View Full Version : My duckling has a broken leg - advice needed.
KenElwood
2010-07-14, 09:58 PM
all, advice needed... Prease.
She's 3 weeks old. Noticed her not eating and drinking this evening at grub time and when I went to grab her she hopped off on one leg. The other leg, completely lifeless, just hangs in the air as I hold her up. When I touch her leg she chirps, loudly. And painfully so.
What should I do ?! I'm thinkin' to set and splint it with some popsickle sticks, but do I set her leg extended, or in a bent position ? Should I wait a day or so before I do anything ? At this point she can't move or is not moving to get water or feed.
It pains me.
Help !
ken
Bye-Bye kin
2010-07-14, 10:14 PM
all, advice needed... Prease.
She's 3 weeks old. Noticed her not eating and drinking this evening at grub time and when I went to grab her she hopped off on one leg. The other leg, completely lifeless, just hangs in the air as I hold her up. When I touch her leg she chirps, loudly. And painfully so.
What should I do ?! I'm thinkin' to set and splint it with some popsickle sticks, but do I set her leg extended, or in a bent position ? Should I wait a day or so before I do anything ? At this point she can't move or is not moving to get water or feed.
It pains me.
Help !
ken Only 3 weeks old? So probably not enough meat on it for a decent meal then.
johnElarue
2010-07-14, 10:47 PM
Sorry to hear that Ken, really,
I'd take it to the vet tomorrow, you may get lucky and be able to set it and save it.
But more than likely the vet will say put it down.
john
KenElwood
2010-07-14, 11:05 PM
Sorry to hear that Ken, really,
I'd take it to the vet tomorrow, you may get lucky and be able to set it and save it.
But more than likely the vet will say put it down.
john
Thanks johne. No can do on the vet. No cash. It's either popsickle sticks, luck, or both, or me putting her down. Naturally, I've been ransacking the internets for information, and apparently you set the leg in a bent position, not straight.
I've got her with one other mellow-ish duckling, Mary Jane, to keep her company so she doesn't defect into some lonely death-spiral.
ken
Coraline
2010-07-14, 11:09 PM
aww, i hope her leg gets better...
are you growing her to eat her?
or are you having her as a pet?
johnElarue
2010-07-14, 11:16 PM
Thanks johne. No can do on the vet. No cash. It's either popsickle sticks, luck, or both, or me putting her down. Naturally, I've been ransacking the internets for information, and apparently you set the leg in a bent position, not straight.
I've got her with one other mellow-ish duckling, Mary Jane, to keep her company so she doesn't defect into some lonely death-spiral.
ken
Did you try backyard chickens theres probably 200 people online now who'd know
KenElwood
2010-07-14, 11:16 PM
Hi Coraline
aww, i hope her leg gets better...
Thank you.
are you growing her to eat her?
or are you having her as a pet?
Neither. They just live here, and I feed them because I want them to stick around and do cool stuff.
ken
KenElwood
2010-07-14, 11:17 PM
Did you try backyard chickens theres probably 200 people online now who'd know
There (http://www.backyardchickens.com/) !
Thanks,
ken
Coraline
2010-07-14, 11:24 PM
ahh, i was thinking its nice that you are so concerned, and then i was wondering if you are only concerned because you wanted to eat her.
So, its nice that you are genuinely concerned :)
Goodluck!!
KenElwood
2010-07-14, 11:53 PM
She's eating !! But still hopping on the one leg. Commencing to set and splint it with popsicle sticks.
ken
kirinclassic
2010-07-14, 11:57 PM
No advice, Ken, just fingers crossed.
All the best,
(crossed)
KC
edin“ú–{
2010-07-15, 12:45 AM
ahh, i was thinking its nice that you are so concerned, and then i was wondering if you are only concerned because you wanted to eat her.
So, its nice that you are genuinely concerned :)
Goodluck!!
