Is 25% too high? Angel wing maybe?

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I went to TSC yesterday to buy more feed for my 7 week old ducklings. They were out of the 20% starter that I usually buy (non-medicated) and only had 15% grower, 16% layer, and 28% starter (also non-medicated). The 15 & 16% mentioned ducks but the 28% didn't. I thought more would be better than less so I bought the 28%. Will this hurt them? If so, I'll feed it to the quail but all I have is the 16% layer.

 

[willowcol]

Right now my chicks are eating 28% because they are in with baby turkeys. I don't see how it could hurt the baby ducks, but I don't have ducks.

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

Quote:
for ducklings you need to drop to 15% by week 4 to help prevent angel wing. I would feed the 15% grower.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I was afraid of that. The guy at TSC said to put them on the grower at 15 weeks which is why I didn't get it. Wonder if they're open today...

 

[Wifezilla]

for ducklings you need to drop to 15% by week 4 to help prevent angel wing. I would feed the 15% grower.

I feed high protein but I also feed LOTS of greens. Angel wing shows up a lot in ducks fed by people at ponds. What are these ducks fed? Not protein! They are feed carbohydrates and sugars. What do ducks in nature eat during their rapid growth period in Spring? It isn't wheat, soy and corn, it is high protein invertebrates and aquatic plants. Worms are about 30% protein and my ducks go for those big time.

Even though protein gets the blame, it is just not logical. Regardless of what you decide to feed your ducks as far as commercial feed goes, be sure they have lots of fresh greens and I think your ducks will be fine.​

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

all we can offer is our experienced advice from raising hundreds of ducks a year......once we stopped feeding high protein at a certain age the angel wing stopped. When you are raising waterfowl on commercial feed you can not compare them to the "wild free range" ducks as far as protein and what they eat. Our duckings will eat feed nonstop if youlet them....the wild duck get a bug here and there...thus not as much protein as you think.

 

[lotzahenz]

Silly question that seems to fit here: since ducks (and other fowl) do eat lots of bugs and grubs and such, wouldn't it make sense to feed them a meat source of protein? Anyone ever feed dog food to them? Is is recommended?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I think I've only given them bread once. They get their feed plus frozen (thawed) veggies, worms, fresh lettuce from the garden, and yesterday I also bought them some scratch grains. They also get plenty of dandelions and other weeds. I haven't let them out of the pen but I feed them green treats at least twice a day. Their feathers are just starting to really come in on their wings. Does this look like angel wing to you? Now I'm getting concerned. I know it's kind of hard to tell, but the tips of their wings are sticking out a little:

 

[Wifezilla]

Also called slipped wing, the cause of angel wing is not conclusive. There are two basic theories, both concern overfeeding and proximity to humans. The first involves too much protein and the second involves too many sugars. To prevent angel wing, waterfowl should not be fed bread, popcorn or other human foodstuffs, especially in the first six weeks of life. As birds grow, the (wrist) joints can become retarded in their development relative to the rest of the wing, and possibly due to the weight of incoming flight feathers. 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, with feathers that are out of alignment resulting in wings at odd angles. If caught early before young birds reach full growth, wrapping the wing and binding it against the bird's flank, together with feeding the bird a more natural diet, can mostly reverse the damage.

http://www.duckrescuenetwork.org/duck_care.html

THIS is angelwing...

Our duckings will eat feed nonstop if youlet them.

Mine have access to food at all times. They also have a large grassy area, a compost pile full of worms to graze on, lots of slugs to eat, dandelions and plantains by the score, flies and whatever else they can get. Treats are frozen thawed veggies salad greens or other kitchen scraps. They also get occasionally high protein/low carb cat food, feeder gold fish, meal worms, etc... No fat ducks. No angel wing.

Some sources are implicating a lack of vitamin D as an issue as well. My ducks are out in the sun every day too.

While there are differences between wild ducks and domestic ducks, they are not different species. The closer you can mimic the natural macronutrient composition of their wild diet, the better off they are. This is the same issue facing dog and cat owners. This is why you have many dog owners feeding their dogs raw with GREAT results. In the case of my cats, 2 of them are elderly and are not the least bit interested in raw food. I have switched them to a low carbohydrate, high protein, no corn, soy or wheat food that they like, and if someone leaves open the screen door, the ducks will sneak in and steal

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

I guess everyone finds what works for them and sticks with it.

good luck OP.....