenail clippers to trim and even up the corners. Finally, I used a fingernail file to smooth all the edges and the sides of the lower beak. I then gave her 2cc's water diluted w/ 81mg aspirin for possible pain, and a dab of neosporin on the tip of the lower beak. It took about 10 minutes altogether. The first two pics I had already trimmed back the lower beak (shouldve taken a before pic.) As you can see in the last pic, she's eating her gruel...a real chowhound.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

That picture of her on the work bench is too cute for words!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Only us crazy chicken people would go to those lengths to make life better for our birds.


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

Good job, Jim. Those dog nail clippers come in handy for more than just spurs and toenails


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

A few months ago, Thor, my giant Jersey rooster, broke the tip of his upper beak off. So he could eat from the bowl but couldn't pick up scratch on the ground. So he started taking it out of my hand. Now it's all grown back, but he still wants his hand offered scratch.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

seminolewind said:


> A few months ago, Thor, my giant Jersey rooster, broke the tip of his upper beak off. So he could eat from the bowl but couldn't pick up scratch on the ground. So he started taking it out of my hand. Now it's all grown back, but he still wants his hand offered scratch.


It's slow growing that's for sure. A bit of good news with my hen, she started pecking and eating dry crumbles yesterday afternoon. But she went back to eating the gruel. I'm happy, it's a start back to eating normally.


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