Gosling pecking at feathers of another gosling

[Tivona]

Hi everyone.
I just received 2 goslings just over a week old and one just won't stop nibbling the back feathers of the other one. Every time I check them the pecked on one has a wet spot where the other was nibbling/chewing at the down on the back. Its doesn't appear to hurt the gosling that is getting pecked at but the 2 "chew" spots are always wet and the skin is starting to get red. Is there a way to stop this? The cage I have them in is still big enough (held 4 ducklings earlier) so I don't think that over crowding is the problem. It seems as though the one doing the pecking just likes to play with the others down.
Thanks for any help!

 

[GarlicEater]

They can eat grass from the start, you might try sprouting some grass or "cat garden" grass etc for them at least. Plus, this one may not have discovered the great modern goose treat: Styrofoam! They need something to chew on and right now the only thing handy is each other. You need to widen their choices.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
G.E. I'm I correct in saying you are suggesting Styrofoam treats for goslings???
I would never allow my geese to nibble on Styrofoam!
They could possibly get crop bound or clogged up with it.

Tivona this is pretty normal behavior for goslings to do when they're
bored. I have found them to do this even with access to other things to
nibble on but its does seem to be a baby thing they outgrown.
It does help if they can be out during the day to graze on grass.

 

[Tivona]

Thanks for the tips. I had to separate them last night due to the pecking. The baby getting pecked was starting to cry, do to the other just not stopping. This morning after cleaning up the cage, I put in a bunch of long grass for them to play with. Hopefully that will stop the pecking and give the skin under that part of the down to get some rest from being pulled all the time. I had been giving them chopped grass and dandelions but in a bowl, easy to eat. Perhaps though there just wasn't enough for them to play with as I'd been putting it in a bowl? Its still a bit to cold for them to be outside yet but hopefully when I do transfer them they will stop this altogether. Meanwhile I'll try to keep safe "toys" in with them.

 

[Cottage Rose]

I've had some gosling's that are pretty aggressive in their biting too.

It's annoying for sure having to deal with them.
If its sunny out and not real windy and around 70ish they can go outside.

 

[bryan99705]

Try giving them more room to reduce boredom but likely they're determining who's the boss.

 

[Tivona]

Sounds like I have one of the aggressive ones... I only have had two other goslings before each one at a time. I had hatched one for a friend and the other was one I bought. After loosing my goose last year I decided to go with a pair. Thus I have these two. Both sweet as can be...except this nibbling problem the one has. The long grass didn't stop the down nibbling unfortunately. I'll keep an eye on the one and if it starts crying every time it gets nibbled again I'll probably have to separate the cage again.

I can't imagine having the skin get red like that not hurting.
Unfortunately the weather is breezy and the temp about 62ish outside.They even shiver a bit if I hold them to long even if I have a towel wrapping them up.
Please let me know if you think of any thing to either stop the nibbling or to sooth the skin thats getting red.

 

[Cottage Rose]

If the naughty gosling is persistent and getting to the point where it is creating a wound on the other gosling you may have to separate them.
OR...maybe try putting some Vaseline or Bag Balm on the wet spot to see if this will stop the other gosling from biting that area and sooth any irritation for its victim. Bag Balm is kind of mentholy so maybe this would curb the other one from biting.
You can get Bag Balm at feed mills, TSC (or farm supply stores) and even pharmacies.

 

[Little Red Hen 66]

Hi! We hatched our first goose a month ago and got another for company when it was 3 days old. It was a week older so considerably bigger than ours. It had already been pecked before we got it and I read that this can encourage others to peck. Ours started pecking it immediately. I got my husband to put a divider in the brooder after 3 days as our guy was stripping the newcomer. We put them back together a few days later and it started again. Luckily the weather has been o.k so we put them putside during the day and it really does seem to have cured it since they have been able to get at grass and roam about a bit. They are 4 and 5 wks old now.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Just noticed a wet chewing spot on of the goslings thats been ouside all day in a large grass covered pen
so even then its no guarantee.

2nd from the right has the wet spot by its tail.
The oldest one on the far right is the culprit.