GOOSE BREEDING THREAD - for breeding, incubating, hatching and rearing.

[livininbrazil]

I just wanted to add that I do not think it is protein that causes angel wing, I think it is carbs. Again geese in the wild eat lots of grass and some eat little amphibians and fish - lots of protein.....

Yes, that´s the first I´ve read that points to carbs....I´ve read so many different things, probably because people are just hazarding guesses, as there´s not unquestionable cause for it...there seem to be a number of possibilities. Good to get all-round points of view, though.
Still doesn´t explain the angel-wing here, they all get fed the same, only 3 have it, and they eat grass all day, in between naps and splashes.
And why does it generally affect the left wing?!

 

[livininbrazil]

J, wasn't it your vet who said feed whole corn daily, I hope so because ever since you said that mine have been getting it. I don't feed it to my young ducklings because I think it's too big for them but I wouldn't want to give them[flock] something that knowingly would hurt them. Oh my do they love whole corn though. I know it's mostly GMO and that's a whole nother topic.

I suppose it´s a bit like us eating bread....a bit like eating cookies, especially if they have chocolate chips, raisins, cherries, nuts and things in it...mmmmmmm. But if that were all I ate......

. As they say, with moderacy.....AND give wild geese a field of corn or wheat............

.......empty packet, just like the cookies!

 

[livininbrazil]

Interesting information. In think you may be right about the carbs instead of high protein. I have dealt with 3 cases of angelwing. 1st was a duck fed 20% flockraiser and a small amount of greens. The 2nd was a goose fed 16% mazuri waterfowl with moderate greens. The last was a goose that I believe was fed (by previous owner) chicken scratch. Thankfully, all three were fixed with wrapping and diet changes.

Well, Utah, if I change the diets of mine....they´ll be eating ONLY grass....it must make up 90 or 95% of their diet already...
Now, if your duck was eating 20% flockraiser and a small amount of greens, what else was it eating? And the goose fed 16% feed and moderate greens, what else was it eating? Just interested to know.
My gozzies have just come out of the pond and they´re preening their pretty new feathers, until they get to the tape, which is causing noticeable frustration!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, Utah, if I change the diets of mine....they´ll be eating ONLY grass....it must make up 90 or 95% of their diet already...
Now, if your duck was eating 20% flockraiser and a small amount of greens, what else was it eating? And the goose fed 16% feed and moderate greens, what else was it eating? Just interested to know.
My gozzies have just come out of the pond and they´re preening their pretty new feathers, until they get to the tape, which is causing noticeable frustration!

and I have also read genetics plays into it. I have always feed Flock raiser from hatch till end and mine don't get to forage nothing like they should because we live on the side of a mountain and don't have green grass and pasture. and I haven't ever had a case of angel wing here going on 10 yrs now. only ever had 1 gosling though Sam but of all my Scovy's none have had it. Mines diet consists of the FR, Whole oats, 7way scratch and afternoon snack of dried mealworms and whole corn. I know you didn't ask me but I told ya anyway.

 

[Iain Utah]

My vet believes that whole grains (including corn) are a fine supplement for birds that are getting 80%+ of their diet from grazing grass. He pointed out that both mazuri waterfowl and flockraiser are made out of ground corn.... and whole grains are better than ground. My Africans get approximately 1 cup daily of whole corn with a little added flockraiser and my dewlaps get approximately 2 cups daily of 50% mazuri, 30% corn, and 20% flockraiser. During laying months, I add free-choice bowls of crushed oyster shell and egg shell for added calcium. My vet approves of my feeding program and thinks my birds are in excellent health. But my geese live outside 24/7 on maintained grass and get plenty of exercise, which is the ideal way for geese to live.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My vet believes that whole grains (including corn) are a fine supplement for birds that are getting 80%+ of their diet from grazing grass. He pointed out that both mazuri waterfowl and flockraiser are made out of ground corn.... and whole grains are better than ground. My Africans get approximately 1 cup daily of whole corn with a little added flockraiser and my dewlaps get approximately 2 cups daily of 50% mazuri, 30% corn, and 20% flockraiser. During laying months, I add free-choice bowls of crushed oyster shell and egg shell for added calcium. My vet approves of my feeding program and thinks my birds are in excellent health. But my geese live outside 24/7 on maintained grass and get plenty of exercise, which is the ideal way for geese to live.

