help!!!

[bnfallon22]

So I just got a pet goose and I'm totally in love with him/her. But I need some information. First I'm running out of food and I can't make it to the store for more so what can I give my gosling for now? Second everyone keeps scaring me with the fact that all geese carry salmonella. I wasn't aware of this at first so I wasn't taken the precautions and he had his beak all over my face. Will I be okay? Finally do geese need to mate?Please answer!

 

[jtn42248]

First, and probably most important, read the following from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellababybirds/

What you can feed your goose/gosling depend mainly on the age of the bird. If still just a baby it really does need a balanced diet to help it grow and develop a healthy body. A commercial NON-MEDICATED chick starter is best for the first week to 10 days of a goslings life. Then move on to a good grower feed, again non-medicated. You should keep food out and available for the gosling all the time. After the first week you can introduce grass clippings (or, if you have the yard and/or space) allow the gosling to graze. Grazing is the primary diet for geese and they will be most happy if allowed to graze at will. You should, however, have a balanced grower feed available for them as well until they are fully feathered.

Since you do not say how old your bird is that is the best advice I can give. Since you are "nuzzling" with the gosling I am guessing it is pretty young as most adult geese, while friendly with their "family" will not get in your face in that way. Yet, I am guessing that the bird is several weeks old. If that is the case you can provide it with grass clippings and/or grazing opportunities until you can get commercial feed for it and it should be o.k. If younger that a couple of weeks you should make every effort to get commercial feed for it as soon as you can.

Hope that helps and good luck. I have three geese (Toulouse) and I know how fun and affectionate they can be.

 

[jtn42248]

Oh, and also, geese are flock birds and they are most happy with companions. A single "pet" goose is going to get very lonely with only a human companion. If at all possible you should get a companion goose for you pet. If you only have the two it does not matter if they are male or female as two of the same sex will almost always get along. Remember though that if you end up with a male and a female you will probably have grandchildren in about a year or so.

 

[livininbrazil]

First, and probably most important, read the following from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellababybirds/

What you can feed your goose/gosling depend mainly on the age of the bird. If still just a baby it really does need a balanced diet to help it grow and develop a healthy body. A commercial NON-MEDICATED chick starter is best for the first week to 10 days of a goslings life. Then move on to a good grower feed, again non-medicated. You should keep food out and available for the gosling all the time. After the first week you can introduce grass clippings (or, if you have the yard and/or space) allow the gosling to graze. Grazing is the primary diet for geese and they will be most happy if allowed to graze at will. You should, however, have a balanced grower feed available for them as well until they are fully feathered.

Since you do not say how old your bird is that is the best advice I can give. Since you are "nuzzling" with the gosling I am guessing it is pretty young as most adult geese, while friendly with their "family" will not get in your face in that way. Yet, I am guessing that the bird is several weeks old. If that is the case you can provide it with grass clippings and/or grazing opportunities until you can get commercial feed for it and it should be o.k. If younger that a couple of weeks you should make every effort to get commercial feed for it as soon as you can.

Hope that helps and good luck. I have three geese (Toulouse) and I know how fun and affectionate they can be.

Just goes to show how we´re all different with our raising our geese...Mine are on grass from day one, eat mainly grass, just a little chick-crumb and cracked corn, and greens, fruits, etc...

And everyone agrees about having more than one goose.

So I just got a pet goose and I'm totally in love with him/her. But I need some information. First I'm running out of food and I can't make it to the store for more so what can I give my gosling for now? Second everyone keeps scaring me with the fact that all geese carry salmonella. I wasn't aware of this at first so I wasn't taken the precautions and he had his beak all over my face. Will I be okay? Finally do geese need to mate?Please answer!

Just lots of greens, romaine lettuce is good, as it has good amounts of VitB3/niacin, that they need, and, of course, grass is so important for them. Soft fruits they love, too.
Geese will want to mate in the season, females will mount female, males will try to mount other males, which can result in some fights, and, of course, the true pair will mount and you may get goslings if you leave them to sit on the eggs. The calmest arrangement is two females. Enjoy your gosling (s)

 

[The goose girl]

Just goes to show how we´re all different with our raising our geese...Mine are on grass from day one, eat mainly grass, just a little chick-crumb and cracked corn, and greens, fruits, etc...

Grass from day one also help prevent boredom - if fed as turf sods or lawn to graze and gnaw; clippings don't offer much entertainment.

 

[bnfallon22]

Thank you. She is very young. I actually got her at the flea market because she looked sad. I did my research and got her. I wouldn't have ran out of food any other time but something was happening. I'll be able to receive commercial food on Sunday but for now I had some scratch mix grains and mixed that with grass and lettuce. I wasn't told how old she was and what breed because they didn't know all they told me was that she would turn white. I know I seem inexperienced which I am but I'm trying and I'm in love with my wittle gosling

 

[bnfallon22]

Just goes to show how we´re all different with our raising our geese...Mine are on grass from day one, eat mainly grass, just a little chick-crumb and cracked corn, and greens, fruits, etc...

And everyone agrees about having more than one goose.  
Just lots of greens, romaine lettuce is good, as it has good amounts of VitB3/niacin, that they need, and, of course, grass is so important for them. Soft fruits they love, too. 
Geese will want to mate in the season, females will mount female, males will try to mount other males, which can result in some fights, and, of course, the true pair will mount and you may get goslings if you leave them to sit on the eggs.  The calmest arrangement is two females.  Enjoy your gosling (s)  

Thank you for your help! In all honesty though I was only able to get one gosling because that's all they had and I don't have enough space for two but she is NEVER alone someone is always with her

 

[livininbrazil]

Thank you for your help! In all honesty though I was only able to get one gosling because that's all they had and I don't have enough space for two but she is NEVER alone someone is always with her

Have you read up about house geese on these threads? You may find it interesting.