How to teach gosling to eat / drink?

[adrian]

Yes, the plan was to have her placed with the other goslings, but I wondered whether they would help her.

I'd like to report that she is loving her romaine and green leaf lettuce. It's the first thing I've seen her eat all on her own, and she sure loves to run over to the bowl and nibble at it. I think taking an interest in greens is the first step. She's pooping quite a lot, and I was fortunate enough to have her poop a big one on me. She's very active and getting stronger. Needless to say, she is doing well.

Apparently snow geese are more like opportunists with their bug eating as babies. She seems far more interested in chewing clothes, hair, and lettuce than chasing objects that resemble insects. I'm so relieved, I can't even tell you.

Edit: She is now eating her food!
She's like a whole new goose!

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
Oh I am relieved, she should be ok now thank goodness.

 

[goosedragon]

adrian, Where did you get the info that they eat mainly insects for the first 2 weeks? I was unable to find it. I contacted a friend that raises and breeds snow geese here in the US and asked about feeding problems in goslings, He reported no problems except they seemed to eat more than domestic geese and grew faster. He lets the mother goose raise them and assumes they learn to eat by her example. He feeds all his geese a high protein starter and gets them out on grass as soon as possible. After the first two weeks he cuts back to the usual waterfowl feed that they get the rest of their life.
He raises them because he loves to see the flock fly and call to each other while in flight. According to him they tend to be louder than any domestic breed. Another reason for natural rearing is they tend to stay with the family for the first 2-3 years before pairing off for breeding. This makes it easier for him to keep the full flighted birds from leaving his farm.
Do you know if yours is a snow or a blue goose (the same breed just different colors)?

 

[adrian]

I know that lesser snow goslings of the blue phase are a dark color, almost black, while the white phase shows as a yellow gosling. This gosling, however, is dark on the top of her head and back, and a bright yellow beneath her chin and on her stomach and chest. I've not seen a picture of her coloring elsewhere. I don't mind if she's a loud bird, as they still can't compare to large parrots.

That's her – the phase is most likely blue, although it's a little bit of a toss-up. Around here, snow geese are often killed, their nests destroyed, eggs stomped on. The goose is not desirable here, although I know someone who keeps a pair domestically, with their wings pinioned. They're basically display birds, but utterly sweet. Louder birds, yes, but only when they call to each other. Otherwise, they have a pleasant, low honk. (The call honk is much different, and is high-pitched).

As for where I read that they eat insects...

"Initially the goslings, or young, feed mainly on insects, which are plentiful during summer in the Arctic. As they grow, their need for a high-protein diet diminishes, and within about two weeks they have switched almost completely to grasses and sedges."

( http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=51 )