So may be shouldn't feed my flock/geese the whole corn since they don't get 80% of their diet from grazing, they aren't over weight by any means but I can see the difference. Boy will Sam be disappointed if he didn't get his corn of an afternoon he so looks forward to it. I'd have to wean him off slowly like an addict and drugs.

 

[Iain Utah]

Well, Utah, if I change the diets of mine....they´ll be eating ONLY grass....it must make up 90 or 95% of their diet already...
Now, if your duck was eating 20% flockraiser and a small amount of greens, what else was it eating? And the goose fed 16% feed and moderate greens, what else was it eating? Just interested to know.
My gozzies have just come out of the pond and they´re preening their pretty new feathers, until they get to the tape, which is causing noticeable frustration!

The duckling was initially raised indoors with free choice flockraiser and we fed lettuce & kale as treats. We had raised a couple of dozen ducklings this way before we saw our 1st case of angelwing. Needless to say, they all got moved outside after that.

The goose is my special boy Spirit (the deformed dewlap gander). He was raised indoors with daily turnout on grass, so he got a good portion of his diet from grass from day one. We didn't change much in his program, but the wrap fixed him right up, and with my vet's help we were able to give him enough mobility to be moved outside 24/7 a few weeks later.

 

[livininbrazil]

and I have also read genetics plays into it. I have always feed Flock raiser from hatch till end and mine don't get to forage nothing like they should because we live on the side of a mountain and don't have green grass and pasture. and I haven't ever had a case of angel wing here going on 10 yrs now. only ever had 1 gosling though Sam but of all my Scovy's none have had it. Mines diet consists of the FR, Whole oats, 7way scratch and afternoon snack of dried mealworms and whole corn. I know you didn't ask me but I told ya anyway.

All info is useful info, thanks ... Maybe I should sell what we have here and buy a place up in the rocks....

And you saying about ducks...I´ve raised I don´t know how many, and not one of them had a problem....just these 3 goslings now....

 

[Iain Utah]

So may be shouldn't feed my flock/geese the whole corn since they don't get 80% of their diet from grazing, they aren't over weight by any means but I can see the difference. Boy will Sam be disappointed if he didn't get his corn of an afternoon he so looks forward to it. I'd have to wean him off slowly like an addict and drugs.

By all means, there is nothing wrong with Sam having corn as a daily afternoon treat but I wouldn't make corn (or grain in general) as a primary diet. I think it is important to think of geese as grazers.... ie horses, goats, cows, etc. Their primary diet should be vegetation and grain of any kind is a supplement.

 

[livininbrazil]

The duckling was initially raised indoors with free choice flockraiser and we fed lettuce & kale as treats. We had raised a couple of dozen ducklings this way before we saw our 1st case of angelwing. Needless to say, they all got moved outside after that.

The goose is my special boy Spirit (the deformed dewlap gander). He was raised indoors with daily turnout on grass, so he got a good portion of his diet from grass from day one. We didn't change much in his program, but the wrap fixed him right up, and with my vet's help we were able to give him enough mobility to be moved outside 24/7 a few weeks later.

Everything I´ve raised has been outdoors on grass, because the climate is so good here. They have lettuce very day and the older ones have cabbage when they can bite through it. No kale here.

Well, I reckon then, that there isn´t a lot I can do to avoid it, and who knows, it may never happen again. Your geese get a lot more corn and processed feed than mine, and there´s me thinking I´ll have to feed them even less of it!

I´ve decided that I´ll continue to feed the goslings the chick crumb mixed with the cracked corn with the Brewers Yeast mixed in. I think they need it because of the growing rate. And I´ll just have to wrap up wings as and if necessary.
Thanks for your views and experiences and knowledge, we help each other to draw our own conclusions.