Does Newborn Gosling Need Extra Heat?

[The Dim Side]

Hi! My one goose has been sitting on 4 eggs. Only one fully developed and finished hatching this morning/late last night! But the mom is young and brand new at this. She seems like she might be confused, so I don't know how much I should intervene, if at all.

They have a giant nest of straw, but she isn't always keeping it warm under her. So I worry it might get too cold. The dad seems totally chill with them so far, too, which is good news. Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

The gosling should be just fine under its mother. They don't spend the entire time under their mothers after they hatch. When the gosling gets cold he'll start chirping and she'll let him get under her. She will also keep him under her at night. Just watch and enjoy!

 

[The Dim Side]

The gosling should be just fine under its mother. They don't spend the entire time under their mothers after they hatch. When the gosling gets cold he'll start chirping and she'll let him get under her. She will also keep him under her at night. Just watching enjoy!

Thank you! One more question, will the gosling be following the mom around immediately when she goes out to eat? (She hasn't wanted to leave yet.) One thing I hadn't considered was the entry to the goose area, it's a bit of a step that the older geese can handle, but the gosling won't be able to. So I'll be installing a ramp soon but wasn't sure how immediately I'd need to do it if the gosling will be following her outside today or something, lol.

 

[DobieLover]

will the gosling be following the mom around immediately when she goes out to eat?

Yes, it will
I would build some steps that the gosling can hop up on. I use old bricks, scrap wood. Flat stones. Whatever is handy and makes sturdy support. I would build it now.

 

[The Dim Side]

Yes, it will
I would build some steps that the gosling can hop up on. I use old bricks, scrap wood. Flat stones. Whatever is handy and makes sturdy support. I would build it now.

Great, thank you again!!

 

[JRies]

Your Gosling is going to do everything her mama tells her to do and mama is like a walking heat lamp . So cute

 

[The Dim Side]

I'll say, the mama was not interested in letting the baby get under her while outside. Every time the gosling would try to cuddle under her, she'd get up and walk off somewhere. But they went back inside once it started raining a little more, and she's been happily holding her wing over the baby, lol.

 

[The Dim Side]

Another question/concern I have, I haven't actually seen the gosling poop. I've been spending a lot of time outside near them, and maybe I've just missed it. But I've seen all the other geese poop regularly. Is this normal for a 2-day-old?

 

[JRies]

I hope you just missed it. There first one is usually within a few hours after they hatch but its just one that clears there system. Mom will usually clean all thouse up along with the shells ect. Then what goes in comes out. Is the babie growing. Do you have flock raiser or a baby size food low and available for the baby and water low enough for it

 

[The Dim Side]

I finally saw a little baby poop come out! So it seems like everything is good so far, lol. And yeah, we have duck starter/grower feed along with electrolyte water. I've seen her eat and drink (probably mostly eating grass though because Mama has them outside most of the day). Her poops are so tiny, haha. They're kind of a darker gray and more solid than I figured they'd be. At least the one I saw.