how long should I leave the splint on(updated)

[cutiepieacres]

One of my hens, about 5 months old got stepped on by my big alpine dairy goat and had her leg crushed. I was there when it happend and knew right away it was broke so I picked up the hen and could feel the break. I splinted it up with two twigs(for stability), some medical tape and wrapped it in vet wrap. I brought the hen up to the house and had her in a X pen.

Its been about 2 weeks and she is using the leg pretty much normally again, I am surprised since she had been keeping off it and mostly laying down for awhile.

When should I remove the splint, obviously I dont want to take it off too soon, I was thinking 4 weeks?

 

[Mahonri]

I'd give it another 10 days... is she getting free choice oyster shell?... those bones need calcium.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

it will take 6 weeks just as a humans bones do

so do not remove till then as it will only cause her to rebreak it

time is an important healing agent

to help her heal give the
wet mash probiotic with Vit E, B complex and calcium in it

for any recipe email me with this info

 

[cutiepieacres]

ok, Ill just leave it on another 4 weeks. She is doing really well. I really thought when it happened I would need to put her down. But she has been such a little tropper and has continued to eat and hop around on her own.

The last few days she has been walking like nothing happened, I thought at the best her leg would be usable but crooked. But she just has a blue bandage and other than that looks normal.

I still have her up at the house in the hospital pen so I can make sure to baby her still.

Thanks!

 

[cutiepieacres]

I have had her out with the chickens and out of the hospital pen for awhile and decided to take the bandage off tonight, planning to put it back on if it didnt look good.

It looks great! When she broke it it was all loosey and broken up inside I had little hope, now its nice and straight and strong again. She is walking perfectly, looks like nothing ever happened!!!