Ken has the ducks for weed control, so he can have a supply of eggs and a duck or two for the pot(offspring). He's slowly turning into a farmer and you soon expect to hear him speaking Japanese in some archaic dialect that nobody understands.
Booker
2010-07-15, 01:34 AM
i'd go to the vet, man. surely you have some cash to spare.....
and how expensive can that really be?
terry66
2010-07-15, 08:18 AM
whack it off!, the leg that is, my cousins have ducks and one of them had a badly broken leg so he grabbed it and chopped it off with a big axe and it swarked for about 1 min then was fine and it now hops around happy as!!
whack it off!, the leg that is, my cousins have ducks and one of them had a badly broken leg so he grabbed it and chopped it off with a big axe and it swarked for about 1 min then was fine and it now hops around happy as!!
Birds do ok with just one leg. We had a one-legged goose that did just fine for a couple of seasons... until the fox got her one night, that is. Our fault for letting the fencing get tatty :-(
KenElwood
2010-07-15, 11:40 AM
all, thanks for yer advice and encouragement.
She had a seizure late last night and was flopping around on her back for what seemed like an eternity but was only 10-20 seconds, and as all seemed lost and I had me mallet in hand she suddenly came-to and went buck-wild hopping around like a one-legged pirate in pursuit of his treasure. So I left her alone all night and've been feeding her minced worms and dandelion leaves all morning. She lives ! Fer now.
ken
kotoko
2010-07-15, 12:29 PM
Take her to the vets! Vets over here aren't as expensive as they are back home. I'm sure it wont cost that much. You need to either get your duck properly seen or put it out it's misery.. it's probably in great pain even if it doesn't seem to be..
TJrandom
2010-07-15, 12:51 PM
...and I had me mallet in hand ...
Silly - I'da had a siezure too if you were standing over me with a mallet.
I have taken the liberty of contacing Mr. Sasaki over at TBS and told them all about your fascinating story of humanity and survival back there in the inaka. They are quite interested in putting you and the duckling on the six o'clock tonight if only for a few seconds. Sasaki's technical assistant Ms Noda told me here will be two or three close-ups of you holding the bird and she suggests you both get a manicure and perhaps even a facial before they arrive. Usually they have people on hand for those kind of things but today those people are out on a scoop about flash cards that will revolutionize the English teaching industry for years to come, or so they told me. Anyway, I hope other stations will pick up on this newsworthy story as well and you and the bird will have the fame you so deserve.
On a more serious note... What name are you planning on bestowing on our petite but oh so dapper friend? Please don't let it be Donald.
Yours truly,
Cle
KenElwood
2010-07-15, 01:17 PM
TPG, nobody who understands fame wants to be famous.
TJ, read it again. Actually, as I approached with the mallet she came-to ! Reverse psychology, you see.
ken
Coraline
2010-07-15, 02:00 PM
a mallet seems a bit messy, surely there an easier way?
Truthfully, i was hoping the mallet was a joke. :(
Live little duckling, you dont want to be smoosh!!!!!!
TPG, nobody who understands fame wants to be famous.
Sure Ken. I know where you are coming from and let me assure you that I truly believe that it is absolutely your prerogative to take such a firm though reasonable stance. I'm rather skeptical myself when it comes to tv and all its hoopla. I mean, for all you know they could portray you as some delusional, hatchet-wielding maniac, right? You don't want that. I understand.
However, I don't think you should speak for the bird, Ken. To put it in other words, I don't think you should make that kind of decision for the bird. It has obviously come into this world, broken and all, to teach us a lesson on sympathy and modesty, two of the elements that the very fabric of Japan's society seems to be missing nowadays.
People will want to see the bird and connect, Ken. It is not your place to take that away from it, let alone from the people. We the people need a symbol of what it stands for. I say now is the time! Let the duckling show us! Let it live, let it prosper. Let it make us become united and whole again.
It's time to put your mallet away.
Ken, as its surrogate parent, I think you will need to give it a name.
Name it, Ken! Name it and let us know, for you are the keeper and protector of all that is eminent of our duckling.
