what is angel wing

[aussieheelr]

I've heard that Angel Winged is a DQ for many breeds... but what is it exactly? Any pictures, I'm a pretty visual person. Thanks y'all

 

[Wifezilla]

" in Eugene, Oregon, they are finding that the wings of waterfowl are becoming deformed from a steady diet of bread that is too high in carbohydrates. The deformity makes birds’ feathers grow faster than their wing bones.

Nearly a year ago in Spokane the Parks and Recreation Department launched an extensive educational campaign to let people know how feeding wild ducks and especially feeding them bread is one of the worst things you can do for the ducks.

At the time there was significant media coverage of the campaign. We also implemented an Adopt-a-Duck Plan and found new homes for 40 domestic ducks in the Manito pond that were unable to fly. Now we are finding other medical reasons why feeding waterfowl bread is one of the worst things you can do.

When a young bird eats calorie-dense, nutritionally poor foods — like bread — the growth of its feathers outpaces the development of its wing bones. Gravity pulls the heavy feathers down, and the growing bones twist outward, resulting in a syndrome known as “Angel Wing.” Bandages and physical therapy can correct the condition in young birds, but it is incurable in adults, and affected birds lose the ability to fly.

Parks and Recreation Horticulture Supervisor, Steve Nittolo, has spent several months working on ways to improve water quality in city park ponds. “It all goes back to the public dumping bread into park ponds believing they are helping feed the wild ducks, when instead they are really harming them,” Nittolo said.

In Eugene many people have noticed injured birds and reported them as having broken wings. But what’s really happening is the “angel wing,” condition, marked by a deformed wing and spindly features that poke out at right angles.

“Bread is bad, bad, bad,” said Michele Goodman of the Webbed Foot Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic in Connecticut. “Bread is actually like junk food for waterfowl,” Goodman added. “Handouts such as whole slices of bread, pizza crusts and bagels can actually cause birds to choke to death. Feeding birds also can cause them to lose their natural fear of humans, and that can lead to aggression.”

What’s the Bottom Line?
The overall intent is to clean up City of Spokane park ponds and improve water quality for everyone including people, ducks, geese, seagulls and all waterfowl. Park staff is trying to avoid being the “duck police,” hoping to educate people rather than regulate them. “Our strategy has been to wait for the word to get out and people to self-regulate,” Nittolo said. And he echo’s Goodman in saying, “Please, please, don’t feed bread to the wild ducks in park ponds.” In Eugene they have adopted the slogan, ““Be an Angel – Don’t Feed Ducks Bread.”"
http://www.spokanecity.org/services/articles/?ArticleID=1850

 

[Chris09]

Angel Wing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Angel Wing (disambiguation).

Image showing an example of a duck with Angel Wing. Duck is a Muscovy.
Same duck as above but a year older.Angel Wing also known as Slipped Wing, crooked wing, or drooped wing is a disease that affects waterfowl, primarily geese and ducks, in which the last joint of the wing is twisted with the wing feathers point out, instead of laying against the body. Males develop it more than females.[citation needed]

The disease manifests as an incurable anatomical condition which is acquired in young birds. Due to a high-calorie diet, especially one high in proteins and/or low in vitamin D, vitamin E and manganese, one or both carpus (wrist) joints are retarded in their development relative to the rest of the wing; for reasons unknown, 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. Angel wing symptoms include stripped remiges (flight feathers) in the wrist area, or remiges protruding from wings at odd angles. In extreme cases, the stripped feathers may resemble sickly blue straw protruding from wings. In adult birds the disease is incurable and usually leads to an early death as affected birds are rendered effectively or totally flightless. In young birds wrapping the wing and binding it against the bird's flank, together with feeding the bird a more natural diet, can reverse the damage.

The only wild waterfowl populations known to be affected are those fed by man.[citation needed] In Sweden, ten different park populations of Canada geese produced angel wing. The following year one flock was not fed any artificial feed and there were no angel wing goslings produced.[citation needed]

There are currently two basic theories concerning the cause of Angel Wing:

The first involves too much protein and the second involves too many sugars. Angel Wing is not generally observed in waterfowl not residing near humans, and the disease can often be observed in areas where geese or ducks are excessively fed bread. To prevent Angel Wing, waterfowl should not be fed bread, popcorn or other human foodstuffs. Duck seed is an alternative for duck feeders.
The second theory is that the cause could be genetic, as the same breeding pair can produce several Angel Wing chicks or cygnets over many broods.
As little research has been done on this, it is impossible to favour one theory over the other.

(Not my bird)

Chris

 

[Wifezilla]

There are currently two basic theories concerning the cause of Angel Wing:

The first involves too much protein and the second involves too many sugars.

Exactly. I am in the "too much sugar" camp.​

 

[jfishfam]

I would like to weigh in on this thread even though its several years old. If a duck is given primarily poultry food and not bread and is free ranges, how could they get angel wing? And does Angel wing involve the whole wing or just the feathers?