Goose lovers – please help!!

[CelticOaksFarm]

good news on the recovery exam. very cool to have the DNA results too, I love getting them when a bird is in question.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We have returned from Spirit's follow-up exam. Dr. Echols is very pleased with progress. The wounds are healing well, vitals are good, and no sign of infection. The vertical pin under skin on upper half of leg has moved up towards hip about 1/4", which Dr. Echols expected, but warned that he may have to tap it back down on next visit (in 2 weeks) if it continues to move. At least the inner horizontal pins are not digging into belly area as was also a concern of his. Dr. Echols was extremely surprised to see good muscle flexion in foot as he believed Spirit would not regain any foot flexion. He was also encouraged to see the use of the knee joint to place foot underneath body and take some of the weight off of good leg.

Here's the biggest news of all. I was right about Spirit being a BOY!!! DNA results confirmed male when 2 different experienced avian vets vent sexed Spirit as female. I just knew it and am so glad to have spent the extra money to get the dna test done. It is no big surprise Spirit was not happy to have Tank in the room, but loves Ember. I expect Spirit and Ember to be mates for life.

As we were finishing up visit, we were hanging out in lobby area when a little girl came out of exam room (with Mom) and their dogs. The little girl was fascinated with Spirit and Spirit was the ultimate goose ambassador sweetly allowing her to pet him and otherwise be all up in his face. It was sooooo cute!

What a sweet pic and great news about recovery and sex of Spirit. May him and Ember have a long life together.

 

[Marty1876]

We have returned from Spirit's follow-up exam. Dr. Echols is very pleased with progress. The wounds are healing well, vitals are good, and no sign of infection. The vertical pin under skin on upper half of leg has moved up towards hip about 1/4", which Dr. Echols expected, but warned that he may have to tap it back down on next visit (in 2 weeks) if it continues to move. At least the inner horizontal pins are not digging into belly area as was also a concern of his. Dr. Echols was extremely surprised to see good muscle flexion in foot as he believed Spirit would not regain any foot flexion. He was also encouraged to see the use of the knee joint to place foot underneath body and take some of the weight off of good leg.

Here's the biggest news of all. I was right about Spirit being a BOY!!! DNA results confirmed male when 2 different experienced avian vets vent sexed Spirit as female. I just knew it and am so glad to have spent the extra money to get the dna test done. It is no big surprise Spirit was not happy to have Tank in the room, but loves Ember. I expect Spirit and Ember to be mates for life.

As we were finishing up visit, we were hanging out in lobby area when a little girl came out of exam room (with Mom) and their dogs. The little girl was fascinated with Spirit and Spirit was the ultimate goose ambassador sweetly allowing her to pet him and otherwise be all up in his face. It was sooooo cute!

Yay, spirit is a boy! (Although, I'd have been equally happy either way) I'm glad your young gander is doing so well.

What biosecurity should I do? Net off the geese, so nobody touches them, provide own food and water containers, (do I bring bedding? do they provide a cage?) Please let me know what steps I need to take to keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo safe. One close call is enough for anyone, don't want to press their luck.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

bio-security is upon returning home they should be isolated from all other birds for 30 days to make sure they dont bring anything home with them. All shows here require testing and proof of such on all birds entering to be shown or the birds are not permitted to be entered. This ensures the birds coming in arent coming in with anything. You go through a check in process at arrival, typically called a coop in.

Shows provide cages (coops) and the coop cups (usually disposable plastic cups), you provide food. You cant net them off in the cage. Most spend a month prepping the birds for being use to the small space of the cage they will be confined to during the show, this way they dont injure themselves or become stressed.

 

[Marty1876]

Well, I can put them in a cage every day with snacks, to see if that will help them feel OK about it. I hope the NPIP stuff is all they need. I don't think I have any other test results. Is there any other testing I should get from our vet this week? Is there anything I should do to protect the geese better while at the show? I've got room to isolate 30 days, thats not a problem, but I want to do everything I can to make sure they stay well and healthy.

