Geese getting injured / some deaths

[sirrobyn0]

So here is the deal, hopefully I can get assistance with ideas / advice as to what to do. We have small flock of geese down to 11 now. 2 Chinese, but the others are mixes and we really don't know other than they are larger than the chinse. Over the course of the last several weeks we have had two of them die, one near their pond, the other actually in the pond. Two others have been seriously injured. The two that died it was hard to tell a specific cause, especially the one that was in the pond. The two that have been injured have had pretty serious injuries to their head and are unable to stand. One is recovering and getting stronger, the other just happened last night. She's pretty beat up, but is in a separate space with food, water and shelter, and I'm sure she'll recover but I have to do something to make this stop. We are thinking that this might be aggressive mating, I mean that's what it kind of looks like with the head injuries, but searching around on the web it doesn't seem like that's much of a problem with geese, so that's pretty much the story and we are open to ideas / suggestions. All injuries / deaths have not happened overnight, but in the morning between 6am - 9am. Thanks.

 

[Goosebaby]

I’m sorry for your loss!
Could you post photos of the survivor’s injuries? It might help narrow down the cause.

It could be breeding related, if to many ganders are trying to hold a goose down she could drown,this happens more often in ducks but can still happen to geese.
Is there any way a dog or other predator could have gotten to them? Usually predators will just leave with the goose unless they’re small, young, and I expierienced, but dogs often will attack and then move on, it’s more of a game than a hunger drive so dog attacks tend to be brutal but with the victim being left once it’s no longer of interest.

 

[sirrobyn0]

I’m sorry for your loss!
Could you post photos of the survivor’s injuries? It might help narrow down the cause.

It could be breeding related, if to many ganders are trying to hold a goose down she could drown,this happens more often in ducks but can still happen to geese.
Is there any way a dog or other predator could have gotten to them? Usually predators will just leave with the goose unless they’re small, young, and I expierienced, but dogs often will attack and then move on, it’s more of a game than a hunger drive so dog attacks tend to be brutal but with the victim being left once it’s no longer of interest.

No chance of this being predator related, or at least it is very slim. They are in a pretty secure area at night and until late morning when they are let out and this is definitely happen in thier enclosure. I will take pics and post later tonight. Thanks for the help and ideas so far.

 

[sirrobyn0]

Ok figured out how to upload pics from phone. These are the only visible injuries. To me looks like mating. No sure about the not being able to walk part though. That does not seem like it is a direct result of the head wounds. Injuries are purple sprayed and you can see that in the photos just menting that so no one mistakes it for something else like blood. Thanks again.

 

[gatrapper]

This probably won't help much because I just got geese.

BUT

It looks a lot like what my male ducks have done to a few of my hens. I have had them almost breed a hen to death. Waterfowl can be brutal.

 

[Goosebaby]

Ok figured out how to upload pics from phone. These are the only visible injuries. To me looks like mating. No sure about the not being able to walk part though. That does not seem like it is a direct result of the head wounds. Injuries are purple sprayed and you can see that in the photos just menting that so no one mistakes it for something else like blood. Thanks again.

That is the exact spot the gander grabs hold so it does seem like it’s breeding related but I’ve never once seen it taken this far, these are beyond what I’ve seen normal hormonal ganders do, usually they’ll pull the feathers off causing a bald spot, but it can take a few times for it to start getting noticeably bald, usually my girls start balding towards the end of breeding season.
It could be the reason they’re off their legs as you said, or it could be that they’re off their legs due to illness and couldn’t get away from the gander leading to this, even still this isn’t normal for geese to take it this far from what I’ve seen from mine.

If you can figure out a way to find out which is the culprit(s) responsible, watching them, or maybe setting up a camera you should remove the problem bird, somethings not quite right with them upstairs if one of them is capable of that.

 

[sirrobyn0]

That is the exact spot the gander grabs hold so it does seem like it’s breeding related but I’ve never once seen it taken this far, these are beyond what I’ve seen normal hormonal ganders do, usually they’ll pull the feathers off causing a bald spot, but it can take a few times for it to start getting noticeably bald, usually my girls start balding towards the end of breeding season.
It could be the reason they’re off their legs as you said, or it could be that they’re off their legs due to illness and couldn’t get away from the gander leading to this, even still this isn’t normal for geese to take it this far from what I’ve seen from mine.

If you can figure out a way to find out which is the culprit(s) responsible, watching them, or maybe setting up a camera you should remove the problem bird, somethings not quite right with them upstairs if one of them is capable of that.

I only have 13, well now 11 geese. I keep an eye on them daily and them being off there legs definately occurs after the mating. And I think you both are exactly right it's over zellious mating. That's what we've been thinking and glad to get some back up. One of the ganders is much, more aggressive than the rest so he has been separated. We'll see if the injuries continue or stop. I have no proof, only suspicion at this point. Thanks. I let you know what happens in the next week or so.

 

[sirrobyn0]

Okay so at this point we have the suspect males separated from the rest of the group. So far the injuries have stopped. I am wondering though on the ones that have the head injury and now struggle at best to walk if there is anything I should be doing for them. I'm treating your head wounds that's fine in their healing up I'm concerned about getting them back on their feet and moving around as I'm sure they would like to be. Thanks