fledgling broken leg

[Marianne]

Not a great Christmas Eve...my NEW clutch of zebras are about to fledge any day now- there are four and I actually had to put one back when he/she "prematurely" fledged (or fell out)the other day. That one was fine after I put it back. Tonight, I found a baby hanging by a leg from the nest entrance! And no, the toe was NOT stuck in the nest itself, but in the nesting material (string, etc) that was hanging out of the opening (the way the parents built the nest).

Anyway, I got him/her out but the one leg (I don't know how long the poor thing was hanging) is obviously broken- sticking straight out and the youngster is not looking well. At first I put him in a seed dish to see how he was, but he was shivering there and I ended up putting him back in the nest with his siblings so he could at least stay warm.

If the leg is broken, is there anything I can do?Will the parents reject this one? Can he/she survive this way?

Any advice? thanks.

[tammieb]

Ouch! What a terrible way to start out. I don't think there's much you can do for the poor thing. He will either survive and the leg will mend on its own or he will die from the stress/trauma. If he were weaned I would suggest that he be moved to a hospital cage with heat and food/water placed down at the bottom of the cage as he wouldn't be able to perch. It could be the hip that is broken and not the leg. Often in the struggle to get free the hip will be dislocated or broken. Either way recovery will be a struggle.

If he makes it though the night that'll tell you a great deal about his chances.