Angel wing???

[Hennyhandler]

Could anyone tell me what Angel Wing is? I looked it up and i coudn't figure out if it only happened to waterfowl or if chickens could get it too? If anyone has any information about this please let me know.

 

[beakkeeper]

Poke around the waterfowl sections, you might find some info there. Basically, the wing feathers grow away from the body, almost at right angles to the body, as opposed to lying flat.

eta:

 

[dlhunicorn]

The info in these articles will help you:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=practical&action=display&num=1180682250

 

[Hennyhandler]

Thank you so much for the info Beakkeeper but do you know if it could happen only to half of the wing? Thank you so much for the websites they were most helpful. I am still stuck on if it is in only waterfowl though the more i read the more i think that is what is affecting my baby chick. If you have any other info please let me know about it. I greatly appreciate this.

 

[beakkeeper]

Quote:
I've never heard of a chick with angel wing, but maybe if you posted some pictures we could say for sure. (just cuz I haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist

). I think that sometimes only a few feathers are affected.

Here is a site that shows the transformation from "before" to "after":
http://www.carolinecrockeroriginals.co.uk/sheldon_pages/The_ducklings/angel_wing_condition.htm

 

[Hennyhandler]

 

[Hennyhandler]

This is a picture of my chick with its wing raised. Its really red under there and not growing any feathers or fuzz. The bottom half of the wing's feathers do not lower anymore like they did before like angel wings says. But that wing is very weak and when she is not tense, that wing droops and causes her to tilt to that side.

 

[Hennyhandler]

This is another picture of the underside of the wing, just a close up.

 

[Hennyhandler]

This picture shows her from the top. It is so hard to get pics of her, but I hope you can see how she doesn't have the tuft of white feathers on the weaker wing but she does on the other one. Hopefully you can also see how when she relaxes, the wing starts to droop and sag and makes her lean and tilt to that side, while her other wing works properly.
Since the bottom feathers of the wing are not sticking out anymore, I guess it isn't angel wing. But I don't know what it is and something is apparently wrong so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I can't "diagnose" anything from those pics and you may just have to wait until she develops further and simply keep posting with new pics until the problem is more (visually) apparent.
As you have read in those articles, nutrition is extremely important... some things (like Mareks or other oncolological viruses) may cause malabsorption or internal tumors which may affect a nerve cause the the wing to droop or such but it is truly too early to even guess at this point. Several things can cause malabsorption of nutrients and this will often also affect wing muscles and feather growth. Malabsorption means that even when they eat sufficiently they are unable to absorb the nutrients properly. It might be a good idea to get something like AviaCharge 2000 (one of the best and comple vitamin/nutritional/mineral supplements I know of which is also approved for organic certified and formulated for daily use. You can purchase it online from McMurry. In this way you have taken a measure that cannot possibly harm and may do this little chick a world of good by helping to combat any nutritional/vitamin deficiency (which in and of itself can be life threatening).