- May 29, 2008
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- 5
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Though I'm a new member of this forum, I've popped in and read threads here on and off for more than a year, but now I have a question. I have a White Chinese gander who was injured some time during the winter. I admit, I didn't realize he was hurt for weeks, I thought he just had a dirty spot on his chest since it was always brown and he never acted injured. His feathers covered the spot so I never saw the wound.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I saw the spot when it was fresh and realized he was bleeding. I checked the injury out and it's just a bloody mess about an inch in diameter. I watched him closely for a couple of days and the bleeding stopped completely. A few weeks passed with no problems and I figured he was healing up well, then all the sudden he started bleeding again. He's very aggressive (as anyone who owns a gander in this breed can attest) and I know if I try and wrap the wound he'll just pull the wrap off again--not the mention the fact that the placement of the wound high on the chest area makes it awkward for wrapping anyway since it would have to be wrapped above the wings.
He's been walking around this way for way longer than I want to admit to, and doesn't seem to have any other symptoms, but I'm sure it is painful and I want to avoid a serious infection. He's my only gander (at least until my goose eggs in the incubator hatch--if they hatch) or I'd be tempted to put him down (did I mention he's aggressive?).
I haven't had any real problems with predators (other than my dog who got one of the chicks last year. She was so proud of herself until we punished her. She doesn't even look at them now), and the two dogs that were chasing my bird around inside the fenced area last night--they're at the animal shelter now, since I didn't know whose they were. There were feathers flying, but they didn't seem to have actually hurt any of the birds. Something stole some duck eggs last winter, so maybe my gander had to defend the flock from a raccoon one night. And raccoons are another reason I keep the geese around, as the ducks (and probably even the chickens) are safer with the gander so close by.
Anyway, any suggestions? He rules the yard, so I'm not concerned that my other birds are aggravating things.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I saw the spot when it was fresh and realized he was bleeding. I checked the injury out and it's just a bloody mess about an inch in diameter. I watched him closely for a couple of days and the bleeding stopped completely. A few weeks passed with no problems and I figured he was healing up well, then all the sudden he started bleeding again. He's very aggressive (as anyone who owns a gander in this breed can attest) and I know if I try and wrap the wound he'll just pull the wrap off again--not the mention the fact that the placement of the wound high on the chest area makes it awkward for wrapping anyway since it would have to be wrapped above the wings.
He's been walking around this way for way longer than I want to admit to, and doesn't seem to have any other symptoms, but I'm sure it is painful and I want to avoid a serious infection. He's my only gander (at least until my goose eggs in the incubator hatch--if they hatch) or I'd be tempted to put him down (did I mention he's aggressive?).
I haven't had any real problems with predators (other than my dog who got one of the chicks last year. She was so proud of herself until we punished her. She doesn't even look at them now), and the two dogs that were chasing my bird around inside the fenced area last night--they're at the animal shelter now, since I didn't know whose they were. There were feathers flying, but they didn't seem to have actually hurt any of the birds. Something stole some duck eggs last winter, so maybe my gander had to defend the flock from a raccoon one night. And raccoons are another reason I keep the geese around, as the ducks (and probably even the chickens) are safer with the gander so close by.
Anyway, any suggestions? He rules the yard, so I'm not concerned that my other birds are aggravating things.
