Ideas to encourage injured goose to eat more?

[AdrienneG]

Good morning all,

We have a goose who protected her flock (chickens, duck, geese) from a bobcat last week. In the process, she got pretty badly beat up. Her wounds are now healing great (about 3 inches of skin ripped from her neck, eye was also bit) and she is happy as can be.

She is active, drinking water, and grazing for food. However, she seems to only be occasionally snacking as opposed to our other goose who devours everything. She has both Mazuri and King waterfowl feed and grass and greens from the garden. I tried offering corn straight off the cob, various fruits, mealworms, and she has shown no interest.

Is there any way to encourage her to eat more, as she is beginning to get a little skinny. We are not too worried because she is still eating, playing, and drinking.

Any ideas for delicious treats she can't resist? She's in with her sister now as she tends to eat more in other's company.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Tlmcq]

Ginger is an appetite stimulant if you can get her to eat a bit of it.

 

[Tilly6]

My geese go crazy for a weed called prickly lettuce, they will trample anything in their path if they see us with those leaves. They love kale too, cucumbers and melons, and tomatoes

 

[AdrienneG]

Thank you Tlmcq I will give ginger a try! I appreciate your help.

Hi Tilly6! Prickly lettuce, I've never heard of it but I will look around. As far as all the others, I will stock up and try and encourage her to eat. Thank you so much for your response. You guys are the best!

 

[Tilly6]

I had to look up the name for it, I had no idea what it was. It is a little like a thistle, but gets yellow flowers like super tall dandelions. They looooooooove it.

 

[AdrienneG]

I had to look up the name for it, I had no idea what it was. It is a little like a thistle, but gets yellow flowers like super tall dandelions. They looooooooove it. View attachment 1062044

Thank you! We have thistle and dandelions, I'll poke around the property and see what I can find.