Just wondering how everyone who wrote in about their broken-legged geese and ducks is getting along. Our little duckling broke his leg 3 days ago and has received no treatment except extra food, water and love. He seems to be getting better.....hobbling out from under the grainery to join his siblings from time to time. Doubt if he'll ever be quite right, but I think he'll survive. Others???

-- Kim (barkinbarnyard@rrv.net), July 26, 2000

Answers

My muscovy with the broken leg seems to be doing OK. She broke it last week and I put a splint on it real secure and now she's trying to stand on it. I keep her in the duck house and don't let her out with the others to keep her still as possible. She just eats and drinks.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), July 27, 2000.

We have a Turkey that is about 6 weeks old with a broken leg. Looks like I would have to rebreak it to set it and put it in a split. I am leaning towards leaving the leg alone. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

-- Jay Sikkink (Jay.sikkink@co.stearns.mn.us), August 01, 2000.

One of our pekins seemed to have broken his leg when he got stuck in a one gallon bucket that we have around for extra drinking water for them (silly dope). I thought it best to do nothing. He wouldn't eat, and died two days later. Don't know if anything i could have done would have prevented it or not.

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), August 01, 2000.

I hope all the birds are doing better. I don't splint birds simply because it interfers so much with their activities. I keep an eye on them and make sure they're getting food and water. If the weather is bad I put a ramp up into the chicken house for the injured bird(s). Sometimes I will put the bird in the rabbit run to keep it quieter, or if it is getting picked on. But they seem to heal pretty well on their own. If not, we or the fox eat it. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), August 02, 2000.