Help with Canadian Goslings

[Stellasmomma]

I'm confused, the research I've done all had told me they will freeze to death and die as hatchlings in Cold weather. Canadian Goslings just like any other can't regulate their body temperature and need momma for that.. the night I rescued my gosling it was Down in the 50°Fs. And she was shaking like a little leaf cuddling up in my sweater to get warm and stayed there everytime she wanted to sleep. And that the diet of these guys are very strict with all the health problems that can occur without the proper nutrients. Especially Nician they need that most of all for their flight feathers.. please if I'm wrong correct me because I've been like a helicopter mom with my goosey girl, I've leanred from rescuing other baby wildlife and that they tend to be the most delicate creatures in the first couple weeks of their lives. One little thing can make them deadly sick, and I know I tend to take on these roles unknowingly and then have to research it every step of the way but my DNR are not helpful people unless your a hunter and I got the time working from home to foster and be a rescue for the gosling I have. I know she is getting to that age where she is trying to find her flock. The lake I live by has ran off all the Canadian geese I use to see years prior and now your lucky to see a couple. So we are still keeping hope up and looking around everywhere to find them. We have ran across a group of them and for about 3 days i took her up but when we went back the 4th day they were just gone..it doesn't help that every little piece of shore is covered by million dollar homes. I think that's why I found the baby I have that the momma got ran off, but there was no other babies but her. So maybe she was a early hatchling from her other siblings cause the moms do tend to kick the early ones out of the nest. Please don't take my post as trying to say your wrong, I'm honestly learning more and more about them everyday. And there isn't much about raising them other then it saying don't do it it's illegal. But I thought heat was a for sure thing they need to survive the first week or 2 of their lives?

I just got done raising the three Canadian goslings that our wildlife rescues could not take I put them under heat for the 1st week but they were always trying to get out of the heat so I put them outside in a predator safe enclosure with a shelter they could go into to if they wanted they did very well and in fact loved the big storms we had the rain would be coming down hard and they would be out partying in it!! the temps tended to be in the 50-60 in the day and high forties at night. With many a rain storm half the enclosure was covered so they could stay out of the rain but they chose not to, my thought is they are far more durable then we think! We just released them to the residential lake they were hatched at and they are doing well. I fed them high protein duck food that was labeled for all life stages and supplemented with Kale and grass and clover they love clover! they were very healthy and strong birds. So I don't know if I just got lucky but my thought was if mom was raising them they would be out in the rain they would be in the water so they needed to be tough little birds if they were to be released and survive. I made sure they knew how to forage well and swim they did both really well! My concern for your little goose is you only have one, I had three so they relied on each other and when free ranging always stayed together so I was able to release them together so I knew they would not be alone and could rely on each other. I wish you well try not to worry to much nature is amazing! I hope you find a good release site I was lucky I could take them back to where they were born its a lake with an apartment community surrounding it full of Canadian geese and ducks . Take care!

 

[Stellasmomma]

I love to hear this, that is awesome! Do you know about how many weeks they are? I only have one gosling but she is about 50 to 55 days old. I found her May 24th. And she has all her big bird feathers in almost but having a hard time bonding with others,would you know anything that might help she hasn't grew up with others so it might be harder for her to know she is one of them..maybe? It has been hard for us to track down groups of them around where I live tho they seem to be there one day and gone the next day we come back.

Not sure how old they were when we got them but they were small and still had baby down. I wish I could help with the bonding I was lucky I had three so they were bonded to each other. I imagine she may not know she's a Goose even as hard as I tried to not tame them they still thought I was momma and followed me everywhere so I imagine she's pretty bonded to you. I would just keep trying to find some Geese in hopes you can introduce her to them, Seems like its hard where you live, they are basically over populated here so they are everywhere! Good luck sorry I was not more help! Here are some photos some when they were little the others are at the release

 

[FluffyPenguin]

