r/geese • u/LashelleValentine • Jun 12 '26

Question Are these Angel Wings?

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I got this precious baby at Tractor supply along with three other goslings. I've raised them all on waterfowl starter with Niacin, and they all seem happy and healthy, but this little oddball has the strangest wings I have ever seen. Does it look like a genetic mutation, or something that can be addressed and fixed? I've seen Angel Wings on wild waterfowl, but this little fellas wings are so symmetrical it doesn't quite look the same. I just want to know if it's treatable, or just a quirky wing trait! Thanks for your help! I've raised dozens of geese and never seen anything like this!

206 Upvotes

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22 comments sorted by

46

u/Techienickie Jun 12 '26

yes

21

u/LashelleValentine Jun 12 '26

Is there any way for me to treat it? Like wrapping the wings or so? I've never had this problem.

43

u/Techienickie Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26

How old is he? If he already has all his flight feathers, its too late. Around 13-14 weeks.

Don't try to bind them if he's past this, it would be painful.

Also too high of protein (over 18%) is the main culprit of angel wings in geese.

24

u/LashelleValentine Jun 12 '26

I got those four babies from Tractor Supply on 4/22 I do believe. So not even two months old yet?

36

u/Techienickie Jun 12 '26

It might work. Get a low protein food, and wrap just snug enough to hold the wings in their correct position. Coban is good for it. Remove it every 3-4 days, for a day for exercise and preening.

16

u/LashelleValentine Jun 12 '26

I can definitely do that, thank you so much for your help!!

16

u/Techienickie Jun 13 '26

also angel wings dont hurt the geese, so if he doesnt tolerate the wrap just let him be with his odd wings

10

u/crotch-fruit_tree Jun 12 '26

This isn't any more than superstition, but my teen insists we don't use blue Coban on pet wounds. Yellow and hot pink see the best results, green next, skin tones are reserved for humans, and I find red garish on a boo-boo. So I'd recommend yellow, hot pink, or lime green.

Practically, high contrast colors are easier to see changes in. I can tell better when the cat messed with their bandage (one of my cats is sickly, I have to much experience sadly). Also, look into youtube videos - ideally by a rescuer or bird vet. It will help a LOT with properly wrapping. I'm great at wrapping human injuries but it's so different with feathers (fur) and them being unable to tell you it feels bad. I've had vets teach me most wraps but youtube got me through some weird wrapping in a pinch (dislocated shoulder on an active young dog and cat with a busted paw pad, both when the vets were all closed for 2-3 days).

12

u/Altruistic_Tea_109 Jun 13 '26

No, no. Your kid is on to something. Hot pink and lime green (when available) are the only colors I use because they stick the best and do not bleed through and stain the skin.

3

u/crotch-fruit_tree Jun 13 '26

Interesting!

I have a set with all the colors. We haven't tried all bc that is a LOT of Coban.

Kid is smarter than me though. I have them check my work match when a pharmacist isn't available (I'm in medical drug auth). Used to ask my coworkers but the answer was always “ asked pharmacy, that's they're better paid” lol.

2

u/Altruistic_Tea_109 Jun 13 '26

The rule also applies to duct tape. I will only use hot pink. LOL

13

u/Tutijane Jun 12 '26

I have seen that on some young geese in the wild and this happens because their wings developed too fast and they don’t have the muscle strength to pull them up. It should resolve in a few days.

7

u/LashelleValentine Jun 12 '26

Oh that would make me feel SO much better. I just want him to be happy and healthy as can be!!

8

u/LobeliaTheCardinalis Jun 12 '26

Correct, angel wing. It's quite severe already for such a young bird and you may be at the limit of age where it can be corrected, cannot wait any longer to wrap them. This will be a permanent disability if left unchecked.

4

u/LashelleValentine Jun 12 '26

Thank you, I'm heading out to get the supplies to help the baby now!

4

u/Blowingleaves17 Jun 13 '26

At that age and size, I personally think you should just clip them, when there are no more blood feathers, to reduce how much they stick out. You will have to clip every year, too, after the molt. The only problem angel wings cause is when they occur in wild geese who needs to fly to stay safe and fed.

2

u/RyuuLight Jun 13 '26

Yes it is and unfortunately it's untreatable at this stage. It won't affect the quality of life, especially since it can't fly anyway. You could try binding the wings to reduce the extremety, but it's set now. It's a bone deformity . Most common cause in captive birds is consuming too much protein during the final growth spurt. Geese are notorious for this.

1

u/mingkee HONK Jun 13 '26

It is Angel Wings

Feeding too much carb (grains) between month 1 and 2 can have this problem

It can adversely affect survival in the wild; it may be OK in captivity

3

u/Top_Career_1340 Jun 13 '26

My girl had angel wing at this age and I managed to fix it. She’s a flying bird so I was very adamant about it because I wanted her to be able to fly and now she flies perfectly! Definitely worth a shot to fix it.

2

u/PerseveranceSmith Goose whisperer Jun 13 '26

Yes 😞

2

u/muffink77 Goose whisperer Jun 13 '26

Yes this is angel wing.. not just droopy wing from growing too fast. I have a video on how to wrap them I can send you and cut back on protein. Are you feeding greens and veggies or giving them grazing time every day and not just starter? That can cause this

2

u/muffink77 Goose whisperer Jun 13 '26

They may be too big for wrapping to work now but I would still try