I had ordered three buff goslings roughly three weeks ago, one unfortunately died the day after arriving, which can happen...It almost looks like she got stuck on her back.
Now last night, almost two weeks later I lost another one from a completely unknown cause but I think I may have found a couple possible reasons?
So my remaining geese came the same day as some chicks, and they were being brooded together until three days ago in a insulated room in my barn. My brooder is quite large, 3-4' x 8', elevated. All was going fine with them, until the goslings started growing little pin feathers on their tails which led to the chicks to start to pick at the ones tail, causing it to get bloody.
As soon as I seen it, happened within the hours of at work, I moved both of the goslings into my "brooder" coop. Which isn't insulated or anything but is draft free. I had a heat lamp set up, feed water, all of it. Came home after work to see that one gosling dead, looked almost like she died in a sleeping position but it was right in front of the door. I didn't really thing about it at the time but her beak maybe got stuck under the door? There is a slight gap there....
Not sure what else it would be, other than maybe they got cold? I don't think that's quite likely either though, since before my brooder room, I kept chicks in this coop even with snow on the ground, with no problems.
The only other thing I can think of, is that it was from the chicks pecking at her, more serious than I had thought? It had looked like it healed over and was keeping some more fuzz over it; they had been in this coop since Monday.
So now I have a sad lonely gosling, I moved it back with the chicks and they all seemed to get along fine again. I did manage to order some more, they should be here next week. So he will have some friends eventually. I think Ill keep the new ones separated for a few days first, then try putting my lone gosling in with them and see what they do.
Now last night, almost two weeks later I lost another one from a completely unknown cause but I think I may have found a couple possible reasons?
So my remaining geese came the same day as some chicks, and they were being brooded together until three days ago in a insulated room in my barn. My brooder is quite large, 3-4' x 8', elevated. All was going fine with them, until the goslings started growing little pin feathers on their tails which led to the chicks to start to pick at the ones tail, causing it to get bloody.
As soon as I seen it, happened within the hours of at work, I moved both of the goslings into my "brooder" coop. Which isn't insulated or anything but is draft free. I had a heat lamp set up, feed water, all of it. Came home after work to see that one gosling dead, looked almost like she died in a sleeping position but it was right in front of the door. I didn't really thing about it at the time but her beak maybe got stuck under the door? There is a slight gap there....
Not sure what else it would be, other than maybe they got cold? I don't think that's quite likely either though, since before my brooder room, I kept chicks in this coop even with snow on the ground, with no problems.
The only other thing I can think of, is that it was from the chicks pecking at her, more serious than I had thought? It had looked like it healed over and was keeping some more fuzz over it; they had been in this coop since Monday.
So now I have a sad lonely gosling, I moved it back with the chicks and they all seemed to get along fine again. I did manage to order some more, they should be here next week. So he will have some friends eventually. I think Ill keep the new ones separated for a few days first, then try putting my lone gosling in with them and see what they do.
Try putting a mirror in with the last gosling. It will help keep her company until she has new friends
. So glad I was able to still get a few more, the age gap wont be too tremendous at least. I was going to put her with my ducklings, but I've been making a huge effort to keep the goslings friendly and the ducklings always freak out (their brooder is ground level, the chicks is waist level) and the chicks are still somewhat friendly.
