First Goose hatching

[Spinster_Sister]

Well, I didn't think it could happen but it is! I received an old clutch of 7 American Buff goose eggs almost 2 months ago. I placed them in my hovabator on April 4th and now I have at least one little gosling hatching right now! I am shocked!! I candled them and half looked infertile and the other half looked like they died except 1. Now it is almost hatched through and lightly peeping! Question....how long can I keep it in the incubator? What kind of food should I go out and buy right now....when I can introduce it to water?

 

[Balbinka]

You can introduce it to food and water right away.
It might not eat or drink for 24 hours, that is okay.

If it's continuously weak after hatching, you can dip it's beak in Gatorade to give it a bit of strength and energy.

For feed, I recommend Purina Flock Raiser. You should also feed it grass, leafy greens, vegetables, and some bits of fruit (all chopped to an appropriate size).

It can stay in the incubator for up to a day or two if there is airflow inside, but I think once it hatches you should put it in the warm brooder to dry (the humidity during hatching doesn't always allow for a nice fluff-out). I moved mine into the brooder right after they hatched!

Congrats on the new one!

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Thank you for your quick reply! What my local feed store has is Star Milling Gamebird Breeder feed with 20% protein. The guy said it is the same protein ratio as Flockraiser...I am going to call another feed store in Orange county and check if they have Flockraiser. Will the Gamebird Breeder feed suffice?
Also, I noticed the gosling is still attached to it's umbilical cord...do I just let the cord dry up and peel out of the shell or should I cut it?

 

[Balbinka]

Quote:
Let it dry and detach.

I've heard of goose owners feeding game bird food, I think it could work!
You'll want lower protein later on or you'll have a chubby goose (like mine)!
The protein isn't what you have to worry about, it's the niacin.

But if you offer greens, carrots, peas, and some brewer's yeast- that's all taken care of!

 

[Spinster_Sister]

It looks like I have only the one gosling, it is in a large cat carrier with straw and shredded newspaper. I do have a thin cotton hand towel for it to cuddle up on and she is starting to settle down. Is straw OK for a newly hatched gosling to sleep and walk on? Is having a gosling like a chick...if it cheeps, it is cold, panting is hot? Can I put it out on the grass tomorrow if it is at least 70F ?

I have a small cat food bowl with gamebird starter and water in it....it promptly settled into the food bowl. It doesn't seem to be interested in eating or drinking now....but does cheep

 

[countrychix]

I used towels for bedding for the first few days as my goslings would have trouble walking on anything else. The towels rinsed off really well and when washed with detergent and bleach, to disinfect them, were as good as new. By the 3rd day they were fine walking on wood chips, but others do use straw. I would use a brooder lamp for warmth for the first couple of weeks, even indoors. A lower wattage light bulb should be sufficient. My goslings are now 2 weeks old and they rarely need heat, though they have access to it. They are in a brooder on our enclosed back porch. I personally would wait a day or two before letting her outside for short periods as she still needs to gain strength and get the hang of walking. Mine were 2 days old when they had their first outing, even if it was for only 15 minutes. Enjoy your baby and I hope you can find her a companion.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Thank you CountryChix for the advice. The little gosling is resting well on a hand towel under the red heat bulb inside the cat carrier. I am still hoping that at least one more gosling will hatch but so far, I don't see any pips or hear anything. I remember using a lot of handtowels with my chicks and they loved it....I actually loved it too! The little one isn't interested in eating or drinking yet ..so I will just let it do it's own thing. I'll hang a mirror in the carrier tomorrow morning if there is no action in the incubator. I'll wait until Monday or Tuesday to take it outside.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Should a gosling at the tender age of 28 hours old ....be running around peeping like crazy? The little gosling has not shown interest in food or water on it's own. I dipped it's beak into water and it shook it's head. I dipped my finger into water and ran it along it's beakline and it did take in some droplets...but that's it. It is just starting to stand on it's own but is still abit wobbly. Until just 15 minutes ago, it was really sleeping.

Is it starving? It is still wobbly and I have it on a flat hand towel. I doesn't like being handled too much, it flitters and tries to get away. It managed to eat two tiny granules of gamestarter crumble, that really made it shake it's head. It doesn't like finely shredded kale either. It has a mirror in the cat carrier and a fuzzy toy to lean against .... am I doing this right? I

 

[Balbinka]

Sounds pretty normal!
You can add a few drops of molasses to the water, and mix warm water with the game starter to make it into an oatmeal like consistency.

Keep dipping the beak... if it isn't eating by tomorrow let us know!
Your baby will be uncoordinated at first- but it's normal for it to be peeping and running about!

Here is Balbinka at 12 hours old:

Up and about: