Broken Leg?

[JenniferK]

I have a little BEI that I thought was sick when I noticed her spending a lot of time by herself lying on the grass while the other ducks were foraging. The next day I noticed that she was limping badly, and I assume that's what the problem is since she's eating normally and looks otherwise healthy. I've checked her feet and legs for signs of injury and can't find anything that looks off, but the limping is so bad now (this is the third day) that she's almost hopping on one foot, and she is doing a lot more sitting in one place.

I haven't found a vet in our area who sees birds, so do you have any suggestions for what to do with her? Is there a way that I can verify whether or not the leg is broken, and if so, do I try to splint it? Do I confine her in a box for some period of time? Is the weight of a male (same breed) trying to mate with her enough to break her leg?

Thanks for any help!

 

[sourland]

Drakes roughly mating a hen can cause pelvic and hip problems. This is more common in large breeds or where multiple drakes are gang breeding the hens. I would recommend seperating her from the drake until she gets back to normal. Even if the mating did not cause the problem, it may make things worse.

 

[JenniferK]

Thanks, I will separate her for now. Also, she was one of only two ducklings that hatched, and the other died the first day. This one had problems with angel wing, which I was able to correct with tape, but I always thought one of her legs was turned in a little too much, and I've wondered if maybe she has some genetic problems that could somehow be related to the leg thing...