Goslings with bloody wing tips!

[MotherGoose4u]

I have just hatched 5 baby geese and they turned 1 week old today. We have been keeping them in a chick coop with 5 other chicks which are around 3 to 4 weeks old. This evening I noticed that 4 out of my 5 goslings had bloody or red/raw wing tips, like something had been picking on them. I seperated the geese from the chicks and noticed that some of the chicks seemed really agressive towards one another but I also noticed that one of the geese was picking at the ones with the injured wing tips. This is the first day that any of this has happened, we spend time with our birds each day. I'm hoping this is just a case of mean chicks and that my geese aren't going to be agressive towards one another. Any answers, help, or suggestions????

 

[larkflying]

They probably aren't being aggressive -- baby geese are like puppies and chew on everything, even each other. I give my goslings big chunks of grass sod every day (grass with the roots and dirt still intact) so they have something appropriate to chew on. If there still seems to be problems, you could try separating the goslings that seem to be doing most of the chewing. Hopefully taking away the chicks will solve the problem though . . .

 

[MotherGoose4u]

We have singled out the one goose that seems to be doing all the chewing. That particualr goose is also a bit bigger than the other 4. We put him by himself for about 2 hours and put the other 4 in a new coop. When we reintroduced him to the other 4 it took him less than 5 minutes to begin tugging at the other ones wings again. I will definately try the grass sod!!! Anything else I can give them to chew on that may keep them occupied? Also is there any way to sex goslings?

 

[SuperChickMama]

Hello sister!!! BTW.... we treated the babies with a bath and bluekote, any other first aid suggestions?

 

[larkflying]

You can vent sex goslings if you know what you are doing -- I think there are some posts on here about that. I haven't tried it. You'll know for sure by behavior in January . . . and it is fun to make guesses until then . . . There are blood tests for DNA, but they are spendy, and you might have to wait till feathers come in . . .

My adult geese like chewing on tree branches, apples, and dirt, and anything unusual in their pasture. Just make sure that there aren't any pesticides on anything live that you give them. You could try putting some grit in there too . . . lettuce? Melon rinds? and you might need to subdivide their pen so that the one gosling that is chewing can see but not chew on the others. I love the metal puppy fences -- just the right height and easy to move so you can fill waters and what not. They can still see each other that way, and won't feel so isolated.

I only had this happen once, very briefly with my goslings last year -- one started to have raw looking wings right before the feathers came in. They were in a stall with an outside door, so I used the metal puppy fence and made them a small area outside -- took care of the pecking issue. So it never got bad enough for me to medicate . . .

 

[peronela]

hi , my goslings did the same and i got them in a bigger place and they do that no more. hope this is helping you mother gosse .
bye.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Parrot toys are great for goslings to chew on. They need dark greens and grass from very early on. We start goslings outside all day in hoop houses at day 5. Before then we cut and give them grass daily in their brooders. They need more space than a chicken so they can spread out. Lots to nibble on will help with the chewing. It may not end it though as goslings just chew.