BROKEN ANKLE

[REDCHEQHEN]

I have a hen with a broken ankle, it is splinted and strapped up and she manages very well on it now, with just a bit of a limp. This happened about 10 days ago, and up to that point had been trained to 12 miles. She flies around the loft and doesn't have too much difficulty with landing.

1. Anyone know how long these things take to heal ?

2.Should it remain strapped up for quite a while ?

3. Should or could the splints be removed soon,

4. would I continue to strap the leg up to give support for a longer period of time.

Any advice would be appreciated

Thank you

[Henrik]

I would take it off now and things should be fine. Pigeons heal at a remarkable rate

so you shouldnt need any more strapping on the leg.

[REDCHEQHEN]

Thank you Henrik

[peterpau]

I'd agree with henrik but wouldn't want to race her if she hangs her leg in flight

[REDCHEQHEN]

I shall take particular note when she is flying out.

[Guest]

Red Cheque,  I had a bird with 2 broken legs a few years ago "Braveheart" Once he's done his stint on the banana rack, we put him on the young bird loft with food and water pots close by, after about 7/8 days he was out flying with his buddies, still with his splints on, his landings were something to behold lol

 

He ended up 8th place Champion bird in the Club

[REDCHEQHEN]

Thank you for all your comments - cos i've attached the splints with micropore - we're going to remove them over the weekend when there is plenty of time to spare! She doesn't hang her leg in flight, I have had her out a few times on her own so I could have a good look. The limp is also less pronounced now - but she still has one. Thank you for all your comments and advice. And Hyacinth - it would bee nice to have the same bird score more than once in a season - that hasn't happened yet ! (though we have had a few birds scoring once in successive seasons)

[jimmy white]

if the bird in question is a yb , they do heal far quicker,, i have found in the past, that its not so bad at the ankle joint, and better just being left,without splints, they gradually put their foot down themselves, and sometimes are walking well in a fortnight, i think theres all sorts of probs with splints ,i,e foot swelling etc, but sincerely wish you well with the bird

[Guest]

Redchequer,

 

The easiest way to split a broken leg is to use a small piece cut off a drinking straw, the put some tape round the outside to secure

 

[REDCHEQHEN]

I used the middle section of a cotton bud cut up - it was hollow like a drinking straw - bound round with micropore tape - not tight

[Guest]

Interesting thread.

 

Picked up from a vet article that as Jimmy says, modern way is not to splint. Bird holds leg 'in tension', the broken ends align by themselves, foot off the ground for around a week, 'limp' putting partial weight on injured leg for another week, on their feet after a fortnight.

 

Another piece of useless information for y'all.  ;D  Looking at the birds leg, was a puzzle to me as there always appeared to be an extra 'long-bone' in it and extra joints. Was supposed to be like-for-like with a human leg? Took a while to realise that what we think as the birds ankle isn't its ankle at all - its the equivalent of the front part of our foot ... the bit with the toes. Our ankle is on the ground, behind this bit of the foot. The bird's ankle isn't on the ground, it's 'half-way' up its leg. Its the first joint up the leg, well off the ground, where you'd expect its bleedin knee might be, only it bends the wrong way for a knee, that's the next one up again, which bends the same way as ours does ??

 

 

[REDCHEQHEN]

You've confused me Bruno, 'leg' was broken just above the toes where they intersect. Took the splints and micropore off at 6.00pm tonight and she is fine, atleast her foot isn't 'dangling' any more....!!!  After splinting it we were told a few days later we should have let it heal naturally as she would have held it aloft anyway, but having bound it up already felt it would not be in her best interests to remove this for fear of complications. She is a lovely little hen. Bless...!!!

[Guest]

Reckon you did what I and others would have done, Redcheqhen.

 

That part of the birds leg where the metal, plastic or rubber ring sits is only a single bone and seems to be the most common place for a break. As you know, our lower leg [between the knee and ankle] is two bones, so what the ring sits on isn't the bird's ankle.

 

Was really surprised at vet's advice not to splint, because splinting the broken parts together seems the natural thing to do. But when you think a bit more about it, what is the natural thing?  Not many splints available in the wild for the wild birds is there? How then do these birds survive a broken leg?

 

As I've posted elsewhere on other 'health' subjects, the bird is better equipped to look after its own welfare than most of us realise.

[REDCHEQHEN]

Yesterday she was running round without a limp at all, so I am pleased about that. Luckily the broken ankle was the one without her ring number on, the swelling she had may have meant it would have had to be cut off. I have never seen a broken leg on a pigeon before. I shall know better if there is a 'next' time.

[Guest]

Pigeons always surprise me with their recuperative powers.  We got a cock back 2 years ago severly hawked, air sacs punctured so much that his head swelled up to three times it's normal size.  He recovered and flew a super old bird season this year.

[REDCHEQHEN]

This little hen was our 2nd bird back from 1st young bird race - clocked 21 seconds after our first - and she was 12th club - 488 birds (1st bird was 7th club)

[jimmy white]

:) great news,, alls well that ends well, hope she does it again

[GREENGRASS]

well done redcheqen a fitting reward for all your efforts.