Treating Angel Wing

Angel Wing is a condition that affects waterfowl, ducks and geese. It is a wing deformity that causes the last "wrist joint" in the wing to develop more slowly than the rest of the wing. The result is that the wing is too heavy for the bird to tuck up against its body correctly and the tips of the wings stick outward at an awkward angle.

Scientists aren't really sure what causes Angel Wing to develop. There are some indications that it might be related to a diet that's too high in protein, and other indications that it might be genetic. Or it could be a combination of these factors. Fortunately, it is known how to treat it. Angel Wing can start to be seen as early as 6-8 weeks. By 10-12 weeks it's readily visible on ducks that have it. The sooner that you can treat it, the better. 

Most often Angel Wing occurs only in one wing, and it's typically the left wing. More rarely, as in the case of my duck, Keebler, it happens in both wings. The condition is not painful to the ducks, so if left untreated they will not suffer any discomfort, but it will render them completely flightless. In wild ducks, this is a death sentence. 

Treatment of Angel Wing is painless, but the ducks don't like it. In order to treat Angel Wing you have to wrap the duck's wings and bind them to its body. There are a lot of different ways that the wings can be wrapped. and a lot of different material can be used. VetWrap (commonly available from Tack and Feed stores) is a common choice. If you don't have any, gauze and athletic tape can be used as well. I read about one guy who used duct tape, but that wouldn't be my first choice. Ace bandages can also work in a pinch. 

Regardless of what material you use to wrap it, the wrap needs to be snug enough that the bird can't get it's wing out, but not so tight that it cuts off circulation as that can cause more injury. It's not as easy as it looks and takes practice. Keebler should have been named Houdini based on how many times he slipped his wrap. 

Be sure to position the duck's wing(s) correctly before wrapping them up. For optimal healing, the duck needs to stay in the wraps for 7-10 days. Do not take the wrap off every day to let the duck "stretch". Removing and re-applying the wrap can be traumatizing to the duck and hinders the healing process. Once you get the wrap on, leave it on. Sometimes they can heal faster if the condition isn't that bad. Keebler healed up in about 5 days. 

Wrapping the duck's wings will allow the tendons and muscles in the affected joint to strengthen and get used to the weight of the wing. You should also be aware that there is a different condition called "Droop Wing" where the tips of the wings will sag. This is a temporary condition that happens during molting. The birds feathers are full of blood making them heavier than normal and their muscles get tired. As the feathers grow the blood leaves the wings and the wings return to normal weight and position. It is not necessary to bind those wings. That usually only lasts a few days during molting.

The image above shows a good example of Angel Wing. These mallards are not my ducks, but the one on the right shows what Angel Wing looks like in a late adolescent duck. The next few images are also not my ducks, but they do show Angel Wing in ducklings. Since it's important to identify this early on and treat it as soon as possible, it's important to know how it appears in ducklings. If the condition is not treated while the ducks are young, it will be impossible to correct. 

The blue "ink pen" shafts at the ends of this duck's wing is a tell-tale sign of Angel Wing. When birds first start displaying Angel Wing, these unusual blue shafts also appear and the feathers don't grow normally. This is not one of my ducks, but a good example of the disorder that I borrowed from the internet. 

This picture shows another duckling with Angel Wing. Again, not my duck, but a clear example of the condition. Notice the blue "ink shafts" that I mentioned in the first image? See how the wing sticks out at an odd angel? Also notice that this bird seems to have it only on one side, the left side. 

Here's a somewhat more mature duck with Angel Wing on both sides. This Mallard Hen (also not my duck), eventually did grow feathers, but you can still see the blue shafts underneath. This poor duck is too old to undergo the treatment effectively. Binding her at this stage may help some, but it is not likely to correct it completely. 

This handsome fellow is Keebler. He's one of my adolescent Rouens. He hasn't molted into his adult feathers yet. He looks less-than-thrilled because this is the third time that we've rapped him because he kept slipping his wraps. 

Wrapping the ducks is only part of the solution. It's also extremely helpful to change their diets. Cut down on their protein intake. Also, supplement their Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Manganese. I took the liberty of concocting a special Angel Wing diet that will give them the nutrients they need to recover. 

Ol' McJohnny's Angel Wing Diet:
To correct ducks with Angel Wing you need to feed them foods that are high in Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Manganese.

Vitamin D:
-Eggs (Chicken Eggs)
-Milk
-Fish (Mackerel, Salmon, Herring, Sardines, Tuna, Catfish, & Cod)
-Feeder Fish

Vitamin E:
-Kale
-Fish (Herring, Salmon)
-Broccoli
-Squash
-Kiwi
-Feeder Fish

Manganese:
-Cooked Lima Beans (small amounts)
-Cooked oatmeal (small amounts)

For our duck we made a dish of cooked oatmeal mixed with Tuna (I actually tried a little bit - it's not as bad as it sounds. If I were starving in the wilderness I would totally eat that). We also gave them a side of kale. That covered all of the bases and Mr. Keebler has made a full recovery. Feel free to mix and match as you see fit, just make sure that they get the nutrition that they need.