Duckling with broken leg

[katie12]

My duckling didn't come into the shed at night so I went to look for her and i found her in the field unable to move. When I went to pick her up she tried to hope off on one leg. The other leg, completely lifeless, just hangs in the air as I hold her up. I found her about 2 hours ago. She's still eating and drinking for now.

What should I do?! I was thinking of putting a splint on it but it's broken at the joint. Do it set her leg extended or in a bent position?

I'm really worried and definitely do not want to put her down!

Help!

 

[Debs Flock]

Uh oh! Sorry, I'm not sure what you should do either. I'll tag some members that know LOTS more than I do. Meanwhile, there's a search bar near the very top of the page. Maybe you can find some info that helps. Sorry you & duckling are going through this! Welcome to BYC!

It will also be helpful if you could post some pictures of the leg. How old is he/she?

You tag members by putting the "@" sign in front of their user names:

@Amiga
@Miss Lydia
@casportpony
@jtn42248

 

[Amiga]

Oh, no.

Well, first, @katie12 can you give us an update?

A good duck vet would be best, even though that is not always possible.

Things I would do include - feeling the entire leg up to the body, and comparing it with the other.
Put her into a tub of lukewarm water deep enough for her to float in - so her legs can dangle in the water. Stay with her, to keep her safe. See if she can move it at all in the water with no weight on it.
I would construct a sling to keep the weight off the leg. The hope would be that she can keep things aligned if she does not have to put weight on it.
Be sure to make the sling so that her vent is not blocked, so she can "go" without making a mess of the sling.
Put poultry vitamins in her drinking water twice a week
Provide a little extra protein - a teaspoon of dry cat kibble a day

Please keep us updated.

 

[katie12]

@Amiga Update: I think one of my horses may have stood on her unfortunately. I felt up her leg and the break seems to be near her shoulder. It's too far up to splint it so I'll give the sling a go and see if that works. I haven't put her in water because I'm afraid she'll hurt it even more but I'll give it a go. Where would I be able to get poultry vitamins? Thanks for your help!

 

[Amiga]

Feed stores usually carry poultry vitamins.

 

[katie12]

Ok thank you