Broken leg healing but cant walk up a ramp at all? aviary modifications?

[Da Mama]

We have chickens and ducks. I have a four+ week old Pekin who broke her leg when she was a few days old. We took her to a good vet who xrayed it with a little canine tooth xray pad thing. Its a long nasty splinter facture that goes from the top of her thigh about 1/3rd down and up to 2/3rds into the bone. It is healing as well as can be for her rapid growth. The vet set it would never be the same, it would heal asymmetrically and she would have a limp forever, but it wasn't life threatening etc. The problem is our coop is off the ground with a ramp, and the pond is also off the ground with a ramp. Today I took her out and wanted to see if she could manage the ramp at all - and she cant, she couldn't even hold her legs well enough to stand still on the ramp let alone move up the ramp. Im thinking we may have to modify things and get the pond at ground level etc. My question is - has anyone else had a duck that had a broken leg that healed? Maybe its too early - was your duck able to walk up a ramp? or is this not an option at all. If she cant get up a ramp, how is she going to get out of a duck pond by herself? We love her, she imprinted on us, we are forever keeping her and want to make things easy for her. I just wondered if anyone else out there had any experience, my guess is time will tell, but if I need to alter things, I want to do it now so it will be ready for her when she can start swimming on her own. I let her swim in the bath tub every day, but im putting her in and out of there. Any advice for long term comfort?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Welcome to BYC!

Sorry to hear about your ducklings mishap. My drake has never broken his leg, but once in a while he pulls a muscle. He limps around and struggles with ramps as well until the leg heals. We put a rough paper coating on the ramp for better grip. Our pond is level with the ground and has rocks set up to help them get out.
Can you extend the ramps out? The further out a ramp is the less of an incline. At least until she is fully grown and fully healed. I would think over time she would be able to build enough muscle to accommodate herself. I think you're in for a long haul here and if you have the time and patience I think it will all work out.

Good luck

 

[mikeru]

If you type on goggle about splinting avian fractures there are instructions to help your duck, It works I tried on my duck ,waterproof bandage too! Good Luck

 

[Da Mama]

She is actually being seen by a Vet. The break was up at the top of her leg and could not be splinted because as she grew it would restrict her breathing. The break was 1/3 of the way into her leg and went about 1/3 of the way down - you could feel it like a ball on the bone, it was not a clean break it was a fracturered /splintered thing. We saw the xrays. She seems to be walking better, I think that bad a break during the rapid growth made it heal faster than it would. She has moments where she only has a minor limp now, and other moments late at night where the limp comes back worse - which makes sense, - it would hurt more at night after use during the day. She is in a small cage and can get out next week - they don't want her moving much. Last night after her bath (water therapy for the leg) her bad leg kept sliding out away from her, so she pulled it back under her, looked down and stepped on it with the other foot so it wouldn't move. Which I thought was funny and so clever of her. She is absolutely a pet family member now.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I'm glad to hear she seems to be doing good. That's great that you could ask a vet.