Guess the age of these geese

[zippy11455]

Windchyme, thanks for posting the info on angel wing. I'm new to geese. Just raising my first 3 (American Buff) now and your post was helpful.

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
Oh no problem wish I'd have known the first time I encountered it.

 

[Kim65]

I agree they are less than a month old. They look very much like my almost four week old american lavenders, the beginnings of mature feathers poking through the down, a few feathers poking out of the wings of the boy more than the girl.

It's not exact, but preliminary "sexing" can be at least guessed at. I have a confirmed male and female, and the male is feathering out a few days ahead of the femaie. I've read this on one of these forums as well.

It's a good thing they are so young, they're more flexible and easy to "tame".

I've heard that at a certain age we should withdraw the high protein starter for layer crumbles to prevent angel wing. Any truth to that?

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
Some people would say yes. Layer crumbles has too much calcium which can interfere with the absorbtion of other vitamins..it's not that good for them. I believe that angel wing is a genetic thing they are or are not born with. I believe it has different severities. I also believe that in borderline cases that it can be gotten around with careful feeding. People will say that fully pastured geese that eat like nature intended won't get it...I know of at least one major breeder that pastures all their birds and has it running rampant anyway. Try to keep them at no more then 18% if you can and I cut the food to help with this with crimped oats, wheat and rabbit pellets, I also feed leafy alfalfa hay because I have no graze in the summer.

On my newest flock they were averaging between 16-18% and more towards the 16% and they had graze for half of the wing growth period. Another that was younger has the WORST case of them all and is on his second taping as of this evening...his diet was strictly controlled at 14-16%, he got it anyway worse then any of the others. I would try kind of watching the diet but in the end I believe if they are past borderline they are going to get it no matter what you do. I believe the only true fix is to work on breeding it out or to the level that it only very rarely shows up(and yes with work, several years of it, I believe it is possible to do just that). That's what I believe. Other believe vastly differently.

 

[Kim65]

Thank you Windchyme!!

I didn't realize it was as genetic as you say. That's a relief, in a way.

So I could use the unmedicated 24% crumbles and cut it to approx 16 - 18% protein by mixing it almost half and half with what you suggested.

They are Holderread birds (I got the pleasure of picking them up there, what a wonderful place and a wonderful couple) so I'm counting on their genetics being carefully selected. There's no guarantees, I know.

I wish I could figure out a way to make alfalfa pellets palatable to the geese. This reminds me I should try them now, chopped in the blender as the babies are able to handle bigger bites. My other flock loved the alfalfa hay but it was so expensive in Idaho I've gone to pellets and haven't gone back.

I'm so glad I asked about the layer pellets. I had no idea. THANKS again