Geese eating plums

[amynw]

Hello everyone, I was making fruit salad on my back porch and my little geese children are always right beside me. I was in the process of cutting up plums and I put the plum pits in a pile on the table. One of my geese hopped up on the chair and ate a plum pit off the table before I could even act. She only ate one and I snatched the rest of the pile away when I realized what she had eaten. Shes 2 months old today. I'm a worrier about my babies, should I worry or will she be okay? Thank you!

 

[jtn42248]

Not to worry. In all likelihood the pit will probably pass in a day or two. Follow the advice above, keep close watch and if behavior changes worry then and call the avian vet for advice. Our geese eat Pecans whole and so far there has been no problem. The only way we could avoid it would be to cut down the trees. They also eat watermelon, seeds and all and just about anything else they can beg off us. They are between 5 and 6 years old and are healthy as can be.

 

[The goose girl]

I had a couple of ganders who absolutely adored plums. I was worried at first and took great care halving and pitting the plums. And I had a sleepless night after one of them snatched a whole plum out of the bucket and swallowed it whole. Then my goose breeder friend told me he'd been feeding his geese whole plums for 70 years and he'd had no problems. After that I just gave my ganders the bucket of plums, and it was a joy to watch them have a plum feast.

 

[CindyinSD]

There was a lot of hype over people eating apricot pits back in... oh, the 70s, I think. I'm pretty sure they didn't really cure cancer, but at the same time, I don't think they really had enough cyanide to do more than curl your lip unless you ate a heckuva lot of them. I really doubt it'll hurt the gosling.

 

[casportpony]

Not sure I would worry too much. We have a plum tree and every year the ducks, chickens, and geese eat everything that falls off. I can't say for sure if they have eaten the pits, but I imagine a few do.

 

[Goosebaby]

The pit itself isn’t toxic, it’s the kernel inside that is.
Those things are pretty hard, they usually don’t open until the kernel starts expanding when it’s about to sprout. I have no idea if a goose’s digestive acid is enough to loosen one up.
I suppose the thing to worry about is if the pit is to big to pass through her entire digestive tract.

 

[Goosebaby]

I forgot to mention,

I’m thinking the pit won’t be dissolved, my geese eat cherries all the time, most of them are smart enough to spit the pits out but Leo just swallows them whole most of the time. He’s been doing this his whole life and he’s about 10 years old now so I think he’s just passing them through his system, the cyanide isn’t able to leech out of the pit or I don’t think he’d still be here.

 

[amynw]

Not to worry. In all likelihood the pit will probably pass in a day or two. Follow the advice above, keep close watch and if behavior changes worry then and call the avian vet for advice. Our geese eat Pecans whole and so far there has been no problem. The only way we could avoid it would be to cut down the trees. They also eat watermelon, seeds and all and just about anything else they can beg off us. They are between 5 and 6 years old and are healthy as can be.

Thank you everyone for the responses! It is beyond appreciated. You have eased my worrying mind. I joined this page when I was hatching them and everyone has been so kind and helpful. I just lost 2 of the 5 to a bear attack on Sunday so I have been in absolute panic protective mode on the remaining 3. I will absolutely follow everyone's advice and keep everyone updated. You are all appreciated.

 

[CindyinSD]

Electric fencing. We don't have bears, but those who do assure me that electric fencing works very well even to protect their bee hives. If your geese are close to an outlet, you can use grid power (much cheaper). I use solar. Premier one is worth the money either way. I don't know of any retail outlets--you order from them online.

 

[Goosebaby]

Thank you everyone for the responses! It is beyond appreciated. You have eased my worrying mind. I joined this page when I was hatching them and everyone has been so kind and helpful. I just lost 2 of the 5 to a bear attack on Sunday so I have been in absolute panic protective mode on the remaining 3. I will absolutely follow everyone's advice and keep everyone updated. You are all appreciated.

I’m so sorry for your loss!

Don’t worry about feeling like you’re being overprotective or worrying to much either, it’s normal goose parent behavior.