crying gosling

[Alas]

I had 2 gosling eggs and only one hatched. My new gosling cries whenever she isnt around me. I've tried the stuffed animal idea, but it doesnt work. I cant put her with my newly hatched chicks (afraid she'd suffocate them). I have been taking her out to play in the yard and I do hold her several times a day. The biggest problem is night time. I put her in the brooder for the night and she alternately cries and sleeps. I feel awful leaving her in there to cry half the night. Any ideas as to how I can calm her?

 

[Balbinka]

Have you tried a mirror?
Or sleeping with her?

Balbinka sleeps with me for several hours of the night- then is put back on her own.
If she cries, she stays there.
If she is quiet, we sleep together again.

It's conditioning her to give me the correct response (silence) in order to receive attention and what she wants.
Basic animal training.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Your could get her a duckling friend, but she still may peep up a storm because she is imprinted on you. Still I imagine that it is tough to be a flock of one.

 

[debby730]

Mine is only happy when he is with my ducklings, but I'm getting a little aggravated at the fact that he is picking at their down at times..

 

[crj]

Quote:
I brought home 2 day old goslings. I had three 4 day old chicks and then had a newly hatched chick. I put them all together and they are doing wonderfully. They are still together. Geese make the best babysitters..... in my case anyway. Even when they are just days old. They are now clost to 2 months and the chicks think the geese are there parents. One even sleeps on a goslings back.

When they were first put together.

Now. Chicks wondering why the goslings are in water.

The 2 goslings and the 4 chicks are inseparable and all very friendly.

 

[mtacagni]

This sounds crazy but worked great for me, I put a photo of my face in with my lone duckling that had really imprinted on me. I had a couple of days of her crying like mad when I left her and I had this idea of the photo, she use to sleep against it and run to it if she got scared. If you looked at my blog on the runner duck page, there are some pictures of her (it's the bit about Billy no mates). www.churchbankfarm.wordpress.com anway, hope this helps and good luck

 

[Alas]

I ended up draping one of my t shirts over the edge of the box, like a little tunnel or cave. Last night she crawled behind it, nestled down and went to sleep. So relieved