gosling neck problem question

[nathanielfirst]

just today, I have noticed a young gosling with 10 siblings, he is not bending down to eat with them when they are out and about. His neck seems stuck so it bends backwards, the back of his neck touching his back, cannot move his neck into any other posiiton, so he can't bend down to eat; and he seems forced to point his bill down more than anyone else --- his bill is at a 45 degree angle down, instead of horizontal, on top of his having to crane his neck backwards in an s shape against his back. This problem developed overnight. Any ideas what this is? fishing line, something stuck in throat, spine problem?

 

[Chloe+chickens=LOVE]

Could you send a picture

 

[sylviethecochin]

If it's what I think it is, "Wry Neck" or "Sky-gazing" can be a symptom of vitamin deficiencies; the B vitamins (Particularly niacin), vitamin E and selenium (which helps in the absorption of vitamin E) particularly. I would dose the entire brood with poultry vitamins (make sure they contain the B's. Or buy a B complex set separately. You can get injectable at the feed store and administer orally, or get human B complex vitamins at Walmart.)

@azygous?

 

[nathanielfirst]

it's not that he can't raise his head, it's that his neck is locked back, and his bill locked pointed down on top of that, like an old man looking over his glasses at someone. he won't move it. he looks vaguely like he wants to be a goose sentry when he is older or something. it looks like his neck is rigid to me. he runs around with this, and his neck doesn't collapse, it stays in the same position. I'm not sure it is wry neck

 

[azygous]

As @sylviethecochin says, it's almost certainly wry neck. The symptoms can come on fast and disappear as fast after you start giving vitamin E oil 400iu plus selenium. You can get it at Walmart pharmacy. You should see dramatic improvement in just days.

 

[sylviethecochin]

it's not that he can't raise his head, it's that his neck is locked back, and his bill locked pointed down on top of that, like an old man looking over his glasses at someone. he won't move it. he looks vaguely like he wants to be a goose sentry when he is older or something. it looks like his neck is rigid to me. he runs around with this, and his neck doesn't collapse, it stays in the same position. I'm not sure it is wry neck

That sounds exactly like wry neck.

 

[azygous]

I think a lot of folks that discover one of their birds with a contorted neck find it hard to believe a simple thing like a few days of vitamin E with selenium can cure such a drastic deformity. But it works.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Since these are wild geese if you still feeding oats try putting the vitamins onto the oats and mix well at least if it can get it's head down to eat they may help or can it eat at all if not best thing would be to call wild life rehab and see if they'll come pick up the gosling they will know what to do to help it.

 

[nathanielfirst]

my oats didn't cause this, as i barely feed the chicks...

actually, a closer look shows this gosling, of all his siblings (11 total), to be slightly deformed. his head is larger than his nest mates, and it is stretched up. it looks like a photoshop transform stretch on a picture or 3d object or something. his breast muscle, the muscular area at the front of the chest that the neck goes into, is super developed, it protrudes out, his neck is thicker than his nestmates, perhaps he has developed strong muscle because of his ackward neck problem. He has trouble reaching to get stuff at some angles, but now I see he can reach the grass if he tries. He is the same body size as his nestmates, has survived this long. he does not look the same as them, though.

they are all like 2 months old at least, about to lose all their grey fuzz and transition to solid black on the neck and head. I can see their white and black cheek patches coming in good. perhaps he has more fuzz than them as well at this stage, but same body size.

anyways I will get some vitamins poly vi sol or something and give them to him. I seriously spooked his whole family today trying to touch him today... If I could get him to hand feed I could make sure he is ok and give him some food make sure he eats.

my understanding is that if you report an injured goose to any state local or federal government official, or even the spca, there is a 50% chance they will put it down if the problem is serious.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They may but what happen if it can't fly? when the others take off they will have to leave it.

I didn't say the oats you are feeding caused this I said if your still feeding oats mix the vitamins into them and place on the ground so they can eat it and hopefully the gosling will get some. By the way Poly vi sol tastes awful so I'd get something like B Complex or Poultry Nurti Drench and use it. My birds readily take the poultry Nutri drench.