First time with angel wing

[Vyctoria]

I currently have 6 ducklings, all about 5 1/2 weeks old. It's my 4th batch of ducklings that I've raised and I decided to do something a little different this time around. My prior ducks were all raised on Nutrena Naturewise Chick Starter, supplemented with brewers yeast up until they were full-grown. This time, I decided to start them organic, since I'm trying to make the switch with the adults too. We finally started carrying New Country Organics at my work, so my adults are on the duck layer, and I had originally started my new ducklings on Manna-Pro organic starter until I got the NCO duck grower in. It said to feed the grower from 3 weeks up, but I think I started it more about 4 weeks. I can't remember for sure (I was just using up the last of the starter).

Along with this change in my normal feeding plan, I'm having a first-time issue. Two of my ducklings are developing angel wing in their left wings only. Both are females. The first is a Cayuga that isn't bad and she sometimes can pull it up, but it's definitely trying to start. The other is a Saxony that has it more pronounced. I'm currently following the suggestions that I found around other posts by using a sock. I used vet wrap on the Saxony last night and it literally held until I walked in this morning and it slipped down. I put socks on both today and came home from work to find one sock pulled up around the neck of one and the other sock completely missing.

Just tonight I tried the socks again, but with masking tape wrapped around snug. The Saxony is being super patient and let me get it how I needed, but the Cayuga is squirming so much that I had to have my mom help me hold her while I just taped her wings down because the sock won't hold. I feel bad taping directly and I don't want to keep doing it. My plan is to switch them over tomorrow to the chick starter I used to use.

I guess my questions are, has anyone ever had troubles with New Country Organics doing this? I would have thought that a duck food would be better suited, but it seems to have caused more problems than anything. I'm not dead set on feeding organic, but I love the idea of whole grains because I plan to start fermenting it. Could I have started them on grower too early? Also, what is the success rate for fixing angel wing at this age? Does it take long? Do they need to wear the wrap 24/7? What should I expect?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Sounds like you caught it in time. I think it depends on how severe the angel wing is as to the success rate.
Honestly the more I read about angel wing, the more I think it is genetics and feed combination which play a role in those who are susceptible. Because, the ones who are getting angel wing aren't on the same feeds with the same protein, carbohydrates, etc...
Some wrap 24/7 for 3-5 days, some only wrap at certain times like bedtime.
@CayugaJana currently has some cayugas with AW and had some in the past too.

 

[casportpony]

Have you seen this video yet?
http://www.phillipsmediaservices.com/anglewinghispd.wmv

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cayuga-angel-wing.1203339/

 

[Vyctoria]

Have you seen this video yet?
http://www.phillipsmediaservices.com/anglewinghispd.wmv

I'll have to try to download it through the night or something, because it keeps saying it'll take over a half-hour to load.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cayuga-angel-wing.1203339/

That's where I got the idea to use the sock! My Cayuga has it to about the same extent, but the Saxony is more pronounced for sure. Her story is what gave me some hope, but there wasn't a lot of in between documentation of the progress, so I feel sort of lost about what to expect.

 

[casportpony]

I'll have to try to download it through the night or something, because it keeps saying it'll take over a half-hour to load

Yeah, we have slow internet too, but the video is great. The guy uses a vice holding a raw chicken wing and shows how to wrap using vetwrap. It really is worth the wait, IMO. Maybe I will contact them and ask if I can upload it to you tube.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I know from reading and asking questions @CayugaJana only put the sock on in the evening and during their coop time. I am not sure of the time frame, but I think 3 days?
I am sure she will jump on soon.
She also told me there was a lot of tweaking it to get it just right.
My drake had what looked like angel wing, so I took an old knee high of mine and put it on him. At first it was too long and he looked like a bowling pin rolling around in the dirt.
He actually only wore it 24 hours straight and I took it off, it looked fixed and I have had no other issues. It might have been tighter than a normal mens dress sock, so not sure if that made a difference. Or maybe it was caught so early, it only needed a short wear time?

 

[CayugaJana]

I know from reading and asking questions @CayugaJana only put the sock on in the evening and during their coop time. I am not sure of the time frame, but I think 3 days?
I am sure she will jump on soon.
She also told me there was a lot of tweaking it to get it just right.
My drake had what looked like angel wing, so I took an old knee high of mine and put it on him. At first it was too long and he looked like a bowling pin rolling around in the dirt.
He actually only wore it 24 hours straight and I took it off, it looked fixed and I have had no other issues. It might have been tighter than a normal mens dress sock, so not sure if that made a difference. Or maybe it was caught so early, it only needed a short wear time?

That’s exactly what happened with the vet wrap I actually managed to get on my birds.

If the sock is slipping off, you are either cutting too much of a hole out of the toe, or the sock is too big. I have dwarf feet and my socks work great.

I left my sock on only at night because at the time, there were adults around that could pick on him and I didn’t want him to not be able to move away from them. They also had access to deep water and I was worried about him drowning.

But I put a sock on Tiny this week during the day since I was out there with them all day. And she did great. She fought me a lot. But I used it against her. I slipped it over her bill and scrunched it up like when you are putting pantyhose on. Then when she tries to run away from me, she just slips it farther down her body while I hold on to only the sock. I can make a video tomorrow if that would help? Any other questions I missed? It’s loud here at my house at the moment with boys running wild. And I can’t think clearly!

 

[Vyctoria]

Yeah, we have slow internet too, but the video is great. The guy uses a vice holding a raw chicken wing and shows how to wrap using vetwrap. It really is worth the wait, IMO. Maybe I will contact them and ask if I can upload it to you tube.

Wait, I finally got it to load and that was extremely helpful! I didn't realize you could just sling the wing up like that. I may try that next if the socks keep slipping. Thank you so much for that!

But I put a sock on Tiny this week during the day since I was out there with them all day. And she did great. She fought me a lot. But I used it against her. I slipped it over her bill and scrunched it up like when you are putting pantyhose on. Then when she tries to run away from me, she just slips it farther down her body while I hold on to only the sock. I can make a video tomorrow if that would help? Any other questions I missed? It’s loud here at my house at the moment with boys running wild. And I can’t think clearly!

That actually sounds like what I was doing lol. Every time she tries to hop out of it, it would just pull it down where I needed it if I held on. Maybe the sock was just too wide for my Cayuga then? The Saxony is so much bigger and the sock seems to work better for her, but the Cayuga manages to slide it up and over. And every time I try to wrap her in something she attempts to run and catches her feet in it before I get it on her. Such a pain.

 

[CayugaJana]

Have you seen this video yet?
http://www.phillipsmediaservices.com/anglewinghispd.wmv