Muscovy angel wing (pics added)

[kuntrygirl]

Just a quick question and I don't want to go off topic.... What is everyone feeding their muscovy ducklings? What amount of protein?

 

[Bleenie]

I feed all of my birds a feed that's called "All Purpose Poultry" that I buy from Dels Feed here in WA. I beluieve it's about 16% protein, but am not sure at the moment. I had really big issues with some chick starter a few years ago and lost a lot of babies, I have been using this ever since and the babies do great on it, all the way to adulthood. Everyone free ranges here too.

My chicken hens get extra treats and calcium though. They all LOVE Flock Blocks.

 

[Bnemeth]

I was just going to post a very similar picture of a call male that I have with him holding his wings low. He looks just like yours but a smaller version. Thanks!

 

[learycow]

Thanks for all of the replies! The information on here has been extremely helpful!
The wings are flush with the body, they are just droopy. So I will wait it out. I agree that the wings look heavy! I just wanted to be sure, that way if it was angel wing, I could correct it early on.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Hmm - found this in my search on angle wing.

I have some muscovy coming on 3 months of age and 3 of the boys are walking around with droopy wings. Never had this issue before and I blame it on feeding bread.

My daughter took a job as a distributor for Sara Lee and I'm getting bread, bagels, hotdog/hamburger buns by the trunk full. This group of chicks have shared in the twice daily bread I throw out since they were a month or so old and the males are really aggresive about grabbing the bread from the chickens. However, the wings aren't turning up or out, just drooping like too heavy to hold up.

I have cut throwing out bread to 1 loaf every other day. I was throwing out 2 loaves twice a day to 20 some ducks and 30 chickens.

Anyone else with issues relating to diet?

 

[Miss Lydia]

~*Sweet Cheeks*~ :

Hmm - found this in my search on angle wing.

I have some muscovy coming on 3 months of age and 3 of the boys are walking around with droopy wings. Never had this issue before and I blame it on feeding bread.

My daughter took a job as a distributor for Sara Lee and I'm getting bread, bagels, hotdog/hamburger buns by the trunk full. This group of chicks have shared in the twice daily bread I throw out since they were a month or so old and the males are really aggresive about grabbing the bread from the chickens. However, the wings aren't turning up or out, just drooping like too heavy to hold up.

I have cut throwing out bread to 1 loaf every other day. I was throwing out 2 loaves twice a day to 20 some ducks and 30 chickens.

Anyone else with issues relating to diet?

If you look back to Bleenies post you can see the difference in angel wing and when they are getting blood feathers and just can't hold them up yet. Or better yet post a picture of your ducks in question.​

 

[duckdad]

~*Sweet Cheeks*~ :

Hmm - found this in my search on angle wing.

I have some muscovy coming on 3 months of age and 3 of the boys are walking around with droopy wings. Never had this issue before and I blame it on feeding bread.

My daughter took a job as a distributor for Sara Lee and I'm getting bread, bagels, hotdog/hamburger buns by the trunk full. This group of chicks have shared in the twice daily bread I throw out since they were a month or so old and the males are really aggresive about grabbing the bread from the chickens. However, the wings aren't turning up or out, just drooping like too heavy to hold up.

I have cut throwing out bread to 1 loaf every other day. I was throwing out 2 loaves twice a day to 20 some ducks and 30 chickens.

Anyone else with issues relating to diet?

If you want healthy ducks don;t give them ANY bread ! They like it, its just not good for them.

They only get the calories from processed grains like bread. Little or NO nutritional value in bread...just fat calories. The next disease to look for is fatty liver disease in ducks from over-feeding of things...like bread.

Angel Wing is a man-made condition that is the result of too much protein that causes the duck to over-grow or grow faster in some ways than the muscle tissue can develop to support the growing body/blood feathers etc.

Do a google search on Angel Wing...
There is a great paper on the web written by a bird researcher that studied this and concluded that the affliction does NOT exist in the wild. Only in flocks that were exposed to man, raised by man, or bred by man. Feed and over-growth are the reason why.
Slowing down a birds development helps, reducing the level of carbs and protein to 18% or under and more fresh greens as they would get in the wild from foraging.​

 

[iajewel]

Angel wing can be caused by diet. I have some when they come out of molt look like crap. You would swear their wings are on backwards. As they get their feathers in things look allot better. I have never heard of them dragging on the ground? I do know that my Muscovy are nothing like my Cayuga or buff in any way shape or form. They aren't even ducks. I would say make sure you aren't over feeding corn, and just let them feather out.

 

[campinbuff]

I am also having the same issues as many of you are. One of my questions have been answered by reading the post info. in this forum. I thought something was wrong with my 8 week old Muscovy ducklings as many of them have the drooping wings, especially the big ones. I have also noticed one of my bigger "boys" developing what may be angel wings on both sides of his body and another developing it on the left side. They are primarily outdoors (indoors at night) and eat duck starter.

 

[Orca5094]

I am also having the same issues as many of you are. One of my questions have been answered by reading the post info. in this forum. I thought something was wrong with my 8 week old Muscovy ducklings as many of them have the drooping wings, especially the big ones. I have also noticed one of my bigger "boys" developing what may be angel wings on both sides of his body and another developing it on the left side. They are primarily outdoors (indoors at night) and eat duck starter.

Can you post pics of the one that you think might have angel wing? Droopy wings are normal for this stage of development, as others have said. So, no worries about the other guys.

They are still on duck starter at 8 weeks old? That might be the problem. What is the protein content in their food? Ducks should only be on Starter for their first 3 weeks of life, then they should be switched to adult food that has less protein.