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| Waterfowl -Care, Breeding & Conservation - Sample Chapter |
Angel wing or flip wing is another skeletal deformity. It most often occurs in young geese and cygnets and is evidenced by the wing(s) twisting over and sticking out from the body. As soon as any semblance of this condition is seen, the bird can be caught and the wing folded into its proper position and taped at the elbow and (if necessary) at the shoulder so that the wing is held in its natural position. The tape is normally left on for 4 to 5 days and then the same operation is needed again. As goslings grow so fast, the bird is in danger of having the tape cutting into its wing as it grows, so it will need replacing regularly. NEVER forget about a bird treated in this way and always check it on time. When removing the tape, make sure, especially around the end of the wing where the new pin feathers are growing in, that you don't pull any of these feathers out. To offset this occurrence, cut two lengths of tape, one slightly shorter than the other and lay the piece face to face on each other (I.e., sticky side to sticky side). Now you have a piece of material that will not adhere to the wing feathers or the down around the birds elbow yet it will have two ends that will adhere to each other when wrapped around the wing. Alternatively, there is a new nonadhesive bandaging material called Vet-Rap Bandaging Tape which is an excellent product available from 3M Animal Care Products, St. Paul, MN, 55144 or from your local vet.
Closely related to angel wing is another condition normally associated with goslings (although cygnets and ducklings are not immune), and commonly referred to as droop wing. You will notice a bird constantly pulling its wing back to the fully folded position and then see the end of the wing start to droop back down. It is rather like watching someone trying to work in a pair of pants that are way to big and constantly need pulling up every few seconds! This generally occurs at the fledging stage, when a bird's new primary feathers are still in their blood feather stage, wrapped in their bluish sheaths. The wing is literally to heavy to hold up and this could be due to poor muscular development or too much protein in the diet causing the wing feathers to develop faster than normal. Give the birds more grazing and less protein when this occurs and to remedy the wing, use the same taping procedure and described for angel wing.
There are three conditions which are sometimes evidenced in the leg joints of young waterfowl. We have already covered the bowed appearance of the legs as a result of rickets and vitamin D deficiency. Secondly, birds are sometimes observed sitting on their hocks and on rising, the back of the joint appears to be flattened and elongated. This is usually the result of a medially luxated Achilles tendon and a small operation to realign the tendon can be done. Thirdly, there is a condition commonly referred to as bumblefoot. These cyst-like growths occur on the underside of the bird's foot and affect the toes and webs. They are thought to be associated with foot damage due to overly rough surfaces and are practically impossible to treat. Very large swellings may be surgically removed but small swellings can be left alone. Make sure the birds are reared on soft surfaces to offset this condition.
Other conditions, such a Salmonella, Pasteurella and coccidial poisoning, can be discovered by fecal exam. Fecal examinations are extremely useful in identifying a particular condition and a veterinarian should be consulted for this work. All these areas of potential danger to your birds can be offset by being observant and around them as much as possible. Just the same way as you would not leave a child unattended all day, you will benefit by being around you young waterfowl charges as much as possible, and they in turn will benefit from your diligence.
Finally, a sometimes common problem that afflicts goslings and cygnets (sometimes ducklings as well) is food that becomes lodged under the tongue. The afflicted bird will be seen to be developing what looks like a pouch underneath its beak. On catching the bird and opening its beak, you will find compressed food, in a wad, under the tongue. Simply slide your finger in and dislodge the food wad. Make sure this problem is not left unattended or the skin under the tongue will become stretched as more food is lodged there, making this problem a reoccurring one. |
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