Goose with a weird crop

[GandalfGoose]

I have a goose that was not well taken care of for about a year of the first year and a half of her life. I got her about 6 weeks ago. The past few weeks I have noticed that her crop bulges, so her chest looks really puffed out and lop-sided towards the right. This also extends up her neck about half way. I see it mostly in the evening when I go out to put them away for the night. I took her to the vet the first time that I noticed it. The vet said that she probably over fills her crop when she is out grazing during the day. (I did have the vet check for worms too, which there weren't any.) He also said to make sure that there is plenty of water available to drink, which there always is! I just can't stand seeing her like that as it looks rather uncomfortable, but it doesn't seem to bother her much, other then she is a little slower than the rest of the geese when she walks with them. I was wondering if any one had any suggestions for keeping her crop from bloating out like that or any other thoughts or ideas?

 

[Carrosaur]

I have a goose that was not well taken care of for about a year of the first year and a half of her life. I got her about 6 weeks ago. The past few weeks I have noticed that her crop bulges, so her chest looks really puffed out and lop-sided towards the right. This also extends up her neck about half way. I see it mostly in the evening when I go out to put them away for the night. I took her to the vet the first time that I noticed it. The vet said that she probably over fills her crop when she is out grazing during the day. (I did have the vet check for worms too, which there weren't any.) He also said to make sure that there is plenty of water available to drink, which there always is! I just can't stand seeing her like that as it looks rather uncomfortable, but it doesn't seem to bother her much, other then she is a little slower than the rest of the geese when she walks with them. I was wondering if any one had any suggestions for keeping her crop from bloating out like that or any other thoughts or ideas?

Provide lots of grit, some geese just refuse to get it themselves out of the ground and you'll need to make sure she's eating it. I've had young geese die from compacted crops, it is a very serious thing!! She'll probably be fine since she's an adult.

You may want to take her off grass for a while, maybe keep her in the garage or on the drive way and see if that fixes the odd shape, then you'll know she really is just eating too much/not eating enough grit.

 

[GandalfGoose]

I do have grit out for them 24/7, but I have been working on switching their grit, since none of them seem to like what I have out for them. I do think she is eating too much because by the morning it has gone back down to normal. They do have food and water available even at night, but I bet they don't eat as much just because it is dark. I did think that it was more serious than the vet seemed to think, but of course at the time of the appointment she didn't look as bad as she usually does in the evening

They were poorly fed before I got them and I wasn't sure if this was partially due to some damage that may have occurred before I got them. I also think that she is just trying to stuff herself because they were all pretty skinny when I got them as well.

 

[Carrosaur]

I do have grit out for them 24/7, but I have been working on switching their grit, since none of them seem to like what I have out for them. I do think she is eating too much because by the morning it has gone back down to normal. They do have food and water available even at night, but I bet they don't eat as much just because it is dark. I did think that it was more serious than the vet seemed to think, but of course at the time of the appointment she didn't look as bad as she usually does in the evening :/ They were poorly fed before I got them and I wasn't sure if this was partially due to some damage that may have occurred before I got them. I also think that she is just trying to stuff herself because they were all pretty skinny when I got them as well. 

Over eating after a poor diet is possible. Just watch her, or take her off grass for now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Over eating after a poor diet is possible. Just watch her, or take her off grass for now.

@Carrosaur Why off grass? since geese are grazers why would grass hurt her? I know long blades of grass aren't good for them and can cause crop problems. yes keep grit out but most likely they are getting it from the ground too. you have the grit in a separate bowl from their feed bowl right?

@GandalfGoose bless you for taking the geese in.

 

[Carrosaur]

@Carrosaur
  Why off grass? since geese are grazers why would grass hurt her? I know long blades of grass aren't good for them and can cause crop problems.   yes keep grit out but most likely they are getting it from the ground too. you have the grit in a separate bowl from their feed bowl right?

@GandalfGoose
  bless you for taking the geese in.

It's just to see if that's the otoblem

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not sure if this is relevant but when I read about your goose it made me think of this @GandalfGoose
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/945941/keel-trouble-impacted-crop Hopefully not even close to what is going on with yours.

 

[GandalfGoose]

Quote: This is a much more extreme version of what I am seeing with mine. I would like to get some pictures of it, but in the evening the light is never very good I did pull up some of the barn floor gravel for them to have until I can get to the store and get different grit. They love the gravel in the barn for some reason, but won't touch the grit I put out for them in a separate bowl. I did a little research and supposedly either adding a little baking soda or apple cider vinegar to their water should help with the problem. I guess that because it goes away by morning it isn't too serious yet, but I don't want it to get bad because they can have serious complications from it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Apple Cider Vinegar is a great way to help sour crop and it's a good tonic too. so put 1-2 Tab into a gallon bucket and let this be her sole drinking water for a couple days after that give it to them 2X a week

I'm glad your goose isn't this extreme but when you mentioned what you were seeing with your goose this came to mind.

Mine get ACV one day in all their buckets then next day just fresh water next day Poultry Nutri drench then fresh again then back to the ACV to start again.