Angelwing, protein levels, and processed food - Can this be a sticky?

[Duck Keeper]

Since you're here, and I know how some of you feel about angel wing, would you mind reading this article and telling me what you think?

http://www.freewebs.com/cottage_rose_birdsnblossoms/angelwing.htm

Hey, it makes sense to me, why should ducks be on a lower protein diet? Sadly, it would probably be wise to cull the angel-winged birds and breed the non-angel-winged ones...

Or keep them as pets and never breed them again, but how can you possibly do that?

DUCKLINGS ARE ADDICTIVE.



EDIT:
Worded it so anybody is welcome to give opinions.

 

[froggie71]

Just read the article and I think it's very interesting and I tend to agree with it. JMO

 

[Duck Keeper]

Yeah, I've heard about the gene suggestion, but I just brushed it off as like a superstition.

But then you start to think to yourself that ducks eat A LOT of bugs and fish and worms in the wild, so why should they have lower protein food in captivity?

 

[Wifezilla]

NOW I see this post. I just replied to another angel wing post about my thoughts on that article. Let me go find my other entry...

 

[Wifezilla]

Duck keeper, that article addresses the same questions I had. My ducks are on 24% protein game bird feed. Of course, they get several servings of greens per day and graze in the yard all day long. No angel wing and I have raised 5 from babies. I did have 2 others, but one died a few days after hatching and I lost JJ to a lung infection of some sort when she was 2 months old. Still, no angel wing issues with JJ.

So, either...
I am feeding enough supplemental greens so the high protein isn't an issue OR...
my ducks do not have a genetic susceptibility to angel wing OR...
excess protein isn't the cause of angel wing.

Based on the natural diet of a duckling in the wild of high protein worms, bugs, larvae, fish, frog eggs, along with aquatic plants (many of which are pretty high in protein themselves, i.e. duckweed)... my theory is that protein does not cause angel wing.​

 

[Duck Keeper]

Quote:
Well I'm trying to spread it around, since it's the theory that's been 'tested' more so than any other that I've ever even heard of, so hopefully people read it and it gets out into the world.

EDIT:
I agree with the statement about genes load the gun, and nutrition pulls the trigger, but who knows? It's too bad really, that nobody has studied this in-depth as of yet. It would put to rest a lot of misinformation out there.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

What Cottage Rose describes sounds as good as an official study to me. Plus the facts she presents are consistant with other evidence and good logic. I am convinced. We should be asking our breeders about the occurance of angel wing in their flock when we buy our ducks if we want to breed them.

 

[CityChicker]

It is very possible that there are two or more contributing factors in a bird developing angel wing. The thing with higher protein processed feeds is this- it is not *just* angel wing that they are implicated in.

The *only* time I have ever had significant unexplained losses or other problems (the roach backs I mentioned in another post a few weeks ago) is when I was feeding a higher protein food.

In my opinion, there is a BIG difference also in the diets of ducks that are allowed to forage and those that aren't or those that are fed large amounts of greens (like yours Wifezilla). Waterfowl that are fed a varied diet and allowed to forage *always* in my opinion seem healthier and in better condition.

Unfortunately, as others have noted, this is not something that has been really studied in depth scientifically.

 

[Wifezilla]

It could very well be that PROCESSED protein in large amounts cause angel wing. The heat some processed grains are subjected to totally changes the nutritional content and structure of the grain. So are the grains just ground? Are they heat extruded like human cereal?

So many questions.

I guess I just need to win the power ball lottery and open a waterfowl farm to test these things

 

[CityChicker]

LOL, I know, right? *Someone* needs to study it in more detail. Hopefully, someone will at some point. The problem is that a person would have to test hundreds of ducks on various diets, all under the same circumstances otherwise including probably the same bloodline. Not very many private owners would be able to do it.

Really, I think it is probably a combination of factors. I think even overfeeding is probably a likely culprit, at least in part.