Angelwing genetic or nutritional?

[Wifezilla]

I am in the camp that angel wing is caused by high carbohydrates. If you look at what a wild duck eats during that rapid development phase, it is a lot of bugs, worms, aquatic critters and plants. They do not eat corn or other grains. These foods aren't even available to wild ducks until fall when they are already full grown.

Now, I do entertain that it COULD be protein...not the percentage, but the TYPE. Compared to animal sources, soy protein is inferior.

I wish there was a definitive study on this. Until that point, I will keep feeding my birds game bird feed and letting them freerange.

 

[Krys109uk]

Now, I do entertain that it COULD be protein...not the percentage, but the TYPE. Compared to animal sources, soy protein is inferior.

I understand what you are saying. The reason I had thought the protein thing had seemed to hold true for me was that I had been using a special feed which had fishmeal as the main protein source. Fish meal being a more bioavailable protein source for omnivores than soya meal.​

 

[shelleyd2008]

It is both, but I'm leaning more towards genetics.

I have 2 geese, one american blue and one embden. They were both fed the same things, the same way. If anything the blue ate more grass than the embden does.

The blue was switched from 20% flock raiser around 3 weeks old and fed a 16% feed, then mostly just corn after that, plus free-ranging grasses.
The embden is about 2-3 months old and still gets 20% flock raiser. It won't touch corn or grains at all, but does eat grasses some.

The blue started developing angel wing at about 4-5 weeks old, the embden is just fine. So like I said, I'm leaning more towards genetics.

 

[Krys109uk]

The blue was switched from 20% flock raiser around 3 weeks old and fed a 16% feed, then mostly just corn after that, plus free-ranging grasses.
The embden is about 2-3 months old and still gets 20% flock raiser. It won't touch corn or grains at all, but does eat grasses some.

As Wifezilla said. It is not the percentage protein thatis most important more the source & bioavalability of that protein source to the particuar type of animal.

Grass, being the natural diet of geese, is a good food source for geese. I have just looked at this site of a famous fed manufacturer in UK. It would seem, at least in UK, the protein content of grass can be pretty high.

http://www.bocmpauls.co.uk/common/u...ttle_dairy_56289704_Grass Bulletin Week 9.pdf​

 

[wilds of pa]

Ive seen it many times in turkey poults whether it be meat type or wild, but it has always corrected its self with in the first 6 months of raising them..never did anything to fix it..just kept them on the feed program and it worked its self out in the end..

 

[Krys109uk]

Unfortunately, if left, angel wing does not generally sort itself out with waterfowl.

 

[wilds of pa]

thank goodness it does sort itself out with turkeys, i have a wild hen and tom that had it and both can fly up 30ft into the tree's with no problems and they look very normal and produce normal off spring as well, so i believe it surly is not genetic..More than likely feed related and possibly has something to do with egg age or incubation ??

 

[Krys109uk]

thank goodness it does sort itself out with turkeys,

Do the turkeys the you are describing, ever get to the point where the wing is at right angles to the body, as waterfowl can if left & not strapped up?​

 

[Dustin Biery]

I had never heard of it before today. After first reading this thread , I looked it up. All the research that I could find suggested that it is caused by their diet. And having read all I could find, I am a firm believer that it is diet. Not all ducks are supposed to consume the same amounts and different breeds are supposed to grow slower than others. With that said, the example given in the earlier post of the geese could be explained by the growth the one bird experienced that was "faster" than it would have in the wild. You very rarely see this in wild ducks unless they encounter humans.

 

[WIfarmerboy]

Could someone explain what angel wing is to a newbie.

Maybe with a few picks of some birds with it compared to others without it. - Im a visual learner.