Has anyone experienced this gosling behavior?

[starrymutt]

So my 2 week old Tolouse gosling was out grazing with my other two and the chickens came over, and this one gosling started sizing up a full grown hen and would jump up to pull their tail feathers.

This one and my 5 week old would shake their necks, almost like visible shivering? It reminded me of a rattlesnake before going to attack. My 5 week old did it while I was petting her though. I thought maybe they were cold but I've never seen them do this before.

I don't know the sex but thought they were all female. I'm wondering if that gosling is a gander or just really ballsy lol. It also had a raised fleshy bump above it's tail feathers? But it went away when I went to look again.

Also our last gosling, who I think is a runt, seems to be pigeon toed or has weak legs. It seems like she's limping but otherwise fine? Like her hip is pulled forward compared to her other leg. She has to rest frequently and loses her balance where she sits back or falls on her butt. Is that normal?

 

[Goosebaby]

So my 2 week old Tolouse gosling was out grazing with my other two and the chickens came over, and this one gosling started sizing up a full grown hen and would jump up to pull their tail feathers.

This one and my 5 week old would shake their necks, almost like visible shivering? It reminded me of a rattlesnake before going to attack. My 5 week old did it while I was petting her though. I thought maybe they were cold but I've never seen them do this before.

I don't know the sex but thought they were all female. I'm wondering if that gosling is a gander or just really ballsy lol. It also had a raised fleshy bump above it's tail feathers? But it went away when I went to look again.

Also our last gosling, who I think is a runt, seems to be pigeon toed or has weak legs. It seems like she's limping but otherwise fine? Like her hip is pulled forward compared to her other leg. She has to rest frequently and loses her balance where she sits back or falls on her butt. Is that normal?

The shivering “I call them quivers lol” is a nervouso riritated reaction/ warning. From my experience they do it more often as goslings as they’re they’re still learning and everything is new to them. Them doing it to you can be that you’ve irritated them or they’re establishing dominance, sometimes it’s just for play.

The bulb above the base of the tail is a preen gland, many bird species have it and both males and females have it.

What’s going on with your last gosling is not normal, most likely that sounds like a nutritional deficiency, they’re likely deficient in B vitamins and vitamin D, possibly calcium too. Another possibility is a congenital defect or dislocated leg from the hip socket. Usually the force involved to pull it out of the socket will break the leg though, but if it’s broken up near the pelvis it’s hard to tell without x rays.

What feed are they on?

 

[starrymutt]

The shivering “I call them quivers lol” is a nervouso riritated reaction/ warning. From my experience they do it more often as goslings as they’re they’re still learning and everything is new to them. Them doing it to you can be that you’ve irritated them or they’re establishing dominance, sometimes it’s just for play.

The bulb above the base of the tail is a preen gland, many bird species have it and both males and females have it.

What’s going on with your last gosling is not normal, most likely that sounds like a nutritional deficiency, they’re likely deficient in B vitamins and vitamin D, possibly calcium too. Another possibility is a congenital defect or dislocated leg from the hip socket. Usually the force involved to pull it out of the socket will break the leg though, but if it’s broken up near the pelvis it’s hard to tell without x rays.

What feed are they on?

Thank you!! I had no idea about any of this.

I think the shivering likely was irritation or nervousness then since the chickens scare them. Maybe more so irritation since the one lunged at the hen lol and I was petting my other one, but maybe she wasn't in the mood.

Oh cool! I was worried it was an injury or something.

They're on a feed stock made for ducks with corn and pea protein. I did put some nutritional yeast in it as well. I did accidentally step on their foot today and I worried I might've done something, but it was walking like this before too. I did try to get a video of it

 

[Goosebaby]

Thank you!! I had no idea about any of this.

I think the shivering likely was irritation or nervousness then since the chickens scare them. Maybe more so irritation since the one lunged at the hen lol and I was petting my other one, but maybe she wasn't in the mood.

Oh cool! I was worried it was an injury or something.

They're on a feed stock made for ducks with corn and pea protein. I did put some nutritional yeast in it as well. I did accidentally step on their foot today and I worried I might've done something, but it was walking like this before too. I did try to get a video of it

Definitely a little gimpy. I would get some liquid vitamin B complex and start putting it in their water, it won’t hurt the others. You could get some rooster booster vitamins and electrolytes powder as a backup but this looks mostly like a b vitamin deficiency.

 

[starrymutt]

Definitely a little gimpy. I would get some liquid vitamin B complex and start putting it in their water, it won’t hurt the others. You could get some rooster booster vitamins and electrolytes powder as a backup but this looks mostly like a b vitamin deficiency.

Thank you! I'll be going to the feed store sometime this week so I'll definitely get some! A friend who hatched one for me had some roostr booster B-12, would that work?

 

[Goosebaby]

Thank you! I'll be going to the feed store sometime this week so I'll definitely get some! A friend who hatched one for me had some roostr booster B-12, would that work?

A B complex is preferable, niacin deficiency is a primary cause of goslings going off their legs but it can also be thiamine or others Bs also.