Female Embden gosling won't eat

[GAchick]

I unexpectedly aquired 2 four day old goslings, and 7 assorted ducks. I work for the P.O., and last Thursday, I received a phone call from the plant, telling me they had a box of missent ducks, and they would not make it to their intended destination. Did I want them? Well, hell, I couldn't have let the little guys die. They had already been in the mail for 4 days. I knew they had to be starting to get desperate for water. I tried to get someone at the plant to open the box, and give them water, but everybody was too squeamish, or something. The plant got a release from the hatchery that shipped them, and they came to me. They were in pretty good shape, considering it was late in what was probably day five of their little lives, without the first drop of food or, most importantly, water. I got water into them, but it was already too late for one of the ducks, and she expired before I got her home. I let another woman take four of the ducks home with her. I had to wait until everyone else came back from lunch, before I could get the little guys home, and into my baby chick brooder. Another baby died shortly after I got home. Had no wood shavings. Put them on newspaper for two days until I could get to Petco for shavings. Came on here in the meantime, and began reading up on ducks. Found the packing slip that was with the guys, and identified the two gigantic 'ducks' as Embden geese females. So, spent Thursday night, Friday morning, Friday night devising various ways to get water in them, instead of on them, for awhile. Everybody is happy, and running around.... Then, Saturday morning I woke up to find one of the geese soaking wet, lethargic. Made up a 'hospital box', with a warm hot water bottle underneath, which also got her closer to heat lamp. Several times through out the day I thought I lost her. Gave her water with poly-vi-sol no iron. Went out and cut some grass, which she nibbled a little. She made no effort to groom herself. I let her in with the other guys a couple of times, and she would drag or stagger over to waterer, plop down, drink a few mouthfuls, and just lay there in the wet. I'd move her away, and she would invariably move back. She was cool to the touch, and I knew she would die, if she didn't get warm. I put her back in the hospital box, where she has been ever since. She has her own food and water, wood shavings, and the heat lamp in one corner. A few times on Sunday, she was laying on top of her food bowl, with her head over the side, peeping to the others. She is now warm, and dry, but is not eating her food. She still drinks the water, but not in massive quantities, like the other guys seem to. I tried a few slivers of watermelon. She tasted it, but did not eat more than a nibble or two. She seems content, and not in pain. Looks healthy. Just doesn,t seem to be eating much, and doesn't get up and run with the others when they mingle. She doesn't appear to be 'thin' or 'boney', so she must be eating, SOME. Is there anything else I can do?


Sorry for the long post...

 

[GAchick]

She's still standing this morning, but I put her back with the other girls, and when I put the fresh bowl of food in, they all rushed it, and she just stood there. She's really beautiful, and I don't want to lose her. I had been wanting to get ducks this year. I had no idea that baby geese are so darn CUTE!

 

[Shad64]

Our shipment of of ducklings and goslings arrived last week as well, and one of the female runners acted like your goose is. Without separating her we kept a warmed separate dish of water just for her, and would lift her out every hour or so and dip her beak in it. She didn't drink much, but with the vitamins/brewers yeast and a little granulated sugar for energy, after about two days she was running around with everyone else again like nothing had happened. She is a little smaller right now, but it shouldn't be too noticible once they're all grown. The embden goslings are ADORABLE! We got two females and a male, they're already getting so big Good to see another GA resident btw

-Shad64

 

[erinszoo]

Not quite sure what to tell you as it sounds like you are doing everything you can. I think if she were mine I'd be checking to see if maybe she's hurt herself somehow. That will make them lethargic. Do you have them on wood chips or hay? They can get stopped up if they eat the wood chips. We had a duck die our first time around because it kept eating the wood chips and just got plugged up and couldn't eat. We've kept them all on hay ever since. Hope she gets better. They are amazingly cute and personable.

 

[GAchick]

I don't know. I put her back with the others this morning, since my son rigged up a watering system like one I saw on here, where the water drains to a catch pan underneath the waterer that the ducks/geese can't get to to spash in. She is just very lethargic. She'll stand there, with all the others running around her in a group. They run over to the fresh food and water when I put it down. She will just stand there, with an almost dazed look on her face. She may wander over later, and drink a few mouthfuls. She has walked over to the food bowl, looked at it with little interest, maybe an idle peck or two. I put some fresh grass in with them this morning. She ate a few nibbles. I checked her over. Checked her bottom, as I do not know if geese get 'pasty butt' like baby chicks can. Nothing out of the ordinary there, or anywhere else. She doesn't look in pain, or overly distressed right now, but her behavior is very different from the other gosling. I guess I will just keep a close eye on her, and maybe she will perk up after a few days.... I cannot stress how surprised I was to find this bird still alive both Sunday morning, and Monday. She does look a LOT better, but I am still concerned.

 

[DeerRunFarm]

Can you confirm if she's pooping normally (perhaps when she was alone in the hospital pen)? That might give you an indication of whether something is hooked up wrong internally... which sadly does happen, sometimes.

 

[GAchick]

Don't know about the poop. Didn't see much in her hospital box. But something is definately wrong with her. Failure to thrive, if nothing else. She delicately nibbles at food, but shows no real appetite. She drinks water. But the biggest thing I noticed when I came home tonight, after not seeing them all day is this- the other goose is starting to get much bigger than her. Both females from the same hatch day. The other gosling is getting some heft to her. Picking up Narcissus (because she seemed to be staring at her reflection in the water bowl), is like picking up nothing. Gertrude (after my beloved step-grandmother) is getting some weight to her. I'm afraid it is just a matter of time until I wake up one morning and she's gone.

 

[GAchick]

She's still alive, though weak and wobbly. I've tried human baby rice cereal, with a couple drops of poly-vi-sol no iron. Maybe a nibble.... I cut three different kinds of grass from around the yard, even cut some of it into little pieces. Tried floating some in water. Tried mixing a little water in with the feed, to soften it. Got big clumps of soft grass with the roots intact, and tied in place. The other goose, and the ducks have loved every bit of it after we let them at it. She will nibble daintily, and lose interest. She is apparently eating just enough to stay alive. But she is not thriving, like everyone else. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd like to hear them. My son will be here all day. He said he will bring in fresh grass throughout the day, while I am at work. He just went and dug up a big clump of dirt with grass growing from it to place in the brooder. Give them something to tug pieces of grass from.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She's still alive, though weak and wobbly. I've tried human baby rice cereal, with a couple drops of poly-vi-sol no iron. Maybe a nibble.... I cut three different kinds of grass from around the yard, even cut some of it into little pieces. Tried floating some in water. Tried mixing a little water in with the feed, to soften it. Got big clumps of soft grass with the roots intact, and tied in place. The other goose, and the ducks have loved every bit of it after we let them at it. She will nibble daintily, and lose interest. She is apparently eating just enough to stay alive. But she is not thriving, like everyone else. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd like to hear them. My son will be here all day. He said he will bring in fresh grass throughout the day, while I am at work. He just went and dug up a big clump of dirt with grass growing from it to place in the brooder. Give them something to tug pieces of grass from.

I know your using the poly but get Poultry Nutri Drench and give it to her straight into her mouth just a small amt at a time though you don't want it going into her lungs.. She has made it this far this will hopefully give her the kick start she needs, http://www.bovidr.com/poultry.html

 

[GAchick]

Thanks Miss Lydia, I won't be able to try it until I get home tonight, but I will get it at lunchtime today. If she's still alive when I get home, we will give it to her. How often should she get it, and how much? (Or are the directions on the container for geese?)