Just got my goslings from Cackle!!! YAY!!!!!! PICS

[crash0330]

Hey guys I just got my 4 beautiful goslings from cackle, I never thought they would be as cute as they are!
I Believe there all are white chinesse, but I would like to know if anybody heres knows of a way to sex them? Also is it ok for them to swim in their little water tray, its not deep at all but they can get in it and swim a little bit, should I let them or what?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Natermotor]

I can't see the pictures......

 

[jamesrm]

They will get at water as they need it, they do not develop their oil glands until I believe three weeks, so do not provide an area large enough for swimming.

If your a first time goose, or waterfowl owner, be warned their poop is messy (not as bad as ducks in my opinion, but they are larger and grow FAST) and use water to help eat, so they splash a lot around and will need a lot of fresh water.

What I am mainly getting at, is be sure to have a easy to clean automatic source of water

Waterfowl also need less initial heat than chics do, I set my brooders between 90-93ish for geese and ducks.

Congrats and good luck! I couldn't get your pics to work.

James

 

[Kim65]

The best waterer I've used so far is a half gallon cat/small dog waterer. Then the water stays deep enough to dip their bills all the way into (they need this to keep their nostrils clear) and stays more or less fresh. NOT clean, though, not possible unless you change out their water every half hour.

If they get pretty wet, keep the brooder warm as previously suggested, the down is not waterproof and soaks up water like a sponge. They could get chilled if they don't have a nice warm light to help dry them out.

Sexing them is possible if you can find someone who knows how to do it. It is a learned skill, and you have to look up their back end for teensy little genitals that look one way for a boy, another way for a girl, and even the professional sexers get them wrong sometimes.

My pair were sexed, but I immediately got them turned around. At about six or seven weeks, my female was suddenly larger than the male. She was always more friendly and needy, braver, and picked on the so called gander baby in the bathtub. So to my angst, I had to spend a week reorienting myself to Petey Girl being, actually, Petey Boy. Having an accurately sexed pair has driven home for me the differences in the behaviors and vocalizations between the sexes. Unfortunately, geese don't develop sex feathers like ducks and chickens. They look exactly alike with minor differences in size until the female starts laying eggs. That's a sure sign lol.

Ganders have a higher, screechier honk (once they get their grown up voices). Geese have a lower pitched honk, almost a bass sound. Ganders, from hatchlings, seem to be more friendly, gregarious, needy and affectionate. Females are shyer, and tend to hang back while the ganders come forward. Ganders will hold their bodies very erect, heads up high (looking around for dangers) while geese have a demurre, head down, humbler sort of carraige.

Now with knobbed geese the ganders have larger knobs earlier, but I don't have experience with them.

Give them all unisex names, or if one "looks" like a girl, give her a girl name and even if she turns out to be a boy named Ruby or Beulah, s/he won't know it nor care. Geese do not experience gender dysphoria, thank goodness

Just love them and have fun with them, you'll have a "good" idea by about four months of age what you have . . . just based on vocalization and behavior

 

[crash0330]

Can you guys see my pics now?

 

[Natermotor]

Yea.

 

[Kim65]

The bottom picture looks like they are having a gosling rave

Absolutely adorable

 

[crash0330]

Quote:
They did! as soon as they saw the water they jumped on it!!!! There are so adorable!! Im in love! (hope my girlfriend doesnt see this LOL

)

 

[JROOSTER]

 

[Bleenie]

I am in love with that last picture, priceless looks on their faces