Any idea on age or breed of these goslings?

[Naolove]

Brown chinese or Africans like @Goose Smith sugested and crumbles would be preferable also. Maybe a week or two old.

I’m not sure what brand of feed they’re on but goslings should be eating a 22% protein feed that’s high in B vitamins also.

Goslings don’t always need as much heat as chicks so if they’re avoiding the heat source just turn it down a bit or back it away until they seem more comfortable.

Staring upwards may just be them looking for you, geese are very social and goslings especially crave contact and to snuggle with someone.


I’m so glad you took these little ones home. I don’t know what kind of monster would abandon them like that but thankfully you were there to rescue them!

Checked the feed they are on a duck starter by purina. Extra niacin but 19% protein. I can try to get them a different waterfowl food at a different feed store, this was the one they had suggested and I was worried about getting them warm (it's was in the40s this morning) I just grabbed what they said and ran home lol
But they are doing really good! I made them a small indoor play pen for today and they are happy and huddling with the heat plate when they get a little chilled. If there is a certain feed you recommend I will definitely look!

 

[Naolove]

I’ll go ahead and also mention this since you eluded to keeping them as guardian geese for an existing chicken flock…

Geese are really only a deterrent to aerial predation at best. They’ll make a fuss and watch out for “out of the ordinary” things going on around them, but if say a fox or mink were to make an attempt I doubt geese would stand much of a chance. I got my first geese for a similar reason. They have succeeded in deterring hawks and buzzards which landed frequently and killed chickens before their arrival.

Best of luck!

That's perfect! That's what I'm most concerned with with mine. I've had issues with possums in the past but have since secured the coop more so nothing can get in at night. The foxes so far haven't seemed interested in my farm but I do have some dogs that run around my coop and pasture area so that might be why

 

[Goosebaby]

The duck start might be just fine, Purina flock raiser is another alternative that I’m familiar with.

 

[Iain Utah]

They are adorable! Agree they are either brown chinese or african. For feed, try to give them as much fresh grass or green veggies (romaine, broccoli, peas, green peppers) and use grain as a supplement. And fyi, sprinkle the greens around pen instead of putting in bowl to stimulate grazing activity. Too much grain in a confined area will lead to behavior and growth problems.

 

[Isadora]

I’ll go ahead and also mention this since you eluded to keeping them as guardian geese for an existing chicken flock…

Geese are really only a deterrent to aerial predation at best. They’ll make a fuss and watch out for “out of the ordinary” things going on around them, but if say a fox or mink were to make an attempt I doubt geese would stand much of a chance. I got my first geese for a similar reason. They have succeeded in deterring hawks and buzzards which landed frequently and killed chickens before their arrival.

X2

 

[Naolove]

Goslings are doing great. Still leaning toward them being african geese but not positive just an update if anyone comes looking

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Goslings are doing great. Still leaning toward them being african geese but not positive just an update if anyone comes looking

So Absolutely Precious!!! I was shocked on my bus Route this morning. I saw a Canadian Goose and her Mate have their brand new babies walking in an frost covered field it looked like for the first time. There were at least 15 with them. It was 28 F! They were soooooo little!!! Then this after noon I saw what looked like the same two with only 5 babies!!! The rest of the Geese were farther away and these were around the same spot they were in this morning. I hope nothing got the other 10. I was just shocked they were out in the cold like that but our weather is crazy right now and they were foraging around with their parents eating ice cycles!! Everything was frost covered where they were.

 

[Goosebaby]

So Absolutely Precious!!! I was shocked on my bus Route this morning. I saw a Canadian Goose and her Mate have their brand new babies walking in an frost covered field it looked like for the first time. There were at least 15 with them. It was 28 F! They were soooooo little!!! Then this after noon I saw what looked like the same two with only 5 babies!!! The rest of the Geese were farther away and these were around the same spot they were in this morning. I hope nothing got the other 10. I was just shocked they were out in the cold like that but our weather is crazy right now and they were foraging around with their parents eating ice cycles!! Everything was frost covered where they were.

It’s possible other adults may have stollen them, geese will “adopt” goslings that aren’t theirs frequently. Dominant Canada goose couples often “adopt” goslings from other pairs and raise them themselves, this is actually an effective survival strategy as the dominant pair are usually older, more experienced, and more capable of raising the goslings to adulthood.
It’s possible the other babies were stollen by another couple or couples.

 

[Luv Ducks]

It’s possible other adults may have stollen them, geese will “adopt” goslings that aren’t theirs frequently. Dominant Canada goose couples often “adopt” goslings from other pairs and raise them themselves, this is actually an effective survival strategy as the dominant pair are usually older, more experienced, and more capable of raising the goslings to adulthood.
It’s possible the other babies were stollen by another couple or couples.

I surely hope this is what happened. A lot of people here do not like the geese because they poop everywhere but I love them. I just did not see any other geese with babies but these two was what made me think a hawk might of swooped down and had dinner. We have so many red tails where I am located. Thanks for the information.