Dying gosling

[Miss Lydia]

Not heard from the vet yet. We are planning on trying to find a goose his age, possibly of the same breed or maybe a pilgrim goose, does anyone know of any?

Best thing to do would be to go on your states thread, in the "where am I where are you" that way you may find someone close by, but I'd wait till you know what your dealing with first.

 

[Carrosaur]

Will do.

 

[gaiamethod]

Did you find out what had caused it? I live in Egypt and have lost 7 ducklings and 6 goslings over the past few days in the same way. I thought it might be botulism, the heat, lack of water, except that they have loads always, or something they had eaten, I am at a loss and vets here are not particularly efficient!!! The chickens however are fine. A couple of deaths as the temperatures have suddenly shot up to 46 degrees Celsius, so very hot. Too hot for my Irish blood that's for sure!! But if it something in the soil here, which I strongly suspect, I won't be buying any more waterfowl until we have our own place and can be sure of what they are eating.
Its hard going losing so many birds as I love them, so I completely get where you are with your birds, But do let us know what the vet says and hopefully it will help many others too. It seems to be such a common thing and yet no-one knows what seems to be causing it. I've done loads of research and come up with nothing!!!

Its heartbreaking really but I am glad that you still have Pear.

 

[Carrosaur]

The vet and I both agreed it was a mixture of impacted crop from too long of grass and no grit. So if your geese and ducks are eating grass it may just be too long and it's backing up their system. I've kept Pear completely off of grass since Apple died and he's doing great. Growing, exploring, learning. I love him so much! Maybe try to keep your birds off of grass and mainly on feed and greens for now and see what happens....

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you find out what had caused it? I live in Egypt and have lost 7 ducklings and 6 goslings over the past few days in the same way. I thought it might be botulism, the heat, lack of water, except that they have loads always, or something they had eaten, I am at a loss and vets here are not particularly efficient!!! The chickens however are fine. A couple of deaths as the temperatures have suddenly shot up to 46 degrees Celsius, so very hot. Too hot for my Irish blood that's for sure!! But if it something in the soil here, which I strongly suspect, I won't be buying any more waterfowl until we have our own place and can be sure of what they are eating.
Its hard going losing so many birds as I love them, so I completely get where you are with your birds, But do let us know what the vet says and hopefully it will help many others too. It seems to be such a common thing and yet no-one knows what seems to be causing it. I've done loads of research and come up with nothing!!!

Its heartbreaking really but I am glad that you still have Pear.

Very sorry for your losses.

do you think you could get a necropsy done on one of your waterfowl it may give you some answers.


and

 

[gaiamethod]

Ah that's interesting. I'm not sure if it applies to mine though as they were only on grass for an hour a day, and some days only on greens and feed. We had only had the babies for a few days and they all died within two days. Our two oldest goslings died today and we have one left...out of 8 geese and 7 ducklings!!! I will add more grit to their diet though, just in case! The ducklings didn't eat grass at all, they just ate bugs, chasing them through the water as we irrigated the sweetcorn. It's only deep enough for them to wade in. But here in Egypt it is traditional to feed geese and ducks wheat middlings so that might have added to the problem. They have some crazy ideas here!!!! I imagine its a bit like eating barium!!!
Thanks for the info though. I will keep the remaining one off the grass and see what happens. Sure hope she survives!!!! Glad it is working for Pear!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ah that's interesting. I'm not sure if it applies to mine though as they were only on grass for an hour a day, and some days only on greens and feed. We had only had the babies for a few days and they all died within two days. Our two oldest goslings died today and we have one left...out of 8 geese and 7 ducklings!!! I will add more grit to their diet though, just in case! The ducklings didn't eat grass at all, they just ate bugs, chasing them through the water as we irrigated the sweetcorn. It's only deep enough for them to wade in. But here in Egypt it is traditional to feed geese and ducks wheat middlings so that might have added to the problem. They have some crazy ideas here!!!! I imagine its a bit like eating barium!!!
Thanks for the info though. I will keep the remaining one off the grass and see what happens. Sure hope she survives!!!! Glad it is working for Pear!!!!

