Beginnings of angel wing. What should I do?

[DeckDuck]

Well, my one-month-old Blue Swede duckling looks like she's starting to develop angel wing in her left wing. She started growing wing feathers the other day and now they're perhaps 3/4 of an inch long. Her left wing looked a little different this morning but now, just twelve hours later, it's starting to look very distinctively angel wing-ey. It's drooping and starting to point outward. I tried to take a picture for this post but you couldn't really tell what was going on without the perspective of seeing it in person.

What can I do to nip this in the bud? I've been feeding them (just two ducklings) 15% protein feed because Storey's Guide suggested 16%-18% at this age and the feed store only had the 15% grower and a 22% grower available. I've also been giving them a poultry vitamin containing niacin in their water and have been taking care to exercise them each day.

I need to slow this duck's growth to allow the wing to catch up to its feathers, right? I read somewhere that you're supposed to immediately put them on alfalfa pellets until the condition clears up. I have guinea pig pellets that are alfalfa based -would those do? Would they really be alright on that stuff for, what would it be, a few days? Should I change only the diet of the afflicted ducklling or the diets of both?

Should I start binding now or wait to see if a diet change works before I get so drastic?

I'd appreciate any advice. This is only my second time raising ducklings and I'm not terribly experienced. They just grow so fast (and I've just witnessed what a difference twelve hours can make) so I thought I should go straight to the forum on this one. I'll have time for research tomorrow evening but I'd like to be able to do something for her until then. Thanks!

 

[Frank Phinster]

I guess when angle wing is already developing, diet change probably won't help much because the joint is already under stress and thus deforming. In that situation, taping might be a better idea.

This thread might be of interest for you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ow-we-wrap-to-mend-it-pictorial#post_8682154 

 

[jdywntr]

I'd tape it. The link Frank provided is excellent.

I only had experience with angel wing in a gosling. I tried taping it but unfortunately, it didn't help. It is only a cosmetic thing but they can have problems with the tip sticking out.

 

[DeckDuck]

Alright, I guess I'll wrap it. That should be interesting! The link is excellent, thank you.

 

[farmer boy]

Angel wing also known as slipped wing, crooked wing, and drooped wing is a syndrome that affects aquatic birds, primarily geese and ducks, in which the last joint of the wing is twisted with the wing feathers pointing out laterally, instead of lying against the body. Males develop it more than females.
The syndrome manifests as an incurable anatomical condition which is acquired in young birds. Due to a high-calorie diet, especially one high in proteins and/or low in vitamin D, vitamin E andmanganese, one or both carpus (wrist) joints are retarded in their development relative to the rest of the wing; for reasons unknown, if only one wing is affected it is usually the left one. The result is a wrist which is twisted outwards and unable to perform its usual function. Angel wing symptoms include stripped remiges (flight feathers) in the wrist area, or remiges protruding from wings at odd angles. In extreme cases, the stripped feathers may resemble sickly blue straw protruding from wings. In adult birds the disease is incurable and usually leads to an early death as affected birds are rendered effectively or totally flightless. In young birds wrapping the wing and binding it against the bird's flank, together with feeding the bird a more natural diet, can reverse the damage.
The only wild waterfowl populations known to be affected are those fed by man.[citation needed] In Sweden, ten different park populations of Canada geese produced angel wing. The following year one flock was not fed any artificial feed and there were no angel wing goslings produced.[citation needed]
There are currently two basic theories concerning the cause of Angel Wing:

1. The first involves too much protein and the second involves too many sugars[citation needed]. Angel Wing is not generally observed in waterfowl not residing near humans, and the disease can often be observed in areas where geese or ducks are excessively fed bread[citation needed]. To prevent Angel Wing, waterfowl should not be fed bread, popcorn or other human foodstuffs[citation needed]. Duck seed is an alternative for duck feeders.
2. The second theory is that the cause could be genetic, as the same breeding pair can produce several Angel Wing chicks or cygnets over many broods.

As little research has been done on this, it is currently impossible to favour one theory over the other..... this is from a site i found

 

[DeckDuck]