My female goose who is about 2 years old refused to leave her nest box this morning. I thought perhaps she was ready to lay for the first time (never laid last year although she was old enough and none laid this year yet). Checked on her at noon and found she had moved to the ducks nesting area in their pen. No surprise on that but she seemed to be in pain. Tail down and making kind of a whiny sound every few breaths. The sound is one she is making and not coming from her lungs. Her eyes look in pain.
My guess was perhaps egg bound with her first egg. I gave her a warm bath to soak in and she did drink as she soaked. After the water cooled down I took her out and patted her dry and she went back into the nest box and is there now. Before getting her out of the warm water I washed her vent and looked at it. It looks fine. No swelling or redness but put a bit of vitamin E oil on the outer part of the vent just encase it might help (didn't have KY). Her tummy is a bit firm and I 'may' have felt an egg. Really hard to know if it was an egg or not that I felt but I gently stroked her tummy going towards the vent for a little while.
I have never had a bird egg bound so I am just guessing here. Any thing else it might be that I should be looking at? Any other things I should try beyond more warm baths and just keeping her comfortable?
Got to say that her mate is being wonderful. Staying at her side and grooming her. Even was nice as I picked her up and put her in, and took her out of the big tub I had brought out for her warm bath. I think he is a bit worried about her as well.
My guess was perhaps egg bound with her first egg. I gave her a warm bath to soak in and she did drink as she soaked. After the water cooled down I took her out and patted her dry and she went back into the nest box and is there now. Before getting her out of the warm water I washed her vent and looked at it. It looks fine. No swelling or redness but put a bit of vitamin E oil on the outer part of the vent just encase it might help (didn't have KY). Her tummy is a bit firm and I 'may' have felt an egg. Really hard to know if it was an egg or not that I felt but I gently stroked her tummy going towards the vent for a little while.
I have never had a bird egg bound so I am just guessing here. Any thing else it might be that I should be looking at? Any other things I should try beyond more warm baths and just keeping her comfortable?
Got to say that her mate is being wonderful. Staying at her side and grooming her. Even was nice as I picked her up and put her in, and took her out of the big tub I had brought out for her warm bath. I think he is a bit worried about her as well.