A broken bone is a serious medical emergency. Human broken bones need to be treated by a doctor in order to heal properly, they also need to be treated delicately in order for the bone to heal well.
But what about with birds? Can a bird’s broken wing heal by itself? This article looks into it
A bird’s broken wing can only heal by itself if the injury is not severe, if the injury is severe, then the bird’s wing will not be able to heal by itself
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Can a bird’s broken wing heal by itself?
If a bird’s wing is severely broken, then no, the wing will not be able to heal by itself. However, if the break is not severe, then the bird’s wing can heal by itself.
If the bone that is broken is the radius, and this is a minor break, then the wing will be able to heal itself. If a different bone is broken, then the only way that the bird’s wing will be able to heal is if the break is tended to and repaired by humans.
Nature is a tough place and if a bird is left with a broken wing there is nothing in nature that can help it
How bones heal themselves:
There are two bones that make up the bird’s forearm, the radius and the ulna, both of these are situated between the bird’s wrist and elbow, the thinner of the two bones is the radius.
If the radius bone is broken, but the pieces of broken bone do not move away from each other, but stay connected to each other, then the bird can heal this bone.
Healing happens when calcium builds up in the spaces between the pieces of broken bone. The calcium fuse the pieces together bridging the gap.
This injury is minor and thus, the bone can heal itself and the wing can heal.
If the break is severe, then the broken bone will not be able to heal itself.
In addition, if the pieces of broken bone separate and pierce the bird’s flesh, this can make healing more difficult
How to treat a bird with a broken wing?
Unless you’re a properly trained and equipped wildlife rehabilitator or an experienced avian vet, you should not be treating the bird’s broken wing.
If you can, it would be best to take the bird to an experienced avian vet or wildlife rehabilitator. Taking the birds to these professionals will increase the bird’s chances of survival and help to ease the pain of the broken wing.
In the meantime, while you’re waiting to take the bird to an avian vet or a wildlife rehabilitation center, it is recommended that you clean the wound using a wound cleaner and wrap the bird’s wing keeping it in the correct position till you can take the bird to the vet.
You’ll need a wound cleaner to clean the wound (if there is a wound) and bandaging tape to wrap the bird’s wing in.
After using a wound cleaner on the bird’s wound, start wrapping the wing.
Wrap the bandaging tape on the bird’s back and then wrap it over the broken wing making sure that it is in the correct position.
Proceed to wrap the tape under the bird at its chest, wrap under the uninjured wing to allow for freedom of movement, and then wrap the bandage back up to the bird’s back.
Taking the bird to the vet as soon as you can, even after you’ve wrapped the bird’s wing, is recommended because the bird will be in great pain while its wing is broken.
It will not show many signs of pain because animals have evolved to not show pain in fear of being attacked by a predator, but the bird is surely in pain with the broken wing. The vet will be able to prescribe bird pain killers.
How long does it take for a birds broken wing to heal?
If the bird’s wing is wrapped up well enough then you can expect the bird’s wing to heal within a few weeks at a minimum, that is if the wing is not severely broken.
If the wing is severely broken, then the healing will take longer
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Sulfur Dust For Chickens, How Do Birds Break Their Wings, Can A Birds Broken Wing Heal On Its Own, How To Tell If A Bird Has A Broken Wing