Injured Gosling

[Yetti]

last week I picked up 6 chicks of the big white farm geese from TSC and have had the little buggers in a 55 gallon aquarium in my basement. today when I got home the wife said she saw a spot on the neck of one. I picked it up and it was a bare spot about the size of a dime. looked like raw skin like something bit it??? my wife said the chicks had been scratching at themselves and were being a bit fussy.
currently I have them out in the barn in a much larger pen. its about 4'x5' and I put the heat lamp out there with a 250w about 14" off the floor. I have a 1" foam board down and the larger wood chips as a base for them to lay on. the one chick that had the wound got some neosporen on it and seems to be doing fine, but I tend to wonder if I am doing everything right? any tips would help a bunch as I am new to raising birds rather then just feeding them in the back yard.

 

[adrian]

In my experience, goslings will sometimes pick at each other's feathers: usually they're bored and have the instinct to graze, and take it out on one another, or even themselves. I think putting them out to graze (or giving them grass/greens) at this point would be your best bet. As for the gosling, she will be fine... Neosporin will protect the wound from infection, and I generally find that overpreening/chewing behaviour like this is not dangerous... Just a sign of boredom.

 

[shelleyd2008]

If they are scratching I would check them for mites. Be sure to cover the bare spot on the one or the others will rip it wide open.

 

[adrian]

Oh, I didn't even see that they were scratching.

Yes, definitely check for mites.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I missed the neosporin part, just be sure that it doesn't have anything in it for pain. And you'd probably better try to cover it with blu-kote.

 

[Yetti]

well today the wound is looking better. the neosporin must helped as the others haven't been pecking at and its scabbed up. today the wife brought them back in and put them in the basement again as she said they looked cold. the thermometer said it was 65* this morning under the light when I checked them...go figure?
Thanks for the quick responses on the thread. I was worried I may have done something I would later regret but things seem to be looking up. as for mites I don't see any signs myself, and I have been watching for the scratching the wife said she saw. I haven't seen it and I sat and watched them yesterday for an hour or so. I will keep an eye out this evening as they are about 30 feet from my desk acrossed the basement from me. right now they have settled down and are resting.

 

[arherp]

a 55 gallon tank is too small for them.. can you purchase a large plastic tote or something like that for them?

Congrats on you new babies btw, I'm sure you will love them!

 

[Miss Lydia]

And

 

[GarlicEater]

I suggest at the very least a child's playpen, you can get those fairly cheap anywhere, and fresh cut grass at least once a day, plus grit, non-medicated chick starter, and lettuce, geese love lettuce, as a treat. If the playpen you get comes with toys or those beads-on-a-stick thingies for a baby to play with, all the better, geese need to play and explore.

Last year we had a crop of goslings and they're eating grass just about right away, it's hilarious how they'll fall on their little butts after a pulling match with a blade of grass.

 

[Yetti]

Quote:
Agreed. the wife is being a mother hen. I would just as soon have let them in the barn in the bigger pen.