Wings sticking upward .UPDATE WITH (**PICS**)

[Hattiegun]

okay... went and got lower protein food and got the vet wrap... as my husband and
I were looking alot closer at the wings we thought it lookd like the top part of the wing
feathers had just not grown fast enough to cover thses parts sticking up... he wanted
to wait a couple days before we did anything and I agreed.. so... we did NOTHING but
keep an eye on things so NOW LOOK

2 of my 4 duckies little wings are sticking straigt up right now... the other 2 are fine... I feed
20% Duck str/grow and give them greens every morning. do they just do this sometime ??
they r 5 wks old.
THey have Never had anything but the duck str 20% and greens every day????!!!!!!

 

[Kevin565]

looks like angel wing. You will have to fix it. All you have to do is take the wings and put them in the proper place and wrap tape (i recommend vet tape) around the whole upper torso. And leave the tape on for about a week. Make sure they don't swim wile the bandage is on. The link explains the procedure. http://www.carolinecrockeroriginals.co.uk/sheldon_pages/The_ducklings/angel_wing_condition.htm

 

[duckyfromoz]

Angel wing can present for a number of reasons- the most common are Diet and injury. A diet too high in protein can cause the wing feathers to grow outwards. I have often noticed in alot of my ducks the feathers may poke out for 2 or three days before growing enough to become more streamlined against the body again- but this is more to do with the rapid growth of the feathers and not permanent as when caused by diet or injury. When seen at a very young age strapping the wings against the body is an effective means to correct the direction of feather growth before the wing is allowed to become deformed by the growth of the feathers.
It looks to me you have 3 or 4 differnt breeds there- which could be part of the reason why only two are effected.

 

[Hattiegun]

I have read all about angel wing and thought their diet was okay.. i am going to switch to a lower protien at 6 wks.
They are all Call Ducks... poooooh I didnt want to have to tape them.... crud buckets !!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
Switch to a lower protein now, I switch to 15 or 16% dumor finisher at around 5 weeks or so. Also, give them lots and lots of greens.

 

[Hattiegun]

okay,, I do give them alot of greens Everyday... Romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, fresh beans, peas, and
have for a good 3 wks,,, thanks alot

 

[duckyfromoz]

Quote:
My error...I was just noticing the 4 different colours

As they are so young - It may only take a few days, The last one I had- was carried around for a few days as much as possible so I could hold the wings in and keep poking them back in where they should have been..... But I wasnt working at the time either. - so had the time to do it- however I would always chose taping in the future... its so hard to get anything done with a duck tucked under your arm

 

[katharinad]

This of a "too good of a thing" can also happen to other animals. We are trying to give the best to our little pets and then actually hurt them in a way. This is also known to happen in larger dogs like golden retrievers. You buy them the dog vitamins and other supplements when they are a puppy. As a result they grow too fast and then lay around with joint pain, because they do not have the muscle pack to support the bone grows. I hope your ducks will be fine soon.
Katharina

 

[Hattiegun]

so If I dont tape them will they stick out for sure.?? Is there a chance they may not?

Oh and do I have to use tape,, can it just be a wrap.... I am such a wimp Im gonna have
a hard time seeing them like that.(even tho I know its best) they swim twice a day and
I can imagine them going without..(peeee -- uuuuuu) they are still in the house...lol

 

[Wifezilla]

A diet too high in protein can cause the wing feathers to grow outwards.

It isn't the protein that is causing the problem, it is carbohydrates.

DO NOT feed them corn, bread, pretzels, or anything else along those lines. These are all basically sugar. In the wild ducks eat a very high protein diet. Wild ducks do not have access to grains in the spring when they are growing so rapidly. Give them fresh greens daily and vet wrap the ones with the wings sticking out.

"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.”"

http://www.spokanecity.org/services/articles/?ArticleID=1850

I feed my birds game bird feed with 28% protein and give them lettuce, peas, cabbage, celery tops, etc... every day. They are my garbage disposals when it comes to salad leftovers.​