# Chick w/broken wing - anything (more) I can do?



## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

Among a number of setbacks with a highly anticipated hatch, includes a chick with a severely damaged wing, only this one appears at present to be determined to make it.

When I checked on mom & babes it appears that a chick had gotten itself glued to the underside of her wing. Mom was in a full on panic when I discovered the situation. The little one was being flailed around by her own little wing pretty violently. After intervening and detaching the chick, the wing appeared to be broken or dislocated, and the flesh was pretty raw. 

I salved up the flesh wounds pretty good, but the wing just flops around (below the "elbow") like a doll with a broken arm, and the chick just dragged it around. There's some pretty significant swelling near the upper joints too. 

Funny thing is, the chick barely seems to feel it. As I was rinsing the appendage under cool water, all the chick wanted to do was drink. I massaged it very very gently to try and reset any dislocation, and than fashioned a sling to try and hold it in place...(took 3 tries, but I finally got one to stay on). I've been expecting the worst, but the chick is active, running around, scratching, eating & drinking with the rest of the gang like normal. It's been 24 hours now.

ANything more I should do? ANy danger the wing will begin to atrophy and cause problems? I'm not sure I'm up for an amputation  but I can't imagine it will ever have full use of that wing the way it's flopping now, and am wondering if we shouldn't prepare our emotions for another eventual loss.


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## SueInMichigan (Sep 27, 2007)

My neighbor's duck was struck by a car, and had a shattered wing. We splinted it using a couple of CDs and some duck tape, and after a week of that, re-wrapped it so that it was close to his body, and held in place with vet wrap. (removing the CD, which wasn't really necessary we found out)

Maybe loosely (not TOO loose) wrap the wing close to its body with gauze, and maybe vet wrap, just to keep the wing stable. A call to a local raptor rescue told us that bird wings heal amazingly fast, and Pappa Duck was back to normal within 3 weeks. So I imagine a growing chick would heal within a week.


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## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

Could you just use gauze to wrap the wing up as mentioned? It should be fine. We had a chick that broke it's neck--visibly mishappen and it survived. I think they can handle being hurt better than we can!


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## VA Susan (Mar 2, 2010)

One time I found a baby robin with a broken wing. A vet was visiting my school and was and he set it with a popsicle stick and white first aid tape. I can't remember any details other than that. Hope it heals OK. Wonder if there is some information on the internet about setting wings?


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

Sure wish your visiting vet were in my neighborhood, Susan. 

I removed the wrap to check for infection, etc., and of course, the wing didn't set right. It's crusty and matted, and the primary feather tips, which should be pointing toward his tail, are slung up too high and pointing toward his neck, kinda like when your bend your arm around to scratch your shoulder blade - and it's stuck that way. I guess this is better than dragging floppy on the ground. I tried to bathe it with warm water and a cue tip. He's preening over it now and objecting to being put in isolation. Maybe in time it will fall back to place and he can get some use of it, if he makes it. Still eating, but all in all, a major disappointment. He's stout, mellow, alert and stands erect. Definitely one of the nicer specimens of the batch.


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## VA Susan (Mar 2, 2010)

Hi LFRJ,
I found this site. Don't know if this will help at this point but you might try it.
http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/brokenwing.html
The pictures are not very detailed. It said it takes two to four weeks for the broken wing to heal.


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## whatrset (Apr 13, 2010)

Had one like that when I was a kid. My grandfather amputated the wing at the joint using cotton bag string (from a feed sack), just tied it tight and wriapped it right at the joint. THe bad part of the wing fell off and she still made many an egg in her lifetime.


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## Bat Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

A trick I learned from a wildfowl rehabber is to use pantyhose to hold the wing in place. Cut the leg of a cheap pair of hose (or a knee high if the bird is small enough), cut off the toes so it is a tube, leave the tube longer than you think you will need, it can be adjusted once it is on. Cut two holes for the legs. You will need help to put it on since you want it to be snug. Slide the hose over the chicks head and put the feet through the holes cut for them (this is the hardest part you have to gather the oes together to do it, have a third friend film you for AFHV). Once the tube is in place, slid your hand in from the tail end and adjust the wing to sit in it's natural position at rest. as you pull your hand back out, smooth the feathers to the correct orientation. This holds the wing in place but lets any wounds breath (and keeps flies off of them). Once the wing is better you can just cut it off.


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

Cool Bat farm. That's a trick I'll remember! 

So update - I ended up taking the chick to the vet, though more than anything for a lesson in how to do it right next time, and the chick got a shot of painkiller/swelling reducer, which I'm sure it appreciated. Actually, the whole episode at the vet was pretty funny, but a later story. 

I was told that I more than certainly saved the birds life, but a better set may have have abetted the future use of its wing. The vet showed, be how to do this for future reference. I learned that amazingly, within 24 - 30 hours, the growing muscle will have set its course with a creature so young, so a careful set really counts! At this point however, the bird is going to be disabled. . You wouldn't know it by observing the little creature though. It's been beat up, banded, poked, prodded, washed & rewashed, and now endures warm compresses daily, yet it is still eating and growing along with the rest of the wee flock, despite. What a little trooper!


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

oh YAY! when I saw you'd posted this morning I was afraid you were going to say you'd had to put him down. 

Sounds like a fantastic little fellow, I'm so glad you were able to save him. That kind of spirit is, I think, unusual. I've noticed they tend to sort of give up. 

as to disabled wing..well, after chasing chickens around trying to get them back into the coop so I could take off for a dinner/movie date.....having a chicken that's unable to fly up over my head into the trees would be QUITE a good thing!


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## TheMrs (Jun 11, 2008)

Bat Farm said:


> A trick I learned from a wildfowl rehabber is to use pantyhose to hold the wing in place. Cut the leg of a cheap pair of hose (or a knee high if the bird is small enough), cut off the toes so it is a tube, leave the tube longer than you think you will need, it can be adjusted once it is on. Cut two holes for the legs. You will need help to put it on since you want it to be snug. Slide the hose over the chicks head and put the feet through the holes cut for them (this is the hardest part you have to gather the oes together to do it, have a third friend film you for AFHV). Once the tube is in place, slid your hand in from the tail end and adjust the wing to sit in it's natural position at rest. as you pull your hand back out, smooth the feathers to the correct orientation. This holds the wing in place but lets any wounds breath (and keeps flies off of them). Once the wing is better you can just cut it off.


I came here on Saturday to research what I should do for a hen with a broken wing dragging the ground. I found this post and decided to try it out. We put the pantyhose on the hen as described and separated her from the rest of the flock by placing her in a broody pen. Today is Wednesday, only four days later. I went out this morning to feed her and the panyhose was off the hen and tangled around her legs and feet. Despite the pantyhose being off her body, the wing was still in its normal place! I went ahead and removed the pantyhose from her feet and let her out of the broody pen to see how she would do. As of now she looks and acts completely normal. I highly recommend the pantyhose sling!


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

Good luck with the recuperating baby...hope all goes well.


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