MarlyMonster
Songster
- Oct 24, 2018
- 580
- 1,501
- 167
Hi lovely people!
4 weeks ago yesterday I hatched out a beautiful little Muscovy duckling. He was from a batch of double yolkers that I was trying to hatch, and as the only single he was the only one that survived. He was malpositioned and did externally pip, but I had to get him out of the egg myself a day later. Since then he seems to have grown up a little crooked, and I didn’t think anything of it. Only now at 4 weeks it’s really really prominent and I’m trying to find solutions to help him live a little more normally.
His body seems to have a big bend in it, that’s why I’m thinking scoliosis of some sort. His left leg is also turned out at the hip/knee so the bigger he got the more trouble he had walking. I was working with grippy shoes at first but when he suddenly couldn’t get up anymore I changed course and fashioned him a hobbles out of soft elastic and Velcro. He’s been wearing it for the past 36 hours and he’s already doing a lot better! He can stand on his own now and while he doesn’t walk fast, at least he walks! A lot of his weight is supported by his right leg though because the left one still isn’t the most steady.
Has anyone else experienced this before? Are there other things I can do to help him?
He’s a perfectly happy little ducky otherwise, he eats and drinks on his own and takes swims in the tub with his sister (who I went and got to keep him company). Swimming isn’t super easy for him since his left leg causes him to float up a little on that side but he’s found his own way to get around in the water.
Would love to get some input and I’d others have experienced this too would be really interested in hearing your story.
If I think of more details I’ll post them here!
4 weeks ago yesterday I hatched out a beautiful little Muscovy duckling. He was from a batch of double yolkers that I was trying to hatch, and as the only single he was the only one that survived. He was malpositioned and did externally pip, but I had to get him out of the egg myself a day later. Since then he seems to have grown up a little crooked, and I didn’t think anything of it. Only now at 4 weeks it’s really really prominent and I’m trying to find solutions to help him live a little more normally.
His body seems to have a big bend in it, that’s why I’m thinking scoliosis of some sort. His left leg is also turned out at the hip/knee so the bigger he got the more trouble he had walking. I was working with grippy shoes at first but when he suddenly couldn’t get up anymore I changed course and fashioned him a hobbles out of soft elastic and Velcro. He’s been wearing it for the past 36 hours and he’s already doing a lot better! He can stand on his own now and while he doesn’t walk fast, at least he walks! A lot of his weight is supported by his right leg though because the left one still isn’t the most steady.
Has anyone else experienced this before? Are there other things I can do to help him?
He’s a perfectly happy little ducky otherwise, he eats and drinks on his own and takes swims in the tub with his sister (who I went and got to keep him company). Swimming isn’t super easy for him since his left leg causes him to float up a little on that side but he’s found his own way to get around in the water.
Would love to get some input and I’d others have experienced this too would be really interested in hearing your story.
If I think of more details I’ll post them here!
