Embden Goose only eating wildfowl pellets and corn

[Kalsti]

Hi,
When I first started out feeding my goose she loved apples, lettuce, but now she will not touch them. Is this normal behavior for them? She does have grass in addition to her bowl of dry food......What else can I try? I tried cabbage and kale and nothing is doing it for her right now/......could she be depressed? How do you know if they are depressed because they don't have a mate? Am grateful for any help on this!

 

[livininbrazil]

Kalsti, how is your goose today? Eating any better?
When one of my geese was like this I gave her her favourite greens in a pool of water to encourage her. Or even in a bucket, they just love eating in water. Watercress they like, too. Maybe put a little Apple cider vinegar in the water, it can help with little things not quite right at times. Have you wormed her? Does she have access to grit or builders´sand or similar?

 

[Kalsti]

Thanks Livininbrazil! She is about the same~ swimming fine in the pond, but not eating any of the greens I got her. Yesterday I got a whole new bag of greens from our local organic food store, and she won't touch them. Not apples either. She is eating dirt on her way from the pond to her little pen, and some green grass. She is drinking and eating the dry corn and wildfowl pellets.
I add grit to her dry food each day. I also have been putting diatomaceous earth on her hay that she sits on in the outside pen, and in her shed pen at night, to control the mites. I have tried the greens in water, floating in the pond (she DID eat some of my water hyacinths today though). Also tried them sitting on the grass by her. She just leaves them. She liked watercress so I will try to get her some more of that. How much apple cider vinegar should I use in her water? Would be nice to know what that does.......
Thanks very much for your ideas!!!!

 

[livininbrazil]

My goodness Kalsti, you´re looking after her very well! I use cider vinegar when I have a sore throat, I drink a little in water. It´s horrid, but it´s good. It´s used for keeping down worms in birds, and I also use it if my chickens get sneezes or look a bit under the weather. One gosling last year had a sore eye, so I gave it a squirt of ACVinegar in a bucket of water to wash its face, and the eye cleared up very quickly. But at least she is eating and behaving normally. Maybe it´s just an age thing. Maybe she´s gone off the healthy stuff and wants to eat convenience for a bit!

 

[Kalsti]

Hmmm....so perhaps if I try about two tablespoons of cider vinegar in her drinking water bowl-- outside one is about 1.5 quarts of water.
Does that sound like a good proportion?
Thanks for the encouragement Livininbrazil!

 

[livininbrazil]

Hmmm....so perhaps if I try about two tablespoons of cider vinegar in her drinking water bowl-- outside one is about 1.5 quarts of water.
Does that sound like a good proportion?
Thanks for the encouragement Livininbrazil!

I would think less than that would be better. 2tbsp would probably be a bit strong, it doesn´t need a lot. If it´s too strong they won´t drink it.

 

[Kalsti]

Thx~ will start with teaspoon in her water and see......

 

[Miss Lydia]

1-2 tab to 1 gallon of water. Here is a link about it, even though it's about chickens, I use ACV 2X a week in my flocks drinking water it's an excellent tonic. I also use it for myself.

http://keeping-chickens.me.uk/what-to-keep-in-stock/apple-cider-vinegar

 

[Kalsti]

Thanks Lydia~ 1-2 Tablespoons per gallon. Will try this tomorrow....
Thanks all!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just wondering how she has been with the ACV?