Gander refusing to eat

[Goosebaby]

My gander Parsnip hasn’t willingly eaten anything besides his favorite treats (blueberries, grapes) in the last two weeks. His digestion has been slow so I know he was constipated though I didn’t know if it was because of a partial blockage, inflammation, or another issue. The last few days he’s been going more regularly but he still isn’t eating willingly “I’ve been hand feeding him for the last two weeks.”

Parsnip has had prior or ongoing health issues, he was taken to the vet in December because of anemia and weight loss. At that time he was parasite free, had normal white blood cell count, high amylase in the blood, and slight fluid retention. I made a post about that here https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/gander-losing-weight-pale-beak.1340655/

I took him home and have been giving him vitamins since and switched his feed to all flock which he prefers to eat after I’ve gotten it wet and it’s turned to mash. He gained weight, his beak began turning orange again and he seemed to be on the mend until his recent sudden refusal to eat.

I spent the last of my money on his last vet visit and tests and am unable to afford another visit. I’ve reached out on Facebook and Instagram to other bird owners I know to try to raise money and to ask if they had any ideas about this but sadly they don’t know either.

 

[Goosebaby]

Parsnips recent droppings the last few days, he eats a lot of blueberries hence the color. The second dropping was a big one, about 4 and a half inches long

 

[Goosebaby]

The first is from this morning, the second just happened a minute ago.

 

[DiYMama540]

Is he being overly protective of a female, or any babies?

I've noticed Chance hasn't been eating as much these days because he's too busy guarding the nest site, BB goose, and now teenage ducklings. I've had to pen him by himself several times, mostly to convince him to chill out and eat.

I'm hoping this is what it is and nothing serious going on with your handsome guy!!

 

[Goosebaby]

@DiYMama540 I suppose he’s protective of Leo and vice versa. I’ve noticed that Leo has gone a bit off his food too, but he’ll still eat the mash now and then. Parsnip won’t touch a thing besides his treats.

I actually hope I’m just overreacting personally. With everything else he has going on though I don’t know what to think.

 

[TXMotherGoose]

I'm sure you have tried switching up the treats? The only thing good about cabbage with our girls was the price. But they absolutely love lettuce.

 

[MGG]

Aw, I'm sorry. Did you try any of the things that were posted in my one thread? I tried fodder, and it really helped, along with the fermented alfalfa cubes. he is now on his food and having normal droppings. You could do a molasses flush too, that seemed to help my boy a lot. There are instructions given to me in my thread. I would post a link but I can't figure out how to on the laptop.

 

[Goosebaby]

I'm sure you have tried switching up the treats? The only thing good about cabbage with our girls was the price. But they absolutely love lettuce.

Sometimes he gets iceberg lettuce, but other than grapes and blueberries nothing goes down the hatch willingly except grapes and blueberries. I am hand feeding him Romain, cut up broccoli sprouts, slices of tomato, strawberry, sometimes slices of carrot, and even grass.

@MGG I tried alfalfa too, my girls ended up loving them but not Parsnip, he is a picky eater normally so I wasn’t really surprised. He always gets his all flock as a mash, that’s how I got him to switch to it last December and it’s the only way he’ll eat it. Lately he’s been refusing even that, although it looks like he may have had a few nibbles out of his bowl this morning so I’m hoping he’s pulling out of this! Currently he’s sleeping in the garage with Leo at night, I know it isn’t Leo who had the mash because Leo the last three night has been banished to a dog kennel next to Parsnip because hormones turn him into an intolerable rage monger.
“Of all the geese Parsnip chose to latch on to emotionally why’d it have to be Leo?”

 

[MGG]

Sometimes he gets iceberg lettuce, but other than grapes and blueberries nothing goes down the hatch willingly except grapes and blueberries. I am hand feeding him Romain, cut up broccoli sprouts, slices of tomato, strawberry, sometimes slices of carrot, and even grass.

@MGG I tried alfalfa too, my girls ended up loving them but not Parsnip, he is a picky eater normally so I wasn’t really surprised. He always gets his all flock as a mash, that’s how I got him to switch to it last December and it’s the only way he’ll eat it. Lately he’s been refusing even that, although it looks like he may have had a few nibbles out of his bowl this morning so I’m hoping he’s pulling out of this! Currently he’s sleeping in the garage with Leo at night, I know it isn’t Leo who had the mash because Leo the last three night has been banished to a dog kennel next to Parsnip because hormones turn him into an intolerable rage monger.
“Of all the geese Parsnip chose to latch on to emotionally why’d it have to be Leo?”

It's so hard when we don't know what the problem is. My goose is super picky too, but he loves digging stuff out of water. You could try putting some grain in the bottom of a container with water. Only use water that's 3 inches deep, my gander didn't want to go in any deeper. I made a super wet slurry, more like water with a little FR, and cracked in an egg to give him protein. Then I put in 5 drops of nutridrench, and a couple drop dollop things of molasses. Next morning it was gone. I think that put him on the road to recovery. Maybe you could separate just the ganders? Then they could be together, and maybe they wouldn't fight if there were no females around. I hope he gets over this. Eat some food Parsnip!

 

[Goosebaby]

It's so hard when we don't know what the problem is. My goose is super picky too, but he loves digging stuff out of water. You could try putting some grain in the bottom of a container with water. Only use water that's 3 inches deep, my gander didn't want to go in any deeper. I made a super wet slurry, more like water with a little FR, and cracked in an egg to give him protein. Then I put in 5 drops of nutridrench, and a couple drop dollop things of molasses. Next morning it was gone. I think that put him on the road to recovery. Maybe you could separate just the ganders? Then they could be together, and maybe they wouldn't fight if there were no females around. I hope he gets over this. Eat some food Parsnip!

They’re only around the girls part of the day, the issue I’m having currently with Leo and Parsnip is that Leo’s trying to mount Parsnip, Parsnip scolds him and then sometimes a fight starts. They’ll mellow back down eventually, I can’t wait for that to settle down. I’ll try what you suggested and thank you!