Gosling scratching repetedly at head

[BingC]

@Knightlight did you ever figure out the reason for your goslings dying? You described water pouring out of their mouths when you picked up the bodies, and I just lost a gosling that had a similar thing.

It was looking lethargic, unsteady on its feet this morning. Seemed dizzy and disoriented. It got a little better, then a little worse... it would snort like it had something stuck in its nostrils, then shake its head vigorously. After a couple hours I came back and it was dead. When I picked it up, there was water pouring out of its mouth.

 

[Goosebaby]

@Knightlight did you ever figure out the reason for your goslings dying? You described water pouring out of their mouths when you picked up the bodies, and I just lost a gosling that had a similar thing.

It was looking lethargic, unsteady on its feet this morning. Seemed dizzy and disoriented. It got a little better, then a little worse... it would snort like it had something stuck in its nostrils, then shake its head vigorously. After a couple hours I came back and it was dead. When I picked it up, there was water pouring out of its mouth.

I’m so sorry your gosling passed away. It may have had a respiratory infection. The water pouring from its mouth could either be its stomach/ crop contents or it may have aspirated water while it was unable to hold its head upright due to another issue causing the disorientation.
If a necropsy is at all possible that may be a good idea to do.

 

[Knightlight]

@Knightlight did you ever figure out the reason for your goslings dying? You described water pouring out of their mouths when you picked up the bodies, and I just lost a gosling that had a similar thing.

It was looking lethargic, unsteady on its feet this morning. Seemed dizzy and disoriented. It got a little better, then a little worse... it would snort like it had something stuck in its nostrils, then shake its head vigorously. After a couple hours I came back and it was dead. When I picked it up, there was water pouring out of its mouth.

It was water intoxication. Once I started monitoring their water intake in the mornings they stopped dying. Ive never experienced that happening before and it hasnt happened with subsequent batches. Mine were not showing any symptoms of stumbling or disorientation until they were already dying, which they werent until they got the water in the mornings. If yours was already unsteady i would suspect either it got crushed by other birds overnight and had internal damage or like goosebaby said a respiratory infection of some sort. Its possible it got aspergillosis or botulism as well, but without seeing the bird while it was alive or doing a necropsy its impossible to tell...