I have a green wing hen that I shot...well lets just say Hevi-Shot at 15 yards does some damage. I need it for practice though. It has a feww good size shot holes but the main problem is that the left wing bones were not salvageable as well as the right leg bone. Wing is actually in good condition and leg is also..I thought I would just rebuild the leg from wire and cotton and the wing just fill with caulk. The mount will be standing. Any better suggestions for the rookie? Thanks for your time.
Mike B.
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you can wire as usual then take the tube from a ball point pen cut it to the correct length and slide it on the wire to maintain the right lentgh, this is what i do
collin
If the bones are gone, they are gone. Oh well, time to build some new ones!
On a teal I would use 16ga baling wire and bend it into an elongated oval to replace both the radius and ulna at the same time. The hard part to explain is that I make a very small loop in the wire where the "elbow" will be. Another piece of the same wire is slipped through the loop and folded back (doubled on itself, wrapped with tape) to take the place of the humerus. The entire articulated assembly is then SEWED to the cartilage that remains in the wrist area. If small nubs of the radius or ulna remain they are just in the way at this point and I will clip them off.
It is harder to explain than it is to do, and only takes a few minutes. The trick is to make sure that you have matched the other wing as to the lengths of the two sections and the pivot points. Add a little clay or epoxy putty around the wrist area where you sewed it on, and then wrap the wire "bones" as usual with cotton, tape, or whatever so that they are the same thickness as those on the good wing.
With this method you can mount the bird in any pose you wish - even flying if the feathers are OK. Wire the repaired wing just as you would normally, and tie your main support wire to the new "bones' at all the usual places.
Nancy M.
Thanks all, I have...can you believe it..the humerous and ulna radius..thoufh they are seperated from an older attempt on a woody hen that looks close to size...I think I'll connect the radius/ulna again and attach it inside with wire ala Nancy..I guess I'll go as normal from there...didn't think of reattaching...thanks...
Mike B.