Call duckling issues - Angel wing

[mandelyn]

Ok, my baby calls are 4 weeks old now I think. Their voices are just starting to change, and I'm pretty sure I have 2 boys. The issue is they appear to be developing angel wing, even though they have been on a lower protein grower instead of a 20% starter since week 2. I was paranoid about angel wing after reading about it, and now look, both of them are developing it. I have vet wrap ready, but I'm waiting for additional feather growth on the wing so that I have something to tape down.

Coco has it on the left wing, Chanel (I guess a Charlie or something now?) has it on both.

What is the best wrapping method?

How much feather growth do I need to be able to wrap it well?

How long does the wrap stay on?

How often do I change the wrap?

How bad do the ducks hate you after you do this to them? I've managed to make friends with these two, and I need to fix them no doubt, but am worried they'll hate me for it.

I'd imagine I need to lock them up and keep them off the pool during treatment?

Any info would be great, this will be my first time dealing with this. I thought by putting them on a lower protein feed before wings started growing would keep me from it... but I guess not. My other ducks stayed on starter until they were 8 weeks old and had wings before I switched them. So maybe I'm confused on what actually starts angel wing.

But it's definitely that, the little wing tips just stand directly out from the body.

Right now they have coated wing growth with just the barest tips of actual feathers coming out. I was going to wait a week and see if that looked like a better time to do it, after more growth.

 

[keyt1969]

This is my call Sammy when he was about 3 months old last summer.

You can either get vet wrap or the same stuff used to wrap humans...like what's used on casts. You can find it just about anywhere and it's cheaper than vet wrap.

I didn't leave it on when he was sleeping and I did it for a few days, checked him as he walked without it, then did it for another few days.

I had to change it every time I took it off because it's like tape, it doesn't go back on without sticking to itself.

Sammy still loves me, he will cuddle in my neck if I pick him up.

Yes, keep him inside if you can so you can keep an eye on him.

Now..the problem with angel wing is it can come back. I have many rescue ducks that are rescues from people who didn't treat it or didn't treat it right and it's a life-long thing. Sammy still has feather issues, but not angel wing. He has 3 brothers I purchased from the same lady. No, I didn't plan on having 4 drakes but we swore 3 of them were hens last summer.

Good luck!