Solitary chicken - need advice

[hilda-and-evadne]

Have just removed Bécassine's bumper bit because she had bitten through the middle part and her upper beak had overgrown so much that it reached beyond the end of the bit and seemed to be making it difficult for her to eat.

 

The results of a search on the Omlet forum for other instances of overgrown beak found only one instance of the upper beak being overgrown and the Omleteer being advised to get a vet to trim it - how did that end?

 

I have a pair of clippers for clipping the dog's toenails; and I have read that, with hens, you have to be careful not to cut too much off otherwise the beak will bleed. Bécassine's beak is so overgrown that it would probably take a long time to reduce it by filing, if she would submit to that.

 

I wish I'd noticed it earlier - and I don't know why I didn't because I cuddle her more than all the others - but the bumper bit obscured what was happening, and it was only in the horizontal evening light that I noticed that she had what looked like a fingernail on the end of her beak.

 

Comments and advice welcome.

[ubereglu]

If you decide to trim it yourself don't trim it beyond the black bit of her beak-this is where the blood is, cutting any of the white/lighter bit you will be ok, as this doesn't have a blood supply.

[hilda-and-evadne]

If you decide to trim it yourself don't trim it beyond the black bit of her beak-this is where the blood is, cutting any of the white/lighter bit you will be ok, as this doesn't have a blood supply.

 

Thank you - the black bit of her beak is a long way from the end of her beak but I won't go anywhere near it. The overgrown bit looks different - flatter and more translucent - so I'll try just to remove that. At the moment, in profile she looks like a hawk!

[Egluntyne]

Just 'nibble' tiny bits off, and then file it down to smooth it.

 

It is a two man job though....one to hold and one to do the tidying up.

[hilda-and-evadne]

Just 'nibble' tiny bits off, and then file it down to smooth it.

 

It is a two man job though....one to hold and one to do the tidying up.

 

Thank you. There is a mildly interesting update.

 

Last Sunday, and before I was able to take your advice, I was attacked and bitten by a dog in a local park and broke a finger on my right hand. I was lucky not to lose all my fingers so am counting my blessings but I have massive bruising, and the X-ray image of the spectacular diagonal fracture will probably appear in textbooks: it is far more dramatic than anything I have found on the web.

 

Anyway, yesterday evening I saw that Bécassine had knocked off most of her overgrown beak. Although she now has a blunt-ended, not pointed, beak, it will be some weeks before my hand will be healed enough to tidy it up for her.

 

Typed with my left hand.

[chelsea]

Oh dear Rachel, that sounds awful you poor thing. Hope it heals soon.

 

You typed really good with your left hand!

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear about your 'accident'. I hope the dog and its owner have been dealt with appropriately.

 

Excellent typing with your left hand.

[Redwing]

You poor thing, I hope you recover quickly

 

I trimmed one of my table bird's beaks with dog nail clippers clipping a tiny bit at the time and finished up with a metal nail file, she doesnt look perfect but has put on a lot more condition now and we have got very attached to her