difficult goose moult

[gozbird]

I'm hoping that someone will be able to advise me . I have two pet geese in Somerset West (South Africa) the male is about twelve years old and is in rather poor shape . He's managed to moult both his primaries and secondaries but the rest of his plumage is really scruffy and not waterproof. I'm feeding them vitamin supliments and they have access to grit and oyster shell. I've also de-wormed them. At present we're going through a pretty dry spell and I'm having to sprout wheat and sorgum etc to provide them with fresh food. Generally he looks prematurely aged.
I wonder if anyone can suggest a remedy I can apply.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So no grazing? That’s sad it’s dry any chance of supplementing their greens with something from the market? We never have much grazing here so I buy marked down greens for my 2. Romaine lettuce, kale, chopped turnips greens and collards. Sounds like he is missing some nutrients. Is he able to bathe at all since water stimulates preening and if he isn’t preening he isn’t spreading wax to water proof his feathers . Hopefully others will help with suggestions too. Wheat is really good for them too along with vitamins hopefully he’ll start to feel better. I have a gander who will be 12 in April.

 

[Gray Farms]

Do they get a daily diet of some kind? Like grain, pellets, or crumbles of some type?

 

[gozbird]

Do they get a daily diet of some kind? Like grain, pellets, or crumbles of some type?

Thank you all for your help. This problem seems to have started with the drought that we have been experiencing here every summer over the past two or three years, which has led to our lawns dying and not recovering even when the rains come. To make matters worse our local feed manufacturer stopped making Waterfowl food which were green pellets containing lots of lucerne. These days I feed them on sprouted wheat sprouted barley and sorghum . I've taken Miss Lydia's advice and fed them shredded cabbage and leuttice . Occasionally I make available duck pellets with mashed up hard boiled egg in it.
The little female has also not quite completed her moult but looks a lot better. Then again she's only five years old.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Same age almost as my two my gander 12 in April female 7 in April. If you can offer greens a couple times a week and duck pellets which is water fowl food hopefully along with all the rest your doing once he finishes molt he’ll be in top shape again. 12 is still young for geese.

 

[Gray Farms]

Thank you all for your help. This problem seems to have started with the drought that we have been experiencing here every summer over the past two or three years, which has led to our lawns dying and not recovering even when the rains come. To make matters worse our local feed manufacturer stopped making Waterfowl food which were green pellets containing lots of lucerne. These days I feed them on sprouted wheat sprouted barley and sorghum . I've taken Miss Lydia's advice and fed them shredded cabbage and leuttice . Occasionally I make available duck pellets with mashed up hard boiled egg in it.
The little female has also not quite completed her moult but looks a lot better. Then again she's only five years old.

Sounds good to me. Good luck to you.

 

[gozbird]

Thank you all once again for all your advice. He has improved slightly , although I may be seeing what I want to see. So I took him to our avian vet who determined that he is suffering from water retention and has a heart murmur . So he's been on some sort of diuretic for the past week , I'm going for a followup consultation tomorrow . This is pretty unwelcome news. He did however, say his nutrition is good.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww I sure hope the meds help him feel better. That was great you were able to get him to an avian vet. Please keep us updated.