Angel wing in mallard duckling?

[jlesz]

Hi all, I work for a wildlife rehab and have been raising ducklings for two years. This is my first experience of possibly dealing with angel wing. We have had this mallard for almost two months and he/she has started showing signs of angel wing. What is the best way to treat this in a native breed? Mind you, the goal is for this bird to be released back into the wild since it is in a rehab setting. I have read online to wrap the wing and feed alfalfa pellets, but I wasn’t sure if the treatment is the same for both native and domestic breeds.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Hi all, I work for a wildlife rehab and have been raising ducklings for two years. This is my first experience of possibly dealing with angel wing. We have had this mallard for almost two months and he/she has started showing signs of angel wing. What is the best way to treat this in a native breed? Mind you, the goal is for this bird to be released back into the wild since it is in a rehab setting. I have read online to wrap the wing and feed alfalfa pellets, but I wasn’t sure if the treatment is the same for both native and domestic breeds.

If you are trying to rehab to release I would wrap that wing ASAP. If it's not taken care of right away the duck will lose its ability to fly and as far as I know wrapping is the only way to treat once it's growing out from the body. I wrap the wing individually and then do one last wrap around the ducks abdomen to serve as a sling and help with the weight. I have a breed that is prone to angel wing so I started lowering protein at 3 weeks and haven't had any cases since. I would skip the alfalfa as it's higher in protein and the ducks overall protein % in diet needs to be reduced in cases of angel wing.

 

[jlesz]

If you are trying to rehab to release I would wrap that wing ASAP. If it's not taken care of right away the duck will lose its ability to fly and as far as I know wrapping is the only way to treat once it's growing out from the body. I wrap the wing individually and then do one last wrap around the ducks abdomen to serve as a sling and help with the weight. I have a breed that is prone to angel wing so I started lowering protein at 3 weeks and haven't had any cases since. I would skip the alfalfa as it's higher in protein and the ducks overall protein % in diet needs to be reduced in cases of angel wing.

Thanks for the help! What do you recommend feeding? Right now he/she gets an 18% starter crumble along with veggies/fruits and insects. 18% seems to be on the lower end of the protein ratio out of the starter crumbles that I've seen. I'm guessing we should lower the amount of starter given and maybe increase the amount of veggies and time foraging?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Thanks for the help! What do you recommend feeding? Right now he/she gets an 18% starter crumble along with veggies/fruits and insects. 18% seems to be on the lower end of the protein ratio out of the starter crumbles that I've seen. I'm guessing we should lower the amount of starter given and maybe increase the amount of veggies and time foraging?

Before I would start mixing in a 16% maintenance feed at 3 weeks (I would use Kalmbach's non-gmo pellets), but now I do exactly the same only with Mazuri Waterfowl's 14% Maintenance feed. By 7-8 weeks my ducklings are 100% on Mazuri Maintenance now. I'm really loving the Mazuri Waterfowl since I made the switch.

 

[jlesz]

Before I would start mixing in a 16% maintenance feed at 3 weeks (I would use Kalmbach's non-gmo pellets), but now I do exactly the same only with Mazuri Waterfowl's 14% Maintenance feed. By 7-8 weeks my ducklings are 100% on Mazuri Maintenance now. I'm really loving the Mazuri Waterfowl since I made the switch.

Okay great, I have the Mazuri waterfowl maintenance pellets. I just thought you weren't supposed to use them until they were fully feathered adults. But I will start transitioning him onto that. Thank you!