Chicken bald back

[staceychristie]

Poor Peggy. She's eating ok, but she doesn't half bite!!!! Her top beak has grown down either side of her bottom beak, so causing a two blade scissor action if you can imagine? Beak length is fine. Can you emery board it (if she'll cooperate) or would you leave it and hope she'll grind it down herself?

 

Thanks Stacey

[Egluntyne]

It can be a dicey job. If you take too much off, it can bleed.

[The Dogmother]

From what you say, I'd doubt that it will wear down in normal use. It will need trimming, but as Egluntyne has pointed out, the quick runs far down the beak and it's easy to nick it.... it then bleeds buckets. I leave it to the vet who has a silver nitrate pencil to staunch the bleeding.

[staceychristie]

Quick update, just to let you know that she's been attacking bricks, stones, pecka block, and the cage, and now she's got a normal(ish) beak. This morning it was still like fangs, but she's managed to groom herself quite nicely. Phew.

Thanks for your advice

 

Stacey

[majuka]

Glad that her beak is wearing down now. A few of our ex batts have had unequal beaks top and bottom. Our vet has always advised us to leave them alone as long as the hen can eat, drink and preen normally.