Baby Geese! (Photos added ... they are large though)

[greyfields]

Be very very very careful at this age with them. I have lost more goslings and ducklings to drowning then anything else. Even when they are feathered, be sure to put bricks in their pool in case they can't get out or get fatigued. I'm deadly seriously! Be careful!

With that said, there is nothing funnier on my farm than when we first turn the goslings out on the lawn for the first time. They immediately go for the grass and start just ripping the hell out of it! They just go ape. It's so funny to watch their instincts take over.

The all yellow one is a male Embden.

The two with the black beaks, though, I'm not quite sure. Not many geese breeds have black bills. The most likely candidate is African... but they don't have knobs above their bills. But, not having had Africans ever, maybe the knobs develop later?

 

[GoodEgg]

Thanks all for the replies.

They are eating chick starter ... that's what they were eating at the feed store. I HOPE it's ok ... and some forage, though they aren't too good at that yet and are preferring seed heads to anything else.

I did put them in the tub with a few inches of water. The info I read said 2 inches, but I remembered it was too shallow for the ducks so I made it deeper. It was still too shallow, but they tried to dive anyway, and it was SO funny to watch. We only let them stay a few minutes because the yellow one's legs kept splaying out and I didn't want him to be hurt.

Hehe, I just had to leave 'puter to go get the black ones. My friend took the yellow outside to see if he needs to cool off. I'm about to post under emergencies to see if what's going on is anything to worry about.

Thanks for the info, Greyfields. I had no idea what they might be ... my eyes can't really tell much difference from one breed of gosling to another. But we watched "Fly Away Home" the other day and right away realized the goslings got YOUNGER from one shot to another.

Anyways ... just a little bit concerned, so I'm going to post under emergencies my concerns on the little yellow guy. I hope he's ok.

trish

 

[greyfields]

Just make sure it's non-medicated chick starter. The dose of coccdiostat in a chicken starter is lethally poisonous to waterfowl.

 

[GoodEgg]

Yes, unmedicated. The girl at the feed store said "no, medicated is ok for them" and I told her I didn't think so. She asked her boss, who said "NEVER feed medicated to ducklings or goslings!"

I'm glad I read that here last year for the ducklings, and I figured goslings would be the same.

I'm not posting in emergencies after all. I think he just got overheated. The other two were fine, but he IS bigger. He'd had his beak open since I got home from work a couple of hours ago, and I've been trying to cool him a little but then I noticed his breathing was very fast too. A friend took him outside while I was typing the last post and he seems almost fine now, so I guess no need to post as an emergency.

I take it they don't need a light for heat at all ... only 5 days old? But it IS Florida.

They are all asleep now.

Thanks!
trish

 

[GoodEgg]

Ah ... well ... I looked at the photos again. Feathersite.com has photos of lots of kinds of poultry, and tries to show babies of each breed too.

They DO look just like the Africans. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Geese/BRKAfricans.html

Ummm ... I hope nobody who loves geese will get offended if I want to sigh. The Africans are ... well ... not the most attractive to me, LOL. And I am getting attached to these little critters. They are different from raising chickens or ducks. I used to try to handle the chicks and ucklings so they would stay semi-tame. These guys are more like wanting to stay glued to me all the time, and they look at you and peep and play with your hair ... LOL. I enjoyed the chicks and ducklings, but I guess in the end I'm not really one to make a real "pet" out of poultry. But I think I could be a sucker for these little goslings. They act more like puppies or something ... spoiled puppies!

Oh well, if they grow up to be Africans, so be it. I guess I could get used to the dewlap. After all, runner ducks didn't look so great to me either, and I've gotten used to mine now. I even starting thinking muscovies are kinda cute.

Maybe they will turn out to be good foragers or weeders, something like that?

trish

 

[theOEGBman]

Im going with Chinese. That yellow one is a White Chinese, Im almost 100% positive. I say they are all Chinese. My White Chinese were the coolest geese I've ever owned.

 

[BirdBrain]

I would guess Chinese too...look at the feet.

 

[GoodEgg]

I finally got a chance to call the feed store this morning and ask who they order from. I figured I could narrow it down that way.

They get them from Ideal and Privet. Still a pretty wide variety ... Privet sells mostly Toulouse, Africans, White Chinese, and Embdens in their hatchery choice, while Ideal has all of those plus American Buff, Pomeranians, Pilgrims, and Tufted Roman.

The good thing is that if they include Africans, Ideal's Africans have no dewlap (that's the part I don't like in some photos of them). And if they are Chinese, they should be better at weeding?

I guess I don't care too much ... I'm getting so attached to them, I'm sure I will appreciate whatever they turn out to be!

Thanks so much all!

trish

 

[greyfields]

Not all Africans have the dewlap. So maybe you'll get lucky.

The goslings have imprinted on you, thinking you are momma. This is a good thing I feel, since it makes them very tame and like dogs... hopefully they'll follow you around and not be agressive.

And think about it, a lot of people have ugly dogs they just love.

You'll just have a couple ugly geese.

 

[GoodEgg]

Quote:

LOL, true.

And yes, I think I am mama. It's pretty cool ... makes it very easy to take them outside. I don't have to round them up or anything. If I take a single step, they all call out and run right along with me.

Funny little things. They can be so quiet, but when I speak, they start peeping. They "talk" exactly when I do, and every time, LOL.

They also like to "groom" my hair, which I found is pretty disgusting when they have a bit of wet crumble still somewhere in their beaks, Ugh.

And they DO let me put them in the brooder for brief times, when they want to eat. But other times, they are in the little box beside me (where they stay most of the time). I needed to do some work last night, so I tried to sneak away while they slept. I barely moved and they were all instantly awake and calling me.

I think it's going to be fun, although there are a few challenges.

Thanks so much for all the info.

trish