Gander seems sick again with gasping - what to do?

[JRies]

PS do you have a micro brewery everywhere close you may ask them if you could get some of there used grains.

 

[AGeese]

PS do you have a micro brewery everywhere close you may ask them if you could get some of there used grains.

I'm not sure, I know of several an hour away though. I've never thought of that thanks for the tip!

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

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

We're in the Portland, Oregon metro area. I can get grains easily from farm stores (it's just that the geese never eat much of them, so I don't buy them frequently).

I wonder if it's possible to find a local mill to do some customized feed that's close to the old recipe the geese ate. My friend once introduced a mill near Battleground, Washington, but it had closed. I tried doing some online search before but (probably because I lack related background) can't find one.

 

[AGeese]

Try talking to someone at the local farm supply store to see if they know of any mills around or who you might talk to that would.

 

[JRies]

We're in the Portland, Oregon metro area. I can get grains easily from farm stores (it's just that the geese never eat much of them, so I don't buy them frequently).

I wonder if it's possible to find a local mill to do some customized feed that's close to the old recipe the geese ate. My friend once introduced a mill near Battleground, Washington, but it had closed. I tried doing some online search before but (probably because I lack related background) can't find one.

On my website I have a how I sprout will add the link. I bet you can do it smaller but the geese love it. I use 3 gallon buckets but for a few geese you could downsize it. on day 4 the grain had hit its best value. I only go to day 3 because Im feeding 50 birds and not enough space. https://africandewlapgeese.com/sprouting-whole-grains

 

[Goosebaby]

Definitely try the grains the others have suggested but I want you to talk to your vet about maybe putting him on a round of something for intestinal infections or parasites, something like metronidazole or SMZ TMP. Clostridium, Giardia, coccidia can cause his systems, clostridium should come up in a gram stain but the parasite tests can give false negatives. Pretty much the only point of testing for intestinal parasites is to give a confirmation on what it is so it’s clear how to treat it. Pain in the intestines will cause him to eat dirt in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort.

It’s possible his symptoms are due to whatever was in the grass seed or it’s highly likely he has a nutritional deficiency and that’s why he’s also craving dirt. This can also make him more prone to getting a stomach bug.

Then you need to go shopping.

Here’s your shopping list.

Feed. Purina flock raiser purina duck feed, nutrena all flock, kalmbach multi flock, or mazuri waterfowl feed are good places to start.
A bag of scratch grains or wild bird seed.

Vitamins. Rooster booster poultry cell or poultry nutri-drench.

12 ml needless syringes, you can get these from tractor supply.

Corid.

Nutritional yeast, this you can find at grocery stores or amazon.

Romaine lettuce, bananas, peas, apple, berries, and whatever treats he may like.


I’m not going to rehash the grass seed, I assumed he was just getting a bite or two off the lawn also but he needs to be on a new diet asap.

When you get the new feed mix it into a bowl or bucket of water to make a soupy mash and let him play in it, it will gradually help him get used to the taste. He’s used to grass seed so the scratch grains or bird seed might give him a sense of familiarity, so mix some into his “soup” also.

You can also chuck the treats into his “soup” to help him get used to the taste, bananas and peas are loaded full of nutrients also and will help him get his levels back to normal.



If he gets put on SMZ TMP DO NOT give him banana during treatment. That antibiotic is generally safe except for the fact that it limits the kidneys ability to filter potassium.

 

[Goosehill]

That seed isn’t intended for animal consumption but rather to be sown as pasture and may be treated with a fungicide or antifeedant.
My comment here as a plant scientist would be in regards to the annual and tetraploid ryegrass, some varieties do contain toxins that are tolerated at some level by ruminant animals. Geese, I’m not sure about but mine avoid the ryegrass plants unless they are really hungry.
The other thing with grain and seed is that some seasons ergot is an issue in grass seeds (and hay), apparently it has a burning effect and causes drooling when ingested. Grain crops are treated and/or inspected so food is not contaminated.
If you can buy feed wheat, barley, maize or oats, soak them overnight before draining them and laying them out in a tray. Keep them moist but not wet, in a warm place and roots will soon be visible, followed by the leafy sprout. Two inches tall is a good size to offer them, although even at the root stage they have significantly greater food value than unsprouted grain.

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

Update:

Around 12:10 AM on January 1, we tried giving him 150 mg Doxycycline but only succeeded with 100 mg.

Around 12:00 PM on January 1, we gave him 150 mg Doxycycline. He gaped and had hiccups a little time after being given the medicine. We're not sure if it's because of our bad medicine giving skill or not.

Tomorrow (January 2nd) will be the day we take him to another avian doctor.

Today, he still eats some grass seeds.

We offer more stuff today:

• Cluck&Co Organic All Flock Blend (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ic-all-flock-poultry-feed-10-lb-pouch-2291635 )
• Grits
• Scratch grains
• Nutrena NatureWise Nourishing 18% Protein Floating Waterfowl Feed (spread only a little in/on the water https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ng-waterfowl-18-protein-floating-bits-2326242 )

He hasn't touched these. We hope the most adventurous goose in the folk will try them and spread the word to him.

 

[AGeese]

Update:

Around 12:10 AM on January 1, we tried giving him 150 mg Doxycycline but only succeeded with 100 mg.

Around 12:00 PM on January 1, we gave him 150 mg Doxycycline. He gaped and had hiccups a little time after being given the medicine. We're not sure if it's because of our bad medicine giving skill or not.

Tomorrow (January 2nd) will be the day we take him to another avian doctor.

Today, he still eats some grass seeds.

We offer more stuff today:

• Cluck&Co Organic All Flock Blend (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ic-all-flock-poultry-feed-10-lb-pouch-2291635 )
• Grits
• Scratch grains
• Nutrena NatureWise Nourishing 18% Protein Floating Waterfowl Feed (spread only a little in/on the water https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ng-waterfowl-18-protein-floating-bits-2326242 )

He hasn't touched these. We hope the most adventurous goose in the folk will try them and spread the word to him.

I would get some fodder seeds quick just whatever you can order online and start sprouting a few trays so you have something coming along. It takes 7 days. You may need to let them get a little hungry before they take to anything else, but definitely mix it with the grass seed if that gets them to.

 

[GEESES Peanut Butter Cup]

I would get some fodder seeds quick just whatever you can order online and start sprouting a few trays so you have something coming along. It takes 7 days. You may need to let them get a little hungry before they take to anything else, but definitely mix it with the grass seed if that gets them to.

We'll get racks to have more trays planted. We offered one tray of grown grasses today, but it had been eaten out quickly (probably by the other two geese in the flock). We have enough seeds, just not enough space with warm temperatures. The racks will improve the situation.

I won't mix the food into the grass seeds for now (based on the past experience, it's more likely he'll stop eating grass seeds, too, than he'll try the other food along). I think it's more important that he gets nutrition than I try to get him back to a normal diet. I'll wait for the vet's diagnosis tomorrow to see what caused his conditions before making sudden change.