how to care for an orphaned baby goose?

[orangeredhead]

Hi there,
I am a first time chicken mommy, I have 11 chicks that are 6 weeks old and have just moved them out to their new coop. My neighbour just dropped off a baby gosling ( think it's a wild Canada Goose) that he found abandoned in his back acreage and I was wondering how to care for it. Right now it is in the coop with the chicks, has access to their chick starter crumbles and water, with a heat lamp and pine shavings on the floor. Should I bring it in the house to the chicks old brooder box? Is there something else I should be doing for it? It is very young, all fuzz, no feathers. Will the chicks hurt it? Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance!

 

[livininbrazil]

Hi. Heat, water to drink, grass, romaine lettuce, pears, melon, etc, tiny bit of non-medicated chick crumb. Also, do you want to keep geese?

Geese really need geese, and lots of grass and water to dip the head in. As this one is so young, it´ll need heat, like the chicks. It doesn´t need water to bathe in just yet, it could even get chilled. But it needs lots of grass, and just a little chick-crumb if it wants, but non-medicated is important. You would do well to put a mirror in with it as a companion of its own sort. What do you intend to do with it,? Do you want to raise it? Then I would suggest, if it´s possible, get a couple of goslings, or even ducklings to keep it company, as chicks are ok but the two have such different needs, other than heat at this stage.
If you don´t want to keep geese or ducks, you could always sell them on at a later stage when this one has flown, as it may well do....or not.....but they really do so much better with their own sort, even if a different breed or specie.

Hi there,
I am a first time chicken mommy, I have 11 chicks that are 6 weeks old and have just moved them out to their new coop. My neighbour just dropped off a baby gosling ( think it's a wild Canada Goose) that he found abandoned in his back acreage and I was wondering how to care for it. Right now it is in the coop with the chicks, has access to their chick starter crumbles and water, with a heat lamp and pine shavings on the floor. Should I bring it in the house to the chicks old brooder box? Is there something else I should be doing for it? It is very young, all fuzz, no feathers. Will the chicks hurt it? Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance!

 

[orangeredhead]

Thanks, I really appreciate your reply. Lots of good advice

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks, I really appreciate your reply. Lots of good advice

You´re welcome, if any queries, just come back on here, there´s always someone who can help out,

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hows the gosling tonight? and

 

[orangeredhead]

Hi Miss Lydia,

I am sorry to say it is not doing well. It hasn't eaten much today and I can get it to drink sips of water every now and then but it shows no interest in chick crumbs. I did everything the previous poster advised (except get more geese to keep it company). It is very lethargic and seems to lack the energy to stand up for long. I tried tonight to get some adult geese with a little bit older goslings who were in the cow field next door to take it but they kept running away even though I was staying well back after putting the chick near where they were. I will try again tomorrow morning if they are still there and if not I am going to have to take it to a wild bird reserve.

I sure hope the little cutie makes it through the night.

 

[livininbrazil]

Hi Miss Lydia,

I am sorry to say it is not doing well. It hasn't eaten much today and I can get it to drink sips of water every now and then but it shows no interest in chick crumbs. I did everything the previous poster advised (except get more geese to keep it company). It is very lethargic and seems to lack the energy to stand up for long. I tried tonight to get some adult geese with a little bit older goslings who were in the cow field next door to take it but they kept running away even though I was staying well back after putting the chick near where they were. I will try again tomorrow morning if they are still there and if not I am going to have to take it to a wild bird reserve.

I sure hope the little cutie makes it through the night.

Well done on your efforts orangeredhead. It could be the reason it was left behind by its family is that it´s already weak. The family won´t accept it if they have young ones of their own already. the only way is to get small goslings that don´t know it´s not their sibling. Is there a wild bird reserve near you? Then that would be an excellent idea, assuming it´s still alive.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well done on your efforts orangeredhead. It could be the reason it was left behind by its family is that it´s already weak. The family won´t accept it if they have young ones of their own already. the only way is to get small goslings that don´t know it´s not their sibling. Is there a wild bird reserve near you? Then that would be an excellent idea, assuming it´s still alive.

X2.

 

[orangeredhead]

It didn't make it, passed away early last night. I had a little cry for the poor thing and then spent some extra time with my chickens this morning. I think I will bury it beside my dog at the edge of our meadow. Thanks for your kind words. Maybe down the road I will try raising some ducks and geese...

 

[livininbrazil]

It didn't make it, passed away early last night. I had a little cry for the poor thing and then spent some extra time with my chickens this morning. I think I will bury it beside my dog at the edge of our meadow. Thanks for your kind words. Maybe down the road I will try raising some ducks and geese...

Shame, but you did whaqt you could. I tried to rescue two tiny doves that got dragged out of the bush, still in their nest, by my dog. I kept them going for 5 days, but they died, too. that´s how it goes. If you ever decide to get goslings for yourself, come back on here, we´ll want to see pics!