Gosling Just Hatched unexpectedly, first time raising, need help!

[Pelephant]

So I've been placing my fertile geese eggs under my broody hen in hopes that she'd manage to hatch them. To be honest, I was under the impression that the chances of them hatching would be close to impossible, since I've heard a lot about how the chicken can't keep the large geese eggs warm enough. Not thinking they were going to hatch, I didn't pay much attention to them, besides turning them over once a day. So imagine my surprise when one of the goslings came out today MUCH earlier than I expected! Completely caught off guard, I'm in a bit of a panic. I've never raised goslings, or even chickens before, so I'm going to need some help.

Immediately after discovering it hatched, I went to the pet store and got a heat lamp for chicks and chick starter (it was the only thing they had), I placed the gosling in a box with pine shavings, put the heat lamp up, and put two shallow bowls (one of water, one of the chick starter) inside. I'm in the process of trying to find a thermometer to measure the temperature (should be around 90, correct?)

Few questions:

1. I read that certain types of chick starter can be dangerous for geese, but I don't seem to have an alternative at the moment. In addition, I wasn't able to ask about the store's chick starter since I didn't know about this until I got back. Is it really that deadly? Should I try to find something else to feed it?

2. It seems to be clambering to the edges of the box and biting on the plastic walls, like it wants to get out. Is this normal? Does this mean it's too hot?

3. Will it manage to find the food and eat it on its own? At the moment it seems pretty oblivious to the food and water, though I drank a tiny bit of water when I lifted up a spoonful toward its mouth. It ignored the food when I did the spoon thing though.

As for it's behavior, it's currently stumbling around peeping a lot. It falls over often, though it's been getting better since I removed it from under the hen.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[JulieNKC]

Most all chick starter should be fine. It will pant if it's too hot, but make sure it has an area it can get out from under the heat lamp if it wants. It's probably just trying to get out because it wants company. They can take a day or 2 to start eating, their yolk will provide nutrition until then, but you may want to dip it's bill in the water to show it where it is. Hopefully someone else will come along with more advice soon. Congrats and good luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Put a mirror with safe edges inside the box and a stuffed animal for it to snuggle with. they love company, and you'll probably have to spend some time snuggling with it till more hatch then it will be fine. Congrats..

 

[Pelephant]

Hi, update on my little miracle gosling. He/she looks to be growing up fine, and the stuffed animal really did the trick. Here it is, sleeping in its food bowl and cuddling with the stuffed animal:



Just one quick question, it seems to like to nibble at my fingers a lot when I pick it up or touch it. Is this normal?

(Also, it would seem my actual mother goose has been sitting on her own eggs now! No need for the broody hen anymore I suppose, and no more constant turning of eggs. )

 

[JulieNKC]

Hi, update on my little miracle gosling. He/she looks to be growing up fine, and the stuffed animal really did the trick. Here it is, sleeping in its food bowl and cuddling with the stuffed animal:



Just one quick question, it seems to like to nibble at my fingers a lot when I pick it up or touch it. Is this normal?

(Also, it would seem my actual mother goose has been sitting on her own eggs now! No need for the broody hen anymore I suppose, and no more constant turning of eggs. )

She's adorable.

Goslings are like puppies as far as chewing and nibbling, so it's normal.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, update on my little miracle gosling. He/she looks to be growing up fine, and the stuffed animal really did the trick. Here it is, sleeping in its food bowl and cuddling with the stuffed animal:



Just one quick question, it seems to like to nibble at my fingers a lot when I pick it up or touch it. Is this normal?

(Also, it would seem my actual mother goose has been sitting on her own eggs now! No need for the broody hen anymore I suppose, and no more constant turning of eggs. )

Oh my goodness how precious.

 

[Iain Utah]

Adorable baby!!! Congrats!! FYI, I would not use shavings as flooring until she is at least 2 weeks old. Goslings are nibblers. They will nibble on the shavings, and can choke on them. Best to use either old towels or rubber kitchen shelf liner.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Awwwww!. That is so cute. If you know anybody with baby ducks or even chicks they'd work to keep it company. I brood my babies together until the ducks figure out how to play in the waterer. Geese are easy to keep with chicks for several weeks with no problems. The more you socialize with it, the better Congrats!

 

[Pelephant]

It's a miracle! The other two eggs I put under the hen hatched today as well! The only issue was, however, I was out of town last night and today, and my husband (who had no idea how long it takes for gosling to hatch) panicked after around half a day of watching them struggle, and ended up helping the goslings hatch instead of letting them do it on their own. Nonetheless, the two new ones seem alright, and the older one of them has already fluffed up and is wobbling around. I'll put up pictures when I can.

I do have a question though, my husband has put the older of the two new ones with the first (2-3 day old) gosling, and it seems that the bigger one keeps nibbling around the younger one's neck and head area. Is this aggressive and dangerous action, or just friendliness? Should I separate the younger two from the older one?

As for the bedding, will straw do instead of towels?

 

[JasoninMN]

Goslings nibble everything and I am sure its over joyed to have siblings. They should be fine together. Straw should be okay as long as they are eating good.