Hotte
2010-07-15, 02:33 PM
I do have occasional problems with my poultry, right now i have a chicken which is unable to walk on one leg those things happen as when they eat in the rush the pour fella get tread on, falling etc.
I normally remove those and put them in a separate cage/box where they can have a rest for a few days (10days) normally they recover after a few days.
But saparation i think is the way forward, as well i (chicken) never had a broken leg, only very awkward moving poultry
best of luck Hotte
People will want to see the bird and connect, Ken. It is not your place to take that away from it, let alone from the people. We the people need a symbol of what it stands for. I say now is the time! Let the duckling show us! Let it live, let it prosper. Let it make us become united and whole again.
I know what you're cultivating ;)
KenElwood
2010-07-15, 09:00 PM
hotte, thank you.
caroline, rest assured, she'll be okay. :-)
..........
TPG, It's a duck, and I kill worms and slugs to feed it. There's a connection for you.
ken
TPG, It's a duck, and I kill worms and slugs to feed it. There's a connection for you.
That's good, Ken. Really assuring and all. How about naming it, though? Duckie needs a name just like any other animal under the care of a human. If you're at a loss, I might be able to help you out. Just ask, man!
Cle out
KenElwood
2010-07-15, 10:46 PM
TPG, you've thrown yer lure in the same fishing hole three times with no bite. Better change spots.
ken
myhobbyis
2010-07-16, 11:28 AM
TPG, you've thrown yer lure in the same fishing hole three times with no bite. Better change spots.
ken
Ha ha...Ken, time and time again don't we see that spurning these media types is the best way to spur them on. It really is the case of the one that got away, to take your fishing analogy to it's obvious conclusion :)
....Keep it up.
Just my laymen's opinion:
From a physiological point of view, if the injury is clean there is no risk of infection and the physiology of a bird's leg is basically simple so little risk of complications from internal bleeding.
I think the biggest risk would be from the shock of the injury on the ducklings very skitty, hundred miles an hour, juvenile psychology but that risk has passed I guess.
I wonder if having complete isolation from other ducklings while being in view and next to them may be better since there is a risk that by accident or to establish pecking order the other duckling may bash the leg causing further stress.
hoping the lil fella makes a speedy recovery.
How about 'Woonie'? Short for 'Wounded Knee'.
You could spell it 'Woony' or 'Wuny', I guess...
'Woonie-chan'
I really like the ring to it. How about you, Ken?
Coraline
2010-07-17, 12:22 AM
Can you please post a photo of said duckling?
I feel weirdly attached to the featherball now.
KenElwood
2010-07-17, 09:37 AM
Hi mhi, thanks.
From a physiological point of view, if the injury is clean there is no risk of infection and the physiology of a bird's leg is basically simple so little risk of complications from internal bleeding.
I think the biggest risk would be from the shock of the injury on the ducklings very skitty, hundred miles an hour, juvenile psychology but that risk has passed I guess.
I wonder if having complete isolation from other ducklings while being in view and next to them may be better since there is a risk that by accident or to establish pecking order the other duckling may bash the leg causing further stress.
Her overall health has improved much over the past two days. She eats, drinks and even cleans herself. But her leg is still in the wraps, and she hops on the one good leg. I'm coming to the realization that she may end up one-legged, and hope she does just fine like gomu mentioned earlier.
caroline, I'll stick a picture up later. Thanks.
ken
Can you please post a photo of said duckling?
I feel weirdly attached to the featherball now.
I'll stick a picture up later.
Yeah! Now we're getting somewhere! Woonie needs all the affection she can get. Ken, you really need to work on your PR skills man! I mean, you've got a potential goldmine there but all you do is report on the bird's wellbeing. That ain't smart, Ken. You gotta explode that duck. Take it off what it is. You know, like I suggested before - let the people know what's what with the duck.
Of course people wanna see pics of that cute bird! Wouldn't you? It's time to start considering the feelings of those you reach out to, Ken. It can't be only about you anymore. The duck is what it's about, man!
