My goose died and I don't know what went wrong

[nmadd]

I'm new to this site so I apologize if there are any errors.
I have never raised geese and I bought a pair of goslings back in June. I have been keeping them in my garage until they grew their feathers in and now they live in my fenced yard full time. I lock them up at night in a coop for safety but they have unlimited access to water and free grazing during the day. I was feeding them duckling feed until they were able to be outside full time and then I slowly weaned them off.
Last week I went to put them up for the night and found one goose wedged into a pile of branches stacked in my yard. I was able to pull him out but he was unable to stand or walk. I didn't see any injuries so I gave him water and carried him to the coop. The next morning he and his partner were both acting fine, walking and eating. Unfortunately a few hours later I found him dead. I am assuming the stress from being trapped was too much or maybe there were internal injuries but I am devastated.
The other goose did not seem to even notice his partner was gone but last night he seemed pretty lethargic and I had to carry him to his coop instead of him following me around like normal. This morning he stayed laying in the coop instead of immediately leaving to eat like he normally does. I am very concerned that there is something wrong with him and I am gonna have another dead goose. They seemed to be perfectly healthy until this incident but I'm disheartened and I don't want this to happen again. Is there something wrong with my care or does it sound like this was a freak accident? Does this sound like a depressed goose or some other health problem?

 

[sourland]

sorry for the circumstances. It almost sounds as if they have eaten something toxic.

 

[Kiki]

When you say you weaned them off of the duck feed when you started letting them free range... Does that mean you stopped offering them any type of feed altogether?
If so how long ago was this?

 

[nmadd]

When you say you weaned them off of the duck feed when you started letting them free range... Does that mean you stopped offering them any type of feed altogether?
If so how long ago was this?

After they had free access to the grass, I only gave them the feed at night to bring them into the coop. I stopped offering that a few weeks ago. I had read that geese don't need supplemental feed as long as they have enough grass to eat. Should I continue to supplement feed as adults?

 

[Kiki]

After they had free access to the grass, I only gave them the feed at night to bring them into the coop. I stopped offering that a few weeks ago. I had read that geese don't need supplemental feed as long as they have enough grass to eat. Should I continue to supplement feed as adults?

I believe if you're going to have pets that you need to offer them feed daily no matter what kind of pet they are.

Hopefully your bird did not starve to death or eat something poisonous because it was starving.

Are you aware you can send a bird's body to your state lab to get a necropsy so you can find out the exact reason why it died?

 

[nmadd]

I believe if you're going to have pets that you need to offer them feed daily no matter what kind of pet they are.

Hopefully your bird did not starve to death or eat something poisonous because it was starving.

Are you aware you can send a bird's body to your state lab to get a necropsy so you can find out the exact reason why it died?

I don't understand because there are tons of sites that say their diet consists of grass and forage unless its winter and the grass quality declines. I will make sure to supplement with more feed now

 

[Kiki]

I don't understand because there are tons of sites that say their diet consists of grass and forage unless its winter and the grass quality declines. I will make sure to supplement with more feed now

Please don't believe everything you read on the internet.
If you bring an animal home to raise you need to feed it.
It's not a wild bird living off of the land... If you bring it home to raise it.

 

[Goosebaby]

I’m so sorry for your loss.


Wild geese are a fraction of the size of domestic geese, domestic geese need more nutrients to feed themselves. You can tell if you have a thin goose by weighing them of feeling their keel.
If it feels like a pronounced thin blade sticking out from the rest of the body they’re emaciated.

There is the possibility that they both may have ingested something metallic or toxic.

 

[Goosebaby]

Also I want to add, if you can get your goose to a vet you really should, they’re very ill. Geese do mourn, the fact that they aren’t shows that they feel so sick they can’t even do that.
Usually when a goose has lost their partner they’ll switch back and forth between wandering around calling and screaming for them and standing around silent and forlorn. Your goose sounds like it’s using all of its energy just to stay alive.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@nmadd How old were your goslings just a couple months old? I am very sorry for your loss. I am thinking not enough nutrients also. Please get a necropsy done so you'll know for sure.