# Lower beak snapped off!



## Snowy_pied_chic (Feb 19, 2009)

There is blood everywhere...this poor bird must have the worst karma in the world. How can I treat it? i'm not sure how much blood he's lost- but its still dripping out of his beak...How much blood does a quail have?


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Oh boy, poor guy. Hopefully we're not talking button quail. Coturnix or one of the big ones? Staunch the flow of blood by using a tiny bowl-maybe a shot glass or butter dish or even a lid of a big soda bottle--and fill with baking soda, powder, or flour, anything like that. You'll have to very carefully hold his head in the flour for a few minutes to get the blood to stop. Obviously be careful not to let him squirm and get it in his nostrils or inhale it if possible. Maybe have a syringe full of water handy just in case? I have no idea what we can do after that, but someone will suggest something. I'm so sorry you BOTH have to go through such an ordeal. I'll keep checking back, let me know what kind of quail it is and I'll see what I can find on the 'net.

EDIT: Okay, I see from your other thread earlier that he is a coturnix. I'll see if I can find anything. Thank goodness he's not a button. 

You're sure it's snapped off and not bent back obviously? Just want to make sure 'cause it says check first for that. Could be bent inside the mouth or underneath and laying flat so hard to tell.

Someone recommended using sugar instead of flour for little quail as it's less dusty but still clots.


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## dove_bird (Aug 21, 2009)

omg the poor little fella..hope he gets better!!


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## Pigeon lower (Oct 23, 2007)

Awwee so sorry about this little guy.
He must be in so much pain.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Can you post a picture? Once the bleeding stops check condition of the beak. How big is the piece missing? Is tongue affected?
Tube feeding and hydrating will be required. Beak will grow back but time is required.
In some situations building missing peace from composite materials and using surgical superglue is solution.


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## Snowy_pied_chic (Feb 19, 2009)

I observed him for a bit today, noticed that the blood flow seems to have clotted by itself. I tried a bit of sugar as well. Not all of the beak has gone- there is maybe...5 millimetres left- to hazard a guess. I haven't seen him eating yet but he's fairly old...about maybe 1 year already. Perhaps it's an 'old age' thing and he's reaching the end of his life 
He dunked his beak in the water when I offered it to him, and he is cooing and chasing his mate as normal. Maybe it's a disguise- I'm not very experienced in quails. Thanks so much for the quick replies.


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## Snowy_pied_chic (Feb 19, 2009)

*Here's the pic:*

Took a quick picture just then- it's a bit out-of-focus and really not in proportion but he kept squeaking and turning his head...
Anyhow, it's also edited on photoshop to make it lighter. It's practically already dark here in Australia


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

"1 year is not to old 15 years is old 20 is to old." - *my mistake if it is Coturnix - yes 1 year is old.*
He will either need deep dish to feed from or hand feeding.
It looks to me that his upper mandible (beak) is overgrown!
That may be the reason for lower beak problem.
Please keep checking on him if he eats and drinks.
I'll see for more info and come back to you.

P.S. Eating means full crop not pecking and loosing seeds.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

My feral pigeon rescue *Splitbeak* (mentioned in earlier 2005 threads) was able to eat seeds from a deep dish. I think this one may be able to do the same.

Larry


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

There is possibility to mend broken beak as I mentioned before.
Missing piece of beak can be replaced with one build from composite materials used by dental technicians (same material as for veneers).
You can use another quail to make print of the lower mandible. Kids plasteline modeling clay is good for this. Once you get model, you can ask any dental technician to make you “beak veneer” They also have bonding liquid (glue) to fix it to remaining part of the beak. In most situations you can convince them to do it for fun without charging.
If your bird can feed as it is, than whole this exercise can be skipped, broken beak will grow by itself.
I still think that upper mandible is overgrown and needs trimming.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

In other cases I read about, the owner would feed the quail a few times a day (three minimum if possible, two absolute minimum) with softened food that was easily eaten. Is this guy tame at all? We will see if he will eventually eat, but with the pain he is in it is highly unlikely he will eat on his own for the next week at least. Please do hand feed him, I don't think you need to tube or anything but some softened food will work. You might need to give him water too as they scoop with their lower beak and tilt their heads back. Good luck.


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## Snowy_pied_chic (Feb 19, 2009)

Hes not very tame- but will let me pick him up. After about 5 seconds, and then begins to struggle.
I trimmed his beak a few hours ago so it looks more even. Will post pictures soon. I'm not sure if this is relevant, bus he lives close by to a runt chicken (a gift froma friend who breeds laying chooks- she is t-i-n-y for a chicken, but still huge lol) and his mate. There is also a fantail who thinks she is a chicken and inhabits the floor 99% of her life. No, there is nothing wrong with her, she just hasn't realised that she is not a chicken!
Any ideas on how he could have injured himself?


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## seismic wonder2 (Aug 15, 2009)

Seen something like that in chickens, the top is overgrown or crooked (cross beak)and stresses the lower until it eventually brakes off. Trimming the upper beak helps prevent it. I saw on TV once a guy superglued a beak to a stork that got chopped off by fishermen. If you can find the beak piece that broke off you can glue it back but don't get any in his mouth! you may accidently glue his beak shut, then you have a REAL problem.


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## Snowy_pied_chic (Feb 19, 2009)

Nup, don't think superglue would work. His little beak is too tiny 
His beak was a little overgrown and I was slowly trimming it down to size. Maybe i wasn't quick enough


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