Gosling unable to stand, what to do?

[Mmcelhanon1]

My daughter and granddaughter went to the feed store today and, as usual, visited the chicks. They observed a small gosling laying on its back and drew a staff member’s attention to it. Long story short, they came home with a “free” gosling and supplies (not free, lol). It appears perfectly normal other than it cannot stand. I propped in a container to keep it upright and it is bright and alert, eating and drinking. It’s legs/feet look absolutely normal. I am not a goose person, help!

 

[Goosebaby]

First thing that comes to mind is a niacin deficiency, it can cause limping to lameness and is eventually fatal if not treated. What kind of feed do you have for them?

 

[Mmcelhanon1]

We are feeding game bird crumbles per the feed store instructions. I did find a vitamin/mineral supplemen with niacin that dissolves in water, so I’ve added that.

 

[Goosebaby]

Another possibility is an overdose of an additive in medicated chick start. If the concentration is to high it can cause paralysis and death. Chick start often doesn’t have enough niacin for water fowl. So there’s two possibilities.

 

[DiYMama540]

Another choice if you have only geese, would be the duck pellet feed for flock raiser feed.
Another thing to try would be B Complex. The waterfowl grow so fast those little legs and feet have a hard time keeping up!

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi, there. Just checking in to see how your bird is doing. Updates to these threads are quite helpful for people in the future experiencing the same problem.