Gosling cannot right itself, stuck on back???

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I have one Buff gosling that hatched out on Thursday. Friday night, we left to visit my grandmother who is 90+ and fell and broke her hip & leg. My in-laws were caring for my animals while I was gone. The one buff is alone in the brooder (with a stuffed toy) and he seemed 100% when I left Friday night. When I got home, he was on his back at the far end of the brooder (away from the heat lamp). I flipped him back over, gave him water. He refuses to eat. My MIL said he's been like that Saturday afternoon (she flipped him over and fed/watered everything, came back and he was back on his back. So she righted him again. This morning, he was on his back--so she flipped him back over. When I got home at 5pm, he was back on his back.

What could be the matter? The brooder was cleaned out right before I put him in there. Nothing different than usual--pine bedding, non-medicated starter, fresh water, heat lamp....

I've been raising waterfowl for years and never had a "flipper."

This is the only one I had hatch because we lost power--so my DH was thinking maybe he was too cold at some point & got brain damaged?? But, like i said before, this gosling was up, walking, eating & drinking when I left...seemed normal....

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

No one???

 

[crj]

Hi, I will try and help. I had a similar situation but with an adult goose. My friends goose was found sick in the pond. Later found that she couldn't stand or walk and kept ending up on her back. We later figured she had gotten hit by a car or hit her head on something. Either way brain damage happened some how. I took her and nursed her back to health and now keep her with my birds. She still falls and gets stuck now and then but otherwise she is doing well. This is what I did.

My goose didn't eat or drink so I had to force feed her for over a week. I made a thick shake for her using layer pellets, chick starter grower, vitamins, raw egg, fruit and water. I had a good syringe that could suck this stuff up. Wearing a glove I forced the bill open and squirt about 1/4 of the shake down her throat each time. I think I fed her 1 1/2 syringes full each feeding until she could eat more. I also had to do this with plain water too. Eventually she was eating on her own and gaining enough strength where she could stand. She did have to practice walking all over again and eventually gained better balance.

It could be possible your gosling is going through the same thing. Try doing what I did and you may have good results. I keep an eye on my goose and I can tell by her honk where she is and if she is stuck.

I hope it turns out well for you. Like you I'm not having any luck with getting a response to my post about a possible eye infection with my goose.

 

[soquellittlehat]

It sounds like a spinal injury to me. It happened to a couple of my ducks when my dog stepped on them. They can be nursed carefully back to health as the previous poster suggested. It takes time.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I think it might be the light bulb...I am doing some more research though....