How to help new goose family along?

[mamalaoshi]

This is my first year with geese and my pair of Chinese geese just hatched their first brood. They are enclosed in a large yard with grass in half and trees in the other half. There is a seasonal pond in the fall and winter but it's dry now so I have a small wading pool for them.

My question is what should I be doing to help mom and dad raise their five babies? I've found tons of info about people raising goslings but nothing about naturally brooded goslings. Mom and dad are teaching them to forage. They made a short stop at the feeder in the morning before spending the rest of the day nibbling on grass and playing in the dirt.

I'm concerned about the babies getting enough water. I put a juice jug with a hole cut in the side, something I saw online, so the babies could put their heads in but not their bodies but it just got knocked over and I didn't see any babies use it. I saw the parents dipping their heads to the babies after drinking from the wading pool- are they giving them water?

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is my first year with geese and my pair of Chinese geese just hatched their first brood. They are enclosed in a large yard with grass in half and trees in the other half. There is a seasonal pond in the fall and winter but it's dry now so I have a small wading pool for them.

My question is what should I be doing to help mom and dad raise their five babies? I've found tons of info about people raising goslings but nothing about naturally brooded goslings. Mom and dad are teaching them to forage. They made a short stop at the feeder in the morning before spending the rest of the day nibbling on grass and playing in the dirt.

I'm concerned about the babies getting enough water. I put a juice jug with a hole cut in the side, something I saw online, so the babies could put their heads in but not their bodies but it just got knocked over and I didn't see any babies use it. I saw the parents dipping their heads to the babies after drinking from the wading pool- are they giving them water?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Nope they aren't giving them water. Try a shallow pan , something they can get out of easy if they climb into which they most likely will but if it's warm where you are it isn't going to hurt them to get wet. main thing is making what ever you use safe so they can get in an out of I have used a cat litter pan too. and place a large rock in and out to help them.

 

[ondrea19]

I use pans like miss Lydia said. I used a cat litter box for when I got my baby ducks but my geese prefer horse grain bins.