Not sure how old they were when we got them but they were small and still had baby down. I wish I could help with the bonding I was lucky I had three so they were bonded to each other. I imagine she may not know she's a Goose even as hard as I tried to not tame them they still thought I was momma and followed me everywhere so I imagine she's pretty bonded to you. I would just keep trying to find some Geese in hopes you can introduce her to them, Seems like its hard where you live, they are basically over populated here so they are everywhere! Good luck sorry I was not more help! Here are some photos some when they were little the others are at the release

I appreciate your advice, and I never thought of it that way but thats one thing I've tried to get her use to is being outside. With her being alone I think it's going to take her a lot more time but I've heard they never lose that wild instinct in them and that's one reason they cannot be domesticated is their migration habits and they tend to just fly away when they are ready to. I've been looking into other people raising canadians and how they were able to be released and that's how I came across your thread. I hope I can find a area like yours that I'd be able to visit with her once we can find her flock. I'm actually surprised the apartment complex isn't trying to run them off and makes me hopeful that their are people that still care about these guys. The lake I live by is Deep Creek Lake in MD.and every inch of shoreline is surrounded by million dollar homes from people that want to come out here to the country but tend to hate it and trys to turn it into the city and run off all the wildlife. I've noticed it more and more over the last 10 years. Also mine absolutely loves clover and thats what my daughter wanted to name her but we tend to call her meeps and they really do seem to know there names so your flappys might always answer to that. They are very smart and its been a experience unlike any other raising her. But thank you again for getting back to me, and wish you and your flappys the best too!
*I attached a couple pictures for you to see of when I found her and her now. She is probably a couple weeks older then yours by the looks of their feathers, they are still in that kinda homeless fluffy looking stage but they are all so cute. Can't help but to love em

 

[Stellasmomma]

I appreciate your advice, and I never thought of it that way but thats one thing I've tried to get her use to is being outside. With her being alone I think it's going to take her a lot more time but I've heard they never lose that wild instinct in them and that's one reason they cannot be domesticated is their migration habits and they tend to just fly away when they are ready to. I've been looking into other people raising canadians and how they were able to be released and that's how I came across your thread. I hope I can find a area like yours that I'd be able to visit with her once we can find her flock. I'm actually surprised the apartment complex isn't trying to run them off and makes me hopeful that their are people that still care about these guys. The lake I live by is Deep Creek Lake in MD.and every inch of shoreline is surrounded by million dollar homes from people that want to come out here to the country but tend to hate it and trys to turn it into the city and run off all the wildlife. I've noticed it more and more over the last 10 years. Also mine absolutely loves clover and thats what my daughter wanted to name her but we tend to call her meeps and they really do seem to know there names so your flappys might always answer to that. They are very smart and its been a experience unlike any other raising her. But thank you again for getting back to me, and wish you and your flappys the best too!
*I attached a couple pictures for you to see of when I found her and her now. She is probably a couple weeks older then yours by the looks of their feathers, they are still in that kinda homeless fluffy looking stage but they are all so cute. Can't help but to love em

Aww she's so pretty just do your best! after all that's all we can do! It does look like she's a bit older then my little flappys luckily I am getting reports and they are doing quite well I wanted to make sure they were big enough to defend themselves, swim and forage and then get them back out as soon as I could so once I knew they could do all of that I released them. I do miss the little stinkers. The little flappys were little bullies lol they started biting my little dog and my chickens if they came near them I guessed this was just them wanting to defend themselves. The apt community they came from actually has swans and ducks as well and they have so many Canadian Geese I think they just fiqured they would never be able to keep them out so they just let them stay and the residents there like them. Its sad that people run off the wildlife to build my thought is that was their home first so you need to learn to live with them! we have a small farm on almost 9acres the house was built in 20016 we bought it in 2020 and we have lots of deer I love it they were here first so I just plant flowers they don't like and they can graze on everything else we fenced our garden to keep them out of that we have learned to live with them. I really hope you can find a good release spot and if not she will eventually figure out how to fly and might find her own way but return to you each year. That might be your best plan since she is without siblings. Please keep me updated! I wish you so much luck with her!