Geese Wing Problems... Please Help

[texascowboy1979]

Well, I know that when they were 3 weeks old, i had to pull them from 28% protein because there legs started to sprall out, now there on 18 % feed and there legs went back to normal. They have PLEANTY of grass... belive me... they have a Grass Yard that is 100 X 60. and there poop is Amazing!!! great texture.. nice form... and very green with blades of grass.

 

[adrian]

They should never have had 28% protein, and 18% is too high for 3 month old geese in my opinion. 16% with lots of free-ranging is best. The 28% probably did the damage.

 

[texascowboy1979]

humm... I followed the instructions from the hatchery....

 

[Wifezilla]

People blame protein for wing and leg problems. I do not. If you study any endocrinology, carbohydrates are usually the culprit when it comes to growth problems.

I have ducks, not geese, and feed them exclusively on high protein game bird feed. Leg problems? Zero. Wing problems? Zero.
I have a young drake right now that has been feed game bird feed since hatching. His parents were fed game bird feed. He is slim, healthy, and his wings are just fine.

 

[adrian]

You may be correct, but 28% is still too high! I have a muscovy duckling on 22% and he is way too fat. We're putting him on a diet.

I have noticed that wing deformities are almost always genetic with my birds (I've rarely had angel wing; only one case of it), but from what I understand it is not altogether true that all birds with angel wing will raise offspring who get it, at least from what I know.

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

Quote:
I agree to the possibility of that, it makes sense... but what would it be, kinda like a gene causing parting in hair on humans maybe, growing in a different direction?? I wonder...

and I also agree with what you said about diet, and also feed mine game bird feed, but mixed with a little scratch. Along with a little Mazuri in the morning, I never have any issues either. I used to feed crumbles and scratch when I started out, and did have a couple get angel wing back then, their offspring were fine, but had high protien starter, then later Mazuri and game bird feed when I learned the condition may be dietary. Never had trouble since.

 

[adrian]

Wait, no...
I just remembered something.

It is not the feathers themselves; it is the joint. Angel wing is a weak joint that cannot support the weight of new feathers. So, if you studied a bit about joint development, you could figure out what causes this weakness.

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

Ahh, that's interesting. So could be a possibility of numerous types of deficiencies... wonder if calcium, glucosamine or something like that might help or of course protien, or if it is just a funky gene causing it to develop slower or something, then diet and even high protien could boost growth.
You would think it could be figured out and there wouldn't be so many theories out there then!

 

[Wifezilla]

You may be correct, but 28% is still too high! I have a muscovy duckling on 22% and he is way too fat. We're putting him on a diet.

Protein does not promote fat storage. Carbohydrates promote fat storage by raising blood glucose which triggers insulin release. Insulin is what makes a body store fat.​

 

[SillyChicken]

I spoke to my vet about a goose I have that has an angle wing.

The options are (now that she is a year old)

#1. To break the wing, reset it, bind it, and hope it heals correctly.

#2. To surgically cut the wing tip off at the joint, which is called "pinioning".

I would NOT recommend that you do anything yourself other than trying to wrap the wing and hope it corrects it'self.