Cold shivering Goose!!

[extraordinaryfowl]

Hello. Today I noticed one of my four-month-old CP ganders laying in the rain shivering. He was also wet, so I brought him inside and put him under a heat lamp to dry off. All the others are fine. Anyway, he sat there shivering for awhile and eventually ate some. Now he is making normal noises and seems fine, it's just he vibrates his head. It looks like shivering, but it is his head and neck. He still is a little damp, but under the heat lamp it's quite warm. I'm not worried about him not getting better anymore, but I'm sort of stumped by this behavior. The only other time I've seem them do this is when they see me coming with their food they vibrate their jaws, but he has food and water in front of him. I'm relatively new to geese, any help appreciated!

Thanks, MW

 

[The goose girl]

Geese normally shiver their necks and heads when they're nervous or anxious, like in new surroundings or new company. That could be the explanation. If the shivering decreases when you keep a distance and increases when you get closer, it's definitely due to that.

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Thanks! that is really interesting. That would explain it.

 

[Truffle]

MW, I was wondering what the temperature was there where you live? It's real nasty here in upstate NY and I have concerns for my 2 almost 3 week old goslings. Their parents allow them to walk around in the cool rain and swim in their kiddie pool. Don't they know better

. Today, I put them all inside their coop just for the babies sake!

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

It's in the sixties with lots of cold rain. These guys are about four months old, and like I said none of the others were affected. He is now back out with them grazing away. I'm sorry, I don't know what to do about your goslings!

 

[echix]

I thought geese normally hatch in the Spring/Summer so their goslings can get old enough (3-4 months or older) to be feathered and old enough when Fall/Winter roll in.

Hatching goslings outdoors during Fall/Winter is not a good idea. Locking them up in an enclosed shelter I'd make sure they had good ventilation but could get out of the wind/rain and it was dry but they had fresh air.

Again, putting goslings out in the cold isn't really what nature intended and that's why they mate early, lay early and hatch mid-or-so Summer, raise their goslings, MOULT and then get ready for cold/rainy Winter.


My gander does that shiver neck thing when I sit beside him on the ground, then he tries to climb on me! LOL. The other gander does it too, it is either a nervous, affectionate or some type of signal.

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Thanks again everybody!