If you offer grit place it in a separate bowl from feed or they may eat too much. I use fermented feed for my flock including my goslings and other babies that hatch here, and for first 3 weeks they got straight feed only fermented with some brewers yeast mixed in except they were on grass at 2 days old also. at 3 weeks they eat the same as adults, which is all flock with whole oats, wheat, 7 way scratch, dried split peas. this get mixed in a bucket with hot water and Apple Cider vinegar left to sit over night. They also get whole Romaine lettuce, water melon and what ever they can glean from the 1/2 acre they are on.

you might try sprinkling some Brewers yeast or nutritional yeast over their feed since water fowl can get a Niacin diff which if left untreated will cause neurological problems leg problems[lameness] and death.

 

[livininbrazil]

Did you find out what had caused it? I live in Egypt and have lost 7 ducklings and 6 goslings over the past few days in the same way. I thought it might be botulism, the heat, lack of water, except that they have loads always, or something they had eaten, I am at a loss and vets here are not particularly efficient!!! The chickens however are fine. A couple of deaths as the temperatures have suddenly shot up to 46 degrees Celsius, so very hot. Too hot for my Irish blood that's for sure!! But if it something in the soil here, which I strongly suspect, I won't be buying any more waterfowl until we have our own place and can be sure of what they are eating.
Its hard going losing so many birds as I love them, so I completely get where you are with your birds, But do let us know what the vet says and hopefully it will help many others too. It seems to be such a common thing and yet no-one knows what seems to be causing it. I've done loads of research and come up with nothing!!!

Its heartbreaking really but I am glad that you still have Pear.

Sorry, Ithought one of your chickens had it too. So, it´s only the waterfowl? 46º C is very warm! So, what´s someone from Ireland doing in Egypt? I´m from England, moved to Brazil because we love it here.
You may find there are different health probs there with poultry...I don´t have the same problems here that a lot of folks on these threads have. So, your neighbours, others in the area don´t know what the problem is?

The vet and I both agreed it was a mixture of impacted crop from too long of grass and no grit. So if your geese and ducks are eating grass it may just be too long and it's backing up their system. I've kept Pear completely off of grass since Apple died and he's doing great. Growing, exploring, learning. I love him so much! Maybe try to keep your birds off of grass and mainly on feed and greens for now and see what happens....

Grass is the perfect food. At least, most grass is. They´re always good on lush but shortish grass up to 4" long or 10cm, unless there´s weed-killer on it, of course!

Ah that's interesting. I'm not sure if it applies to mine though as they were only on grass for an hour a day, and some days only on greens and feed. We had only had the babies for a few days and they all died within two days. Our two oldest goslings died today and we have one left...out of 8 geese and 7 ducklings!!! I will add more grit to their diet though, just in case! The ducklings didn't eat grass at all, they just ate bugs, chasing them through the water as we irrigated the sweetcorn. It's only deep enough for them to wade in. But here in Egypt it is traditional to feed geese and ducks wheat middlings so that might have added to the problem. They have some crazy ideas here!!!! I imagine its a bit like eating barium!!!
Thanks for the info though. I will keep the remaining one off the grass and see what happens. Sure hope she survives!!!! Glad it is working for Pear!!!!

How old were they when you got them? Is there any weedkiller or fertilizer in the sweetcorn? What are wheat middlings? I also have neighbours that do strange things with their birds. And something no-one does here, is feed grit! Birds in cages spend their entire lives without grit! I don´t know how they survive. Maybe the manufacturers put grit in the bags of seed, but I don´t see it. I give mine builders´sand, as I´ve never seen grit for sale here.
Could you do an experiment, and make a small run on grass that menas they can´t go off running around everywhere to peck at everything, they only can have the water that you give them, and just see how they go?

 

[Carrosaur]

Something about the grass here is bad. We don't put any fertilizer or pesticides, but now that Pear is off grass he's not sick.

 

[livininbrazil]

Something about the grass here is bad. We don't put any fertilizer or pesticides, but now that Pear is off grass he's not sick.

Is it 'carpet' grass that you have?