Find out everything you need to know about feeding and caring for a bird with a broken beak
I’ve never had this happen to my bird, and God forbid it happens to yours, but horror stories of birdies losing their beaks are not rare in bird owners’ circles.
A nasty bite from an aggressive bird, a crash landing on a hard surface, a bird flying into a closed window, or an unfortunate case of cancer are just but a few scenarios of how your bird could lose a beak.
So, it begs the question (and helps to know) how to feed and care for a bird with a broken beak.
In my opinion, the best place to start is hand feeding your bird soft foods, depending on how much the beak is damaged. Offer her baby bird mix or mush of regular parrot food softened with water and selected nutritious human baby food mixed in a hand blender.
Apple juice is a good treat as well.
Please read on for more insight on this topic.
What to Feed A Bird with A Broken Beak
How and what you feed a bird with a broken beak will depend on the extent of the injury.
Those with severely damaged and painful beaks should be offered soft foods such as mush mixed with water or baby food.
With a beak broken extensively, perhaps falling off, feeding your bird might also be limited to using a syringe until the bill recovers or grows back.
For moderately wounded beaks, food such as bits of veggies, fruits, cooked eggs, rice, and pasta will suffice as you continue watching the bill, ensuring it heals properly.
Some birds with injured beaks can still eat soft food such as mush using the tongue.
If you are lucky, your birdie may even be able to eat and crack seeds, especially if the injured beak is not painful.
Can A Broken Bird Beak Heal, Grow Back
Your bird’s beak may or may not grow back depending on whether the connective tissue is damaged. It might also grow back but not look like the original bill.
It really depends on how the beak was broken and how much of it was lost.
Bird beaks are made from the same stuff our nails are made from, so chances are they will grow back the same way if they are not removed from the root.
If the damage was caused by trauma or infection, regrowth could be hindered, or the beak possibly grows weirdly if the underlying cause is not resolved.
Perhaps a vet who specializes in avian medicine or an aviculturist familiar with the condition is in the best position to advise once they have a look.
How to Help A Bird with A Broken Beak
Perhaps the best you can do for a bird with a broken beak is first to take her to an avian vet. A specialist with enough knowledge will be able to assess the damage and determine the next course of action.
With minor injuries, supportive care, appropriate antibiotics and pain medicine, and time to heal may be all that is needed until the beak grows back.
The vet might even allow you to take your birdie home immediately and guide you on how to administer her medication. He should be able to show how to clean the affected beak as well.
A good avian vet should also be able to guide you on what to feed your bird to help with the recovery.
On the other hand, serious injuries may need the vet to use cured composite or dental acrylic to patch up the affected area until the beak grows back, which might take a little longer.
The procedure is also not a single day thing meaning your bird may even need to remain in your vet’s clinic for more than a day or two.
Still, you should be able to get your bird back with guidance on how to care for her at home.
Now, if nothing can be done for your bird’s beak, you might need to choose between euthanizing her or committing to caring for her for the rest of her life.
Please note some pet birds, such as parrots, can live for a very long time, so you need to give your choice a long and hard thought. You especially don’t want to second guess about keeping an injured juvenile bird because it might easily outlive you.
Can A Bird with A Broken Beak Survive
As with any injury, there is a chance a bird with a broken beak won’t survive, especially in the wild, but for the most part, they do. You only need to spare a little more time to care for and feed your birds until he recovers and the bill grows back.
Of course, if his beak does not regrow, you have to commit to feeding him for the rest of his life.
You’ll want to give your bird a chance if the beak is not too damaged, and only euthanize him if he is not thriving and the bill won’t grow back.
Do Bird Beaks Have Nerves
You might want to know if your bird’s beak has nerves to determine how to deal with an injury or bleeding.
Well, yes!
Bird beaks have nerve and blood vessels. They are sensitive to touch and can bleed, so if your bird is injured, it will feel pain, and you may see some bleeding.
For this reason, let an avian vet administer first aid to your injured bird since they know their way around the beak.
For instance, only a vet or an experienced bird owner knows that the closer a beak is to the head, the more blood vessels and nerve endings there are, meaning an injury in that area is pretty serious and even life-threatening.
Your avian vet will promptly discern the intensity of an injury, and considering the location, figure out if you are well placed to care for your injured bird.
Perhaps one other thing to note is the delicate nature of a bird’s beak is why we discourage bird owners from trimming their bird’s beaks.
Let a veterinarian do it if it must be done.
Well, that all for this post. See you in the next one.
All the best with your bird🦜, and take care.