Is it too late to fix Angel Wing?

[AwlOrganikLizz]

My ducks are 4 months old now. Both wings on my Cayuga are effected and one wing on my Blue Swedish. I'm new to having ducks and thought they were just awkwardly growing, even looked up the funky wings on the internet and nothing came up until recently I figured out it was "Angel Wing". They came out of an assorted domestic bunch at a hatchery, I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I have read their diet has a lot to do with it but I don't think that's the case with these two. Anyway, is it too late to fix this? I've only seen people fix it on babies but mine are pretty large now. Also if it is fixable I'd like some input on how to go about it. Thank you all! Hoping for some quick replies.

 

[Orca5094]

Unfortunately, I don't think it's fixable at this point. You can really only successfully treat angel wing before their first flight feathers come in (when the wings are still cartilage and not bone), at least as far as I know and have had experience with. Maybe someone else has experience treating it in older birds successfully?

One thing you can do to at least make them look a bit better (and not catch the feathers on anything) is to clip the feathers off that stick out. You'll have to do it after every time they moult, but it seems to help alot. Do you have pics of them by any chance?

 

[AwlOrganikLizz]

Thanks for your response! These are the best pictures I can find of them. Personally, I don't mind it too much as long as it's not hurting or bothering them. I mean if I could fix it that would be awesome and make them even prettier than I already think they are. Ya know if I can fix it, that's fantastic but if not, oh well. Now I know for any future ducks, I suppose.

 

[Amykins]

Poor things. They'll never be able to fly or lay down on their sides! People say it doesn't hurt them, but when Wobbles had it she would yelp whenever she pressed her body against a wall or something. Poor little girl.

 

[Orca5094]

That actually doesn't look too bad, I've seen much worse. I worked with a goose once (used to be an Avian Keeper) who had it really bad in one wing, it stuck straight out to the side. We had to clip those feathers often, otherwise he'd rub or whack them on things and start bleeding. Poor guy. So anyway, as long as they aren't out so far that they get caught or smacked on things when they go by, it shouldn't cause them any pain.

 

[AwlOrganikLizz]

I was told they wouldn't be able to fly anyway... Just out of curiosity.... Would the hatchery be breeding bad genetics (such as Angel Wing) for the birds not to fly or do the perfectly healthy domestic ducks just not fly? Like is having the genetics (and developing) Angel Wing is what keeps them from flying? If I would have fixed this would they have been able to fly? (The run has a 'roof' on it so they wouldn't be able to go bye-bye)

Anyways I'll probably clip them for good measure. Thank you all for your help

 

[Orca5094]

Alot of domestic ducks can't fly simply due to their size and weight. Their wings cannot support them in flight. Angel wing is sometimes caused by genetics, but most often is due to too much protein in their diet. A hatchery definitely would not purposely breed angel wing into their flocks.

No telling if they would've been able to fly if the angel wing had been fixed, but domestic ducks don't really need to if they are protected by us from predators. It's more desirable if they don't just fly off one day anyway, right?

 

[Kimmyh51]

Poor things. They'll never be able to fly or lay down on their sides! People say it doesn't hurt them, but when Wobbles had it she would yelp whenever she pressed her body against a wall or something. Poor little girl.

If they are domestic ducks they will never be able to fly anyway.... I’ve never seen a duck lay down on its side....ducks normally sleep either standing on one leg or lying upright. Are your ducks trying to sleep on their sides?

i’ve had ducks with angel wing, (some were brought to me with angel wing already beyond repair, and though I have successfully strapped it on a number of birds, there seems to be a strain of heavier birds in my flock and often one out of a clutch of these birds will develop it despite my keeping an eye on protein levels when wings are growing and feeding appropriate food, and with the heavier ducks no amount of strapping (that has been successful on many a wild mallard or smaller domestic duck) seems to have any effect on the wing. Has anyone else had this experience with heavier breed ducks, ie Apple silveryard?

Anyway none of the wild ducks brought to me with angel wing too late to fix, or the domestics who got it regardless of diet and did not respond to any treatment, have ever shown any indication of pain when the angel wing hit something as they went past it. Are your u sure there isn’t something else going on with your bird causing the help?

 

[Kimmyh51]

That actually doesn't look too bad, I've seen much worse. I worked with a goose once (used to be an Avian Keeper) who had it really bad in one wing, it stuck straight out to the side. We had to clip those feathers often, otherwise he'd rub or whack them on things and start bleeding. Poor guy. So anyway, as long as they aren't out so far that they get caught or smacked on things when they go by, it shouldn't cause them any pain.

Are you able to u saying the feathers bled every time he whacked them? I don’t understand why that would happen? Except during mould/feather regrowth if there are blood feathers being broken?

 

[Kimmyh51]

Alot of domestic ducks can't fly simply due to their size and weight. Their wings cannot support them in flight. Angel wing is sometimes caused by genetics, but most often is due to too much protein in their diet. A hatchery definitely would not purposely breed angel wing into their flocks.

No telling if they would've been able to fly if the angel wing had been fixed, but domestic ducks don't really need to if they are protected by us from predators. It's more desirable if they don't just fly off one day anyway, right?

I was always unde the impression that angel wing was mostly due to bad diet, however I have had a group of ducks I adopted who were all heavier breed, (the person who gave them to me said they were told they were khaki campbell but they clearly were not and looked more like Apple silveryard). Anyway their offspring I had lots of problems with angel wing. I kept their protein low but would find that there would sometimes be one duckling in a clutch that got it, and while I have successfully corrected it plenty of times in wild ducks and lighter breeds, these guys I’d strap it and strap it and strap it and it would just pop right back out (and yes I was getting to it in time). So I now am sure that it is either genetic, or heavier breeds are more prone, or maybe both.
all of the ducks that I have raised who have had it have had one of the same group of apple silveryards in their parentage. However they are the only silveryard type ducks I have had so it might be the breed or weight not the genetics of that group. The only lighter domestic I have had with it is a runner female who I was given after it was too late to correct.…. Apparently she loved whitebait, a (a NZ immature fry of fish which I am assuming would be reasonably high in protein) and got a lot of that as a young duck (it’s also pretty expensive so her previous owner clearly loved her a lot to be feeding her a diet of lots of whitebait! but didn’t understand the impact of protein in her diet while she was growing)


now after writing that I just want a whitebait pattie lol