Put up the pics.
Yeah!
KenElwood
2010-07-17, 03:03 PM
TPR,
Ken, you really need to work on your PR skills man!
Hopefully someone will "steal" this picture and go on the book tours so I don't have to. How about you ? :-)
http://kenelwood.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/newbunch.jpg
(big picture (http://kenelwood.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/img_1995.jpg))
Mary jane is just very mellow; Chief is apparently the white Pekin { with a broken leg }; Flex has emerged as the alpha and the tough one; and 2:30 is the wildest .
Yer the new PR guy, TPR. Don't let the ducks down. Now, GO !
ken
kirinclassic
2010-07-17, 03:17 PM
[QUOTE=TPG;993054]Yeah! Now we're getting tiresomeQUOTE]
KC
kurogane
2010-07-17, 06:54 PM
What should I do ?!
Ken, Ken, Ken........................you should do what our funny and not very bright ____ry Livin' uncles used to do when the cat had her second litter in 6 months.
You start up whichever rusty pickup that still has a tailpipe that isn't completely rusted out, you put said ducky in a reasonably watertight and airtight bag, maybe even give her a romantic primitivist anthropormphic hug beforehand, if that's your thing, and attach said bag to said tailpipe, and wait for the wriggling to stop.
Then, you tell the kids that Daffy has gone to a better place, and feel a little sad about this life we live.
Then, the next morning, you wake up, and do it all again.
Either that, or get out that fancy nata you're always on about, and go Ichiro on her feathered asss.
KenElwood
2010-07-17, 07:07 PM
kuro, hisashiburi.
Either that, or get out that fancy nata you're always on about, and go Ichiro on her feathered asss.
Yer nata still have that label on it ? :-)
ken
Coraline
2010-07-17, 07:10 PM
naww, they all look so cute.
:o
thanks for posting a picture.
kurogane
2010-07-17, 07:53 PM
kuro, hisashiburi.
Yer nata still have that label on it ? :-)
ken
ROFL ROFL ROFL.
erai hisashiburi.
As I mentioned before, my nata is somewhere in the depths of a Canada Customs storage depot, gathering dust and rust.
I like to think it sits right beside Indiana Jones' Ark of the Covenant.
Friggin' Customs.
BTW, sorry to hear about the duck.
Coraline
2010-07-22, 06:09 PM
Is there more duck pictures??
Oh please say yes. :o
KenElwood
2010-07-24, 06:07 PM
Quick update:
TPR did some great PR work and helped me save the duckling. She's made a full recovery and is thriving.
Thanks to all for the advice,
ken
edin“ú–{
2010-07-25, 12:34 AM
Quick update:
TPR did some great PR work and helped me save the duckling. She's made a full recovery and is thriving.
Thanks to all for the advice,
ken
Good to hear, I had visions of it ending up as duck soup.
johnElarue
2010-07-25, 08:49 AM
That's an amazing recovery, glad to hear. Thought for sure it was a goner (along with julian's maple) sorry. Shows what a doomr I am.
KenElwood
2010-07-25, 10:35 AM
edin, ha ha.
johnE, had her leg in popsicle sticks fer four days, all the while hand feeding her compost grubs, dandelion leaves, cornmeal and fat chunks of diced earth worms. On the fifth day the sticks came off. On the sixth and seventh day she limped, and on the eighth day she walked. On the ninth day she ran, and today she's as agile as she was the day before she { broke/sprained } her leg.
Phew.
ken
She's made a full recovery and is thriving.
had her leg in popsicle sticks fer four days, all the while hand feeding her compost grubs, dandelion leaves, cornmeal and fat chunks of diced earth worms. On the fifth day the sticks came off. On the sixth and seventh day she limped, and on the eighth day she walked. On the ninth day she ran, and today she's as agile as she was the day before she { broke/sprained } her leg.
I'm happy you were able to save our Chief.
Good job, Ken.