Lrmartin91
In the Brooder
- Apr 5, 2019
- 19
- 27
- 34
Before i begin, I do not have a vet near me that can work on poultry. Strange living in the country with no poultry vets. The vet I called said watch for a few days and cull if needed.
I went outside to give my ducks and chickens some treats. Their favorite: peas and romaine lettuce. It's my favorite thing to do because they all get so excited. I have them in a huge free range area that is fenced due to the woods surrounding us. In that I have their coop with a run so all my birds can go to shade. Across from the coop, we have a pool for our ducks which right now has a tarp over it and a pallet to keep their feed elevated off the ground away from water.
All my birds had decided to be in the run area with the coop today and as I'm dropping the food to the ground they all run out excited except one. She was just laying there. I figured maybe she was being lazy so I go drop some next to her to entice her and she pecks at it but wont eat it. That's when I notice her right leg is sprawled and she isnt opening her toes to be able to walk.
I immediately run inside and grab a towel and gently pick her up and support her body. She is squawking in pain and fear. I take her inside. From there, I examine both legs. The left leg is strong and sturdy. The right leg is lame and limp. It seems loose around the joints. When I touch the knee joint, she squawks loudly. Nothing seems broken. Everything seems in place, just loose and limp.
She rested for a moment and I got her a bowl of water, an eye dropper to ensure her nose stays wet, and picked some more peas from our garden. She ate them greedily with some excitement but couldn't move.
I grabbed our little red wagon and lined it with towels and fluffy and laid her in their with a bowl of water. She is able to move herself in circles using her strong leg but cannot stand up at all.
My question is how do I splint her leg, should I splint it, what can I do to ease her pain, was the vet right, will I have to cull her, is it better for me to keep her inside with us or outside with her flock, is there any way to tell if she may have a break or a sprain besides xrays, and how often should i make sure her nostrils are wet?
I know some will ask about niacin and yes my duckies are all well fed and have niacin through brewers yeast, peas, and lettuce and even get a taste through the occasional cat food treat. I cant try to feed the cats without them begging for some.
I went outside to give my ducks and chickens some treats. Their favorite: peas and romaine lettuce. It's my favorite thing to do because they all get so excited. I have them in a huge free range area that is fenced due to the woods surrounding us. In that I have their coop with a run so all my birds can go to shade. Across from the coop, we have a pool for our ducks which right now has a tarp over it and a pallet to keep their feed elevated off the ground away from water.
All my birds had decided to be in the run area with the coop today and as I'm dropping the food to the ground they all run out excited except one. She was just laying there. I figured maybe she was being lazy so I go drop some next to her to entice her and she pecks at it but wont eat it. That's when I notice her right leg is sprawled and she isnt opening her toes to be able to walk.
I immediately run inside and grab a towel and gently pick her up and support her body. She is squawking in pain and fear. I take her inside. From there, I examine both legs. The left leg is strong and sturdy. The right leg is lame and limp. It seems loose around the joints. When I touch the knee joint, she squawks loudly. Nothing seems broken. Everything seems in place, just loose and limp.
She rested for a moment and I got her a bowl of water, an eye dropper to ensure her nose stays wet, and picked some more peas from our garden. She ate them greedily with some excitement but couldn't move.
I grabbed our little red wagon and lined it with towels and fluffy and laid her in their with a bowl of water. She is able to move herself in circles using her strong leg but cannot stand up at all.
My question is how do I splint her leg, should I splint it, what can I do to ease her pain, was the vet right, will I have to cull her, is it better for me to keep her inside with us or outside with her flock, is there any way to tell if she may have a break or a sprain besides xrays, and how often should i make sure her nostrils are wet?
I know some will ask about niacin and yes my duckies are all well fed and have niacin through brewers yeast, peas, and lettuce and even get a taste through the occasional cat food treat. I cant try to feed the cats without them begging for some.
