Gosling - Mushy Head?

[Reyvaughn]

I had a gosling hatch with my help because of shrink wrapping yesterday. I had another pip and I have been watching it, waiting for it to absorb the blood vessels so I could chip it out of the shell, too. Once I got a leg, wing and the head out I put it back in to get it's self out because not all the yolk was absorbed. And it's head is huge. It's like it's whole head (back of neck, head, around eyes, under beak) is full of squishy ick. I have never hatched anything like it... Not in the ducks or chicks and this is only my 2nd gosling.

What is this? I didn't think it would live because of it but I helped it over 12hrs ago and it's still alive. It lived in that shell for 2 days before I could help it. It did pip on the wrong end, too. It did not get it's self out of the shell. I had to finish helping it. Will it live and straighten out or ... no?

It's like squishy chick... in it's head.

 

[8GeeseALaying]

It sounds like its fluid gathered around the head where it pipped on the wrong end. they take longer to hatch because they skipped the internal pip stage. I had 4 ducks in the same batch hatch that same way they are fine now even though 2 were floppers starting out. I didnt think they would make it past a couple days but i kept them seperate and worked with them and they will be a month old june 3rd. They seem fine now. Give him time the fluid should go away. Put them all on brewers yeast for extra help. It really straightened my ducklings out. Thats the only thing i can think of Maybe someone else can add something to help you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It sounds like its fluid gathered around the head where it pipped on the wrong end. they take longer to hatch because they skipped the internal pip stage. I had 4 ducks in the same batch hatch that same way they are fine now even though 2 were floppers starting out. I didnt think they would make it past a couple days but i kept them seperate and worked with them and they will be a month old june 3rd. They seem fine now. Give him time the fluid should go away. Put them all on brewers yeast for extra help. It really straightened my ducklings out. Thats the only thing i can think of Maybe someone else can add something to help you.

Good advise too, I know just recently Iain Utah hatched a Toulouse baby that had a lot of fluid in it's head and it's doing real good now, so give the baby time hopefully the fluid will absorb and it will be a normal gosling.

 

[Reyvaughn]

Thanks!
It's still alive and in a butter dish in my hatcher. The mushiness has not gone down yet. Hopefully it pulls through.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks!
It's still alive and in a butter dish in my hatcher. The mushiness has not gone down yet. Hopefully it pulls through.

Well you couldn't ask for more now. Just be patient and hopefully the fluid will start going down. I sent your post to Iain Utah hopefully she'll come and talk to you since she had this in one of hers.

 

[Iain Utah]

Hi there. A month ago, I hatched out a dewlap boy that was filled with fluid. It was touch and go for the 1st few days, but per Pete55's advice, I fed him finely chopped dandelions and got him drinking as much water as possible to help get his kidneys working strong and flush out excess fluid. Somehow the fluid eventually receded and he pulled through. He has an equilibrium issue and moves like he is a little drunk, and he seems muted vocally, but he is otherwise healthy and getting huge. Best of luck your little one pulls through!!

 

[pete55]

Just follow the advice in Iains post above. Usually this is due to excess moisture where the 'egg' has not lost the required amount during incubation. Keep warm but now lower the humidity if the gosling has emerged from the shell. Being breech position this may have also contributed to cranial distortion.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any new update on gosling?

 

[Reyvaughn]

It died this morning. It couldn't get up on it's feed at all, so I wasn't very hopeful. Next time I will be more prepared for this, now that I know what it is.

 

[8GeeseALaying]

It died this morning.  It couldn't get up on it's feed at all, so I wasn't very hopeful.  Next time I will be more prepared for this, now that I know what it is.

Im so sorry! Atleast its not suffering now. It seems there is only a 50/50 chance of them making it when they pip like that. I think it also has a lot to do with the will of the bird too. My first hatch this year i had 6 gosling hatch, 2 were breech pippers one had a twisted leg and a hair lip with fluid on the head it lived 3 days. The other looked fine was eating and drinking well but didnt grow fast like the others. Looking back at pics of her now there was signs of other problems she had that i didnt notice because of the blind love i had for the sweet lil thing. She lived to be 11 days old the others saw her problems, attacked and killed her. It was all a humidity problem the ducks were in the same incubator at the same time there were 4 breech pippers but all 4 made it. The second batch i cut down on humidty and didnt mist as much because were i live the humidity is up anyway all 12 hatched right and healthy with the exception of one that was busted out early by its hatch mate, she has a outtie belly button but she is one of the bosses. Things happen though no matter how cautious you are.