Gander seems sick again with gasping - what to do?

[AGeese]

Ok so we're in agreement on the seed. So have you considered starting a fodder system for the winter?

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

I think the concern about the balanced diet your vet has is part and partial to the grass seed you're giving him.

That grass seed is not organic, and it's specially engineered to sprout for livestock which means it probably has some form of treatment to ensure it does so they can market it that way.

Now if you had been washing it, and sprouting it as fodder, that would be an entirely different thing.

The seeds either contain or were processed with known toxins that are carcinogenic to people. If they weren't they could sell this in California so that's once strike against it.

The other fact is that you have no idea what the the nutritional content of the seed itself is, and this has been a repetative issue for 2 years.

I think we're at a point where you do need to look at his diet and start feeding him what's recommended. I thought maybe you were doing this out of cost, but looking at the price tag I don't think you're getting any deals at all. Poultry feed is not nearly as expense.

Don't take this as condescending. I'm just a little surpised at your choice of feed, and the situation this goose has been in for some time. I give you credit for coming online and opening up about it.

Edit: I just noticed your post as I replied.

I thank all of you for helping, and grass seeds' coating is indeed concerning, too. I simply don't know how to get the geese back to a normal diet. I even tried mixing normal food into the seeds, but they'd rather not touch the mix or rather use their tongue to filter out the normal feed... Any tip on how to get them back is highly appreciated.

 

[AGeese]

I thank all of you for helping, and grass seeds' coating is indeed concerning, too. I simply don't know how to get the geese back to a normal diet. I even tried mixing normal food into the seeds, but they'd rather not touch the mix or rather use their tongue to filter out the normal feed... Any tip on how to get them back is highly appreciated.

I replied to you again just above. Do you know anything about fodder?

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

Ok so we're in agreement on the seed. So have you considered starting a fodder system for the winter?

It'd be good to have one. How is this typically done in a city house with a rather limited sized backyard?

 

[AGeese]

It'd be good to have one. How is this typically done in a city house with a rather limited sized backyard?

You can do it anywhere including a house in the city. You just need shelves and some plastic trays. There's a myriad of ways you can set these up. I would look on youtube and search for people doing them in their homes.

You don't even need light. Fodder sprouts in the dark. So it's very easy to do. The first challenge will be locating the seed because you'll want to find a mill that sells to get the best deal otherwise it could be pricey with some more novelty brand names.

Here's my go with it
View media item 7943581

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

@Jenbirdee @AGeese Thanks. We've started something like that, but the produce isn't large enough to sustain them all the days. We're still finding more spaces. Hopefully this will improve their diet.

By the way, I took a photo of the label of the grass seeds. It's interesting that it was tested in CA but not sellable in CA.

 

[JRies]

We'd rather have them on a normal waterfowl diet. The story was kind of weird.

One time, when we took a break from spreading the grass seeds, we left the container with grass seeds somewhere, and the geese ate them. Then they demanded grass seeds from time to time. They were still on a normal crumble diet back then except the occasional grass seeds. Then somehow the crumbles' recipe changed, they stopped eating it entirely. After a while, we started offering them constant gras seeds. We kept offering normal food for a long period, but none was touched. Even now, I still offer normal food or at least typical scratch grains, worms, and normal poultry snacks, but they still touch none of those.

We also tried not offering grass seeds at all. Still, they would rather not eat anything... When a goose got sick, the goose might still eat grass seeds but never touched normal food.

Not that I think it's fine, but I don't know how to get them back to normal diets other than syringe/tube feeding them all the time Any tip on how to get them back to the normal diet is highly appreciated.

In summer, they do eat grass, but now in winter, the grasses are hibernating (except those we grew indoors), so they eat a lot more grass seeds.

(P.S.) When they were on a normal diet, they had Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles and semi-grinded (they refused to eat the pellets) Mazuri Maintenance feed.

Can you get whole wheat/whole barley/ or Tractor supply has oats(Oats you will need to soak overnight to soften up). the difference even if your seed is not treated is it still has its casings some of thous seeds are sharp and some have fertilizer added, Im sorry I didn't catch it. My geese prefer grain I sprout it for them. Once he gets better will be happy to help you get a grain diet together.

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

Can you get whole wheat/whole barley/ or Tractor supply has oats(Oats you will need to soak overnight to soften up). the difference even if your seed is not treated is it still has its casings some of thous seeds are sharp and some have fertilizer added, Im sorry I didn't catch it. My geese prefer grain I sprout it for them. Once he gets better will be happy to help you get a grain diet together.

I can try oats again. We had a gander who enjoyed oats, but he's no longer with us.

Haven't thought of barley yet - will look for it local.

The geese weren't into grains much even when they were on a normal diet (they preferred the main feed back then).
I got some grains rather recently from a different source. Will try them, too. (Although after years of failing to get them back to normal diets, I don't have much expectation)

 

[AGeese]

I can try oats again. We had a gander who enjoyed oats, but he's no longer with us.

Haven't thought of barley yet - will look for it local.

The geese weren't into grains much even when they were on a normal diet (they preferred the main feed back then).
I got some grains rather recently from a different source. Will try them, too. (Although after years of failing to get them back to normal diets, I don't have much expectation)

I'm lucky enough to have a mill about an hour and a half away. They sell 50 lbs bags of seed for like 16 bucks (might be more now this was a couple years back.) It slips my mind, but pretty sure they had barely, and oats. I should get back into it for the winter. It's just easier for me to buy feed at Theisens.

 

[JRies]

I can try oats again. We had a gander who enjoyed oats, but he's no longer with us.

Haven't thought of barley yet - will look for it local.

The geese weren't into grains much even when they were on a normal diet (they preferred the main feed back then).
I got some grains rather recently from a different source. Will try them, too. (Although after years of failing to get them back to normal diets, I don't have much expectation)

Where do you live?
Most small feed stores can order grain to you. In the summer I feed a mixture of 1 part whole wheat 1 part Barley 1 part Game bird. They do everything they can to avoid the game bird so I wet it then mix it all together the add supplements. I have very little pasture here or anything green on a dry sandy hill.


In the winter I (3 day sprout) 1 part Barley 1 part wheat. Then in the morning add cracked corn and there gamebird. I also add lots of additives I have a breeder flock so they change throughout the winter and breeding season. I keep a feeder of oyster shell and another of grit in there night pens. I usually don't have to fill them often