Very young duckling w/ broken leg

[Dutchgirl]

We had several ducklings hatch the other day. The duck hen has had one batch previously, which she rejected. We tried again this time and she seemed to accept them. Unfortunately we were wrong and she killed one and injured another. I was able to get the injured one while she was flipping it around, though, but she hung onto its leg. Now the duckling is holding its leg up.
We put all the ducklings with a batch of chicks that hatched just about the same time. The injured duckling hobbles around in the cage. It can swim alright, too. It doesn't use its injured leg at all.

Should I try to splint it? This happened a day or two ago. Is it too late to fix it?

 

[country945]

Hi,
My name is Kim. Where are you located? I live in Houston, Texas and there is a Wildlife Center that could help the little guy. Or if you are anywhere in Texas, Id be happy to take him off your hands or buy him. I intern at the wildlife center and I rehabilitate ducklings that have been abandoned, sick or injured.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had several ducklings hatch the other day. The duck hen has had one batch previously, which she rejected. We tried again this time and she seemed to accept them. Unfortunately we were wrong and she killed one and injured another. I was able to get the injured one while she was flipping it around, though, but she hung onto its leg. Now the duckling is holding its leg up.
We put all the ducklings with a batch of chicks that hatched just about the same time. The injured duckling hobbles around in the cage. It can swim alright, too. It doesn't use its injured leg at all.

Should I try to splint it? This happened a day or two ago. Is it too late to fix it?

Is it using the leg to hobble? if so then it may not be broken, keep duckling in brooder but in it's own little brooder a plastic ben of some kind so it doesn't use it's leg a lot right now, might just need a few days of rest duckling when first hatched must have bones like human babies they are softer, Get some plain niacin and start adding to it's drinking water 100-150 megs to 1 gallon of water this will help to strengthen it's legs plain by meaning not flush free of time released. hopefully with a few days rest it will be good as new. Or after I have typed all of this you can actually tell it's broken?

 

[Dutchgirl]

Hi,
My name is Kim. Where are you located? I live in Houston, Texas and there is a Wildlife Center that could help the little guy. Or if you are anywhere in Texas, Id be happy to take him off your hands or buy him. I intern at the wildlife center and I rehabilitate ducklings that have been abandoned, sick or injured.

Thanks, Kim. Unfortunately, I don't live in Texas.
But since you sound like you have experience with ducklings, what would you suggest in this instance?

 

[Dutchgirl]

Is it using the leg to hobble? if so then it may not be broken, keep duckling in brooder but in it's own little brooder a plastic ben of some kind so it doesn't use it's leg a lot right now, might just need a few days of rest duckling when first hatched must have bones like human babies they are softer, Get some plain niacin and start adding to it's drinking water 100-150 megs to 1 gallon of water this will help to strengthen it's legs plain by meaning not flush free of time released. hopefully with a few days rest it will be good as new. Or after I have typed all of this you can actually tell it's broken? 

It's not using the leg. It hops around on its good foot, just letting the bad one hang. When it lies down it kind of tucks it up. It doesn't seem to mind moving around. It does cheep a lot when I hold it, but they all do.
Niacin - where would you get that? Wal-Mart?

I felt around on its leg. To me, it feels like it may be broken a bit above the "knee". I can't really tell, though, especially with a squirmy duckling.


Hopefully this picture shows the bum leg and how the duckling is holding it up.

 

[country945]

Darn
Ducks are very hardy. They can get through a lot. I've seen ducks with broken wings and legs, brutal dog and cat bites and one was attacked by a male duck and had deep puncture wounds and its whole back side was bloody from the feathers being pulled out. If it feels like it is snapped in two, you could possibly try to use two popsicle sticks (cut them to size) then take surgical tape and wrap it around the sticks to keep it in place. We did this to a hawk with a broken leg at the wildlife center.The only think is that the little guy may be too small for you to do this. Honestly, He can live with a bum leg. There is a duck that has one leg on the lake I live on. We think its leg got caught in fishing line and the leg eventually just died and fell off. Your little baby can still live a happy life with one good leg They can move around really well in the water with one leg and can hop around with the other on land! I've see it!
I hope this helps! I wish there was some way I could help more!
If you don't want the baby anymore I would be happy to pay for shipping or gas or anything to get him to me!! Id love to have the baby and take care of it!
I hope this all helps!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's not using the leg. It hops around on its good foot, just letting the bad one hang. When it lies down it kind of tucks it up. It doesn't seem to mind moving around. It does cheep a lot when I hold it, but they all do.

Niacin - where would you get that? Wal-Mart?

I felt around on its leg. To me, it feels like it may be broken a bit above the "knee". I can't really tell, though, especially with a squirmy duckling.


Hopefully this picture shows the bum leg and how the duckling is holding it up.

Yes niacin can be bought at Walmart ask for plain niacin because for some reason they keep it behind the counter. I'd be worried about infection but maybe you could try to fashion something that would keep the leg at a natural position and give it a chance to heal normally. I'd do it soon though the longer you wait the harder it will be. Please keep us updated on how it does and what you do for it.

 

[Dutchgirl]

Darn
Ducks are very hardy. They can get through a lot. I've seen ducks with broken wings and legs, brutal dog and cat bites and one was attacked by a male duck and had deep puncture wounds and its whole back side was bloody from the feathers being pulled out. If it feels like it is snapped in two, you could possibly try to use two popsicle sticks (cut them to size) then take surgical tape and wrap it around the sticks to keep it in place. We did this to a hawk with a broken leg at the wildlife center.The only think is that the little guy may be too small for you to do this. Honestly, He can live with a bum leg. There is a duck that has one leg on the lake I live on. We think its leg got caught in fishing line and the leg eventually just died and fell off. Your little baby can still live a happy life with one good leg They can move around really well in the water with one leg and can hop around with the other on land! I've see it!
I hope this helps! I wish there was some way I could help more!
If you don't want the baby anymore I would be happy to pay for shipping or gas or anything to get him to me!! Id love to have the baby and take care of it!
I hope this all helps!!!

Okay, thanks! I'll see what I can do. The tricky thing is, it feels like it's been broken above the knee - in the fluff. :/

 

[duckyfromoz]

Sadly if the leg is broken- and it cant be set properly- duckie may have some tough times ahead. The bones right now are very soft- and will heal fast- but if they heal without being lined up it can have some sad results. If the break is clean but pretty much lined up- the little one has the best chance of recovery.

But if the break has left a jagged edge- this may continue to cause issues and be very painful as the ducklings grows. Being so small it is hard to anesthetise young ducklings- This would have to be done by a vet in order to set the leg properly. But again- the shock can easily kill such a little one.

Sorry for sounding so negative- but I am just trying to let you know some of the things you may expect. Last season I had a duckling just a few days old that had a broken leg - So I looked at all the alternatives.

One was to leave the leg but have it re-broken and splinted in the correct position when the duckling was older and more likely to survive an operation. The leg would have needed to be exercised so that the muscles and tendons were kept in use. This would have been painful for the duckling.

The fact that your little one hold the leg up in that position means that in time the muscles may atrophy if the leg is not given exercise. Swimming is a good way to try and slow this happening.

Best wishes for your little one...

 

[Dutchgirl]

I've been really busy the last couple of days and now I think the leg may have set crooked. I feel awful for it. I looked for plain niacin at Wal-Mart - they had it on a shelf - but as far as I could tell they only had flush-free.

All but one duckling hates swimming. The injured one will endure it sometimes, especially when the one that is okay with it is in with her.

Do you think setting the leg will do anything at this point?