Week old gosling half the size of clutch mate

[spiritbrook]

I have a week old Buff/Toulouse cross gosling that is not growing like the other. Can I worm her? What type of dose should I use? I'm resisting the temptation to take her away and cage her in the house, but not sure if the stress would make it her worse. Not sure what else I can do. This is my first batch of goslings. The two that went to live with a family are doing great. Figures that one I kept for myself isn't thriving.

 

[Percheron chick]

Do not deworm. What are they eating? Is it an enthusiastic eater? Did they hatch from same size eggs? Age of momma goose?

 

[spiritbrook]

My goose was about 18 mos old this spring. Last winter she was treated for lead poisoning, I was pleased that we had 4/5 eggs hatch. The eggs were all sizes and shapes but pretty close weight wise. When they hatched two goslings were pretty good size and two were smaller - this one being the smallest. One larger and the middle sized one went to be "house geese" and are doing great, spoiled rotten, and very much loved. The other gosling is a piggy, he is always eating, even if he's laying down. This one eats with gusto when it is eating, but doesn't seem to be as enthusiastic. She spends a lot of time just following along and "tasting" the grass. She eats their food easily enough. She also startles easier. The parents are very, very protective and if they react she screams and runs. If she isn't paying attention and the others wander away she might scream and run to catch up if she is startled. The only way that I can hold her without her making a lot of noise is if I'm holding the goose in my other arm. The goose was hand raised and is quite tame, the gander is a rescue and there is no way I could ever hold him in my lap the way I do the goose. The gander will leave folks alone unless they get too close to the babies, but if he does nip he goes for skin and ignores clothing.

 

[Athena2344]

She is just small is all, i had a toulhouse and embden hatch exactly the same day, only a couple of hours apart, and the toulhouse is half the size of the embden and they are both on gamebird feed

 

[Miss Lydia]

Those papas are very protective of the mate and off spring.