Help!!! Gosling labored breathing, discharge from nostirls

[Wendy Stookey]

Brand new here, I have chickens that are free range and raise goats as my main business but I am brand new to geese. I have a breeding pair and I hatched out two of their eggs. They are about 3 weeks old and I have now noticed a lot of fluid from their nostrils and mouth and breathing seems labored. What to do?

 

[Pyxis]

Before we immediately jump to the worst case scenario, which is below, let's rule out other things first. What kind of bedding are you using? Have you changed it recently? Do they have access to water deep enough to submerge their head in and clear their nares?

Worst case, it could also be a respiratory infection. Adult geese can carry mycoplasma with no signs, or low egg fertility being the only sign. If they have it, they can pass it to their offspring, and that might be what you're seeing.

You can try getting some Denagard and putting them on it to see if that clears it up. But be aware that they would be lifetime carriers, and you should never sell them, their offspring, or eggs to anyone else because you would be passing on the disease.

Now, it could be other things too, so you might want to have them testing for it. There's a lab called Zoologix that will do it for you if you send them a sample.

 

[Wendy Stookey]

Thank you for responding to my post. The goslings are outside with shelter and on grass free range during the day, they are housed at night and it's straw. They have a deep rubber pan to dunk in and feed is changed daily.
All birds are completely free range, we have a fence around the property. No worries of predators.
This morning they are clear of discharge and breathing seems better.
Parents were brought from a breeder and I spoke with her last night. All of her birds are very healthy and I've never seen a problem with them.
So could this be just a passing thing and I'm over reacting?
Thanks again for your wisdom!