Need help! I've bought a tiny baby duck from a tractor supply store that sells chicks and ducks this time of the year. She has a bad leg and was being trampled on by the other ducks. They were going to kill her so I had to take her. She's smaller than the others I'm guessing because she couldn't get to the food or water very well. Her leg is completely straight behind her and the foot it folded up and bruised. I did take her to the vet who said the leg wasn't broken and to do some therapy with her. She's also not eating very well but she does get around in her box and gets to her water. We want to make her some kind of splint for her leg but need some help. Thank you!
You are already taking good care of your little duck. There is some very good advice on the internet about splinting legs. I have used little strips of the horse bandage, the kind that is stretchy and sticks to itself, to position and strengthen ducks legs. You will need help to this.Position the leg as it should be and then wrap the prepared strips firmly but not too tightly around the leg. Keep a careful eye on the bandage and foot to make sure it is not too tight. As well as growers crumbs, you could try your little duck with soft egg yolk or scrambled eggs. If the little duck is coping well in the box and getting to the water, I think there is every chance it will survive, but perhaps be on the small side. It's quite likely that the damage to the leg is accidental by the other ducklings and will, with help improve. Good luck.
There is a memeber of BYC that did the same as you and rescued a baby duck from a feed store with a hurt leg, Old Guy 43 why not PM him and I bet he could give you all kinds of good advise.. AND
Hooray for the duckling rescuer!!! Time in a tub of warm (85 F more or less) water, deep enough to float in, monitored closely because she's so young, may really help with the leg. I would let her swim a few times a day for five minutes or so, more if she's strong enough. But watch her. If she tuckers out she will need to be removed from the water right away. And afterward she needs to be in a clean, warm, dry brooder. I would help my ducklings dry off if they did not start preening right after bath time. Vitamins/electrolytes/probiotics would give her a boost, too. And when you have time, you are welcome to upload photo's (c:
We rescued a duckling last year that had gotten it's leg caught in the "gate" that keeps the ducklings in the pen. The joint looked almost evulsed. She was more of a Khaki than the Rouens I had purchased. No one wanted her and I brought her home. I raised all of them in my bathtub until they were old enough to go outside. Her leg never straightened out, BUT she was the first to lay eggs and the other ducks always waited for her. They never rushed to the pond leaving her behind. I have already told the feed store to let me know if anything happens again this year. A friend of mine has a blind goose and she has found the same thing that the other geese seem to know and don't take advantage, Hope your baby grows up to be as loving as mine did.
OldGuy43 here. The duck I rescued was apparently a bit older and did have a broken leg but, here's what I did. I put her in a comparatively small cage in a secluded spot, gave her a combination of 1/3 hen scratch and 2/3 layer mash. I put water supplemented with a Vitamin B Complex and lots of calcium in an open-topped butter tub. If I had to do it over, knowing what I do now I'd probably add Niacin (aka vitamin B-3) as well. The next was the hardest part. I left her alone to rest for 3 weeks (3 weeks is not a fixed number. I just waited until she was walking around on her own for no reason.). The only time I did anything to upset her was to give her food, change her water and litter. When changing her litter OldGal held her while I did that. We did our best to keep her off the bad leg. Next we brought her upstairs and put her in the bathtub filled with warm water so that she wouldn't put real weight on the injured leg, but would get some exercise. I did that daily for about 2 weeks. Next, when she had started regularly using the leg to help her swim I brought her out after her bath and let her try and walk around on the carpet. I felt the carpet, while not very thick and soft would give her some cushioning for her leg and foot. I stayed well away from her so that she didn't get upset and overdo. Yes, she stumbled and even fell sometimes, but that was to be expected. Within a few weeks of this regime she was walking well enough to try the chicken yard. At first we only put her with the cluckers for about an hour before returning her to her cage/convalescent home. We lengthened the time by 15-20 minutes or until she seemed to be tired until, she was spending 6 hours a day outside. At that point we let her try staying out all night. She's been in there ever since with her kiddy wading pool, and seems to be getting better at walking every day. Yes, she will more than likely limp for the rest of her life, but she seems happy. She even argues with the cluckers over the greens, and usually wins. I feel the key is patients. Tailor your recovery plan to match your ducklings progress. Do not try and rush it. Best of luck,