The africans allready hog the water, but I've put them in a temp. fenced area of really nice grass on high ground (the clay soil makes excellent mud), and they'll be in their own section of the barn tonight, on straw I'll change every day until then. Maybe I'll make them stay in the barn (open area) w/pool and clean straw all day friday and sat. a.m. Will it hurt them if I wash them?

I'm wondering if I should wait. I just didn't know about this show until a day or so ago. Oh well, they may not win (there are only two waterfowl/goose classes) but I'll certainly learn more about it, and maybe be able to find other more or less local shows to attend. I suppose thats as good a way as any to hear what the judges think of my stock, and where to look for further improvement. I was seriously tempted to take the biggest buff.

I'm posting some buff pics over at the buff dewlap thread. I tried to get everyone.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

You dont wash waterfowl with soap, it wont hurt if you wash with plain water though. If there arent a ton of geese in the show it likely they will place. Of course that doesnt do what you were hoping in having them judged against others. I know a show recently (would have to dig where) had very few geese leaving those that were entered being awarded places because well they were all that were there.

NPIP is all they require here, do you have the NPIP on the Africans? Its not your NPIP from before getting them, its the NPIP performed on them at Janets that you need. I dont have my paperwork from Janet yet, hoping to have it before my inspection though.

it is said that birds not trained to be caged dont show well, and can become stressed.

Most of what you are asking about the show is usually answered by the show steward. Everything for testing required (and if they dont require it I wouldnt go) to when coop in is, to when coop out is.

Ohio nationals just finished up, but havent seen much chatter about the goose classes there. I did see a post about a bird who was gone when the owner returned to pick her up at the end of the show. havent seen any follow up on if she was returned.

 

[Marty1876]

Janet, can you email me a copy of your NPIP so the geese can show? Celtic has correctly pointed out that when we did the 4H testing back in early July, the trio wasn't here, and were not NPIP tested. WIthout yours, I can't show them.

I've ordered the APA book, but it hasn't come in yet. Celtic, does your say if having a gray feather on the bank covered by the wings is acceptable for White Africans? One of the girls has a couple of gray feathers, but I'd never noticed them, and am unsure of what the standards say. There isn't a great deal available on the internet about it, and that info is mostly worth what i paid for it.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Here is the basics on White Africans, you will enjoy the book when it arrives.


Bill: orange
Knob: orange
Eyes: blue
Shanks/feet: deep bright orange
Plumage: pure white


DQ: bill knob color anything other than orange
DQ: foreign color in any part of plumage, except occasional gray on very young females saddle area (this will molt off) adults should be pure white

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks!! It is nice to know we are on the road to recovery, even if it is a long one. I feel like we reached a good milestone today, one week post surgery, by removing separate pens in room so that Spirit and Ember can be together, and giving them an area to safely flap wings and move around. As for Spirit being a gander, it didn't matter to me either way, but it sure is nice to finally know I wasn't crazy for believing he was a boy when he kept getting vent sexed female.

Marty, I can send you my NPIP info and specific test results for the adult trio and Dude, who were actually part of the adult group who got the more comprehensive round of testing before leaving California. Is scan to pdf and email ok for you?

Shellie, according to my NPIP Utah guy, I am supposed to send you top copy of a carbon copy form that he has presigned for me. I was planning to list all 9 birds when I send the last 4, but I can send you a form this week for the first 5 and then do a separate one for the other 4 when they eventually get sent. What do you prefer?

 

[Marty1876]

Thanks. Don't know their age, but she is the only one with it. I can't do flock, since there need to be 8 for that, so I will just leave her at home, and take the other girl and boy once I've given then a once over tonight. I will also start (brief) cage training at night, with food and water in the corners of the lg dog crate for each of the other two (after I'm sure they meet all qualificatiions, and have no DQs.)

Iain, do you know if one of the girls is still juvenile? The both look pretty much the same size.