Sudden gosling death

[bigbillybagel]

Hi all,

So a little while ago I posted a Q about putting geese eggs with broody chickens to hatch, as my geese were forever bashing their eggs around in their house.

The positive news is that 2 goslings hatched to their surrogate chook mums, one was thriving (Barnaby) sadly the other died after a week despite my efforts (I think it struggled with the heat at the time tbh).

Barnaby steadily grew and was eating and drinking well, although he did have a falling out with the chicks, I think as he was forever chasing them around they ganged up on him so I removed him and his "mum" at the age of around a month.

The sad news is that despite looking as energetic and boisterous as usual in the morning and early afternoon yesterday, he started wobbling and sitting down a lot in the later part of the day - to the point where my wife and I had to pick him up and put him in his bed. It was really very sudden and I was shocked by how quickly he detriorated in the evening, and then this morning at 2am I went to check he was dead.

I am absolutely devastated as he was a real character, and I can't understand how he went downhill so quickly. I was wondering if he had got stung by a hornet, as there was one hanging around his drinking bath, or maybe he had eaten something that he shouldn't have?

I have read a few similar threads and a heart defect was mentioned as a possible problem in young goslings.

I'm truly devastated as I was really looking forward to him growing up into a fine goose

 

[sourland]

No idea as to what may have happened, but so sorry for your loss.

 

[Goosebaby]

I’m so sorry! It’s so hard losing goslings and geese, they’re sweet little souls.

If he was wobbling before he passed that makes me think he maybe had hardware disease, he swallowed something with a zinc coating or possibly lead.

I’m so sorry for your loss!

 

[bigbillybagel]

Thanks for the replies

It's distinctly possible he ate something lead or zinc tbh, as the land here was used by off road bikers years back.

We laid him to rest next to his sibling on Monday evening in the goose area (but obviously hygenic and deep enough in case of any virus he may have had).

It seems strange coming home from work and him not being there, waiting for me to give him my apple core

 

[Goosebaby]

Thanks for the replies

It's distinctly possible he ate something lead or zinc tbh, as the land here was used by off road bikers years back.

We laid him to rest next to his sibling on Monday evening in the goose area (but obviously hygenic and deep enough in case of any virus he may have had).

It seems strange coming home from work and him not being there, waiting for me to give him my apple core

I’m so sorry