Let's have a gosling hatchalong!

[Irishgirl]

My goslings are hatching around the 24thish, and I'm just now thinking to ask.......What do goslings eat?? Can they be fed the same food as chicks? Or do they have to be fed something different?

 

[1MrsMagoo]

My goslings are hatching around the 24thish, and I'm just now thinking to ask.......What do goslings eat?? Can they be fed the same food as chicks? Or do they have to be fed something different?

If you go with anything other than waterfowl starter, you will need to add brewer's yeast to insure they get enough Niacin (they can develop serious leg issues without adequate Niacin). I had the feed store custom order some Mazuri waterfowl starter for me. It is pricey, just under $1.00 a pound, but well worth the cost. After they are a few weeks old and can get on pasture, you can switch them back to the chicken starter.

Just my two cents.

Thanks for the condolences Iain.

 

[Nyssa03]

Thanks for the "Welcome" -- I am really enjoying everyone's progress and infromation! Good luck to all those babies trying to hatch! Love the pictures too! I have another question - for the geese that are making their nests together -- is there a way to encourage them to separate their nests without putting them in completely separate buildings? The girls in each trio are laying in one nest (each pair separately). I hope that makes sense. Thanks for all your wonderful posts and any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Nyssa03]

My goslings are hatching around the 24thish, and I'm just now thinking to ask.......What do goslings eat?? Can they be fed the same food as chicks? Or do they have to be fed something different?

We have used Turkey duck starter or game bird starter and added brewers yeast and have had good success.

 

[lori stetson]

So sorry you lost your little one, Mrs Magoo. So frustrating. The 8 sebbies in the incubator are my first attempt at incubating geese instead of buying day-olds but I've hatched.numerous batches of chickens and have a question. When a baby has pipped and started to zip but goes for at least 12 hr without making any more progress I do the big no no and help them get out of the shell. Some still don't make.it.but many of them do. I syringe honey and electrolytes in them at about 4 hours because theyre always weak and exhausted and save about 2 out of 3. CCan you do this with geese?

 

[psue]

Lori.... geese take WAY longer to hatch then chickens.... like days

 

[1MrsMagoo]

So sorry you lost your little one, Mrs Magoo. So frustrating. The 8 sebbies in the incubator are my first attempt at incubating geese instead of buying day-olds but I've hatched.numerous batches of chickens and have a question. When a baby has pipped and started to zip but goes for at least 12 hr without making any more progress I do the big no no and help them get out of the shell. Some still don't make.it.but many of them do. I syringe honey and electrolytes in them at about 4 hours because theyre always weak and exhausted and save about 2 out of 3. CCan you do this with geese?

Thanks Lori: It is always hard losing one of them...baby or adult. Sadly, I'd rather it happen the way it did than have it be a few days old and mysteriously die.

If you haven't already, check the sticky section on the duck threads and find Pete55's waterfowl hatching guide: Then follow it to the letter.

Last season, I incubated and hatched about 8 goslings. They not only take longer to incubate, but to hatch. If memory serves, once they pip externally, it can be up to 24-30 hours before they are fully zipped. Watching carefully is the best thing you can do. If the baby is breathing and cheeping, leave it alone until you can tell they are stuck...and you'll know.

Keep the humidity where it needs to be, and I recommend hatching in a still air unit: The fan in my Brinsea seemed to be causing shrink wrap on the slow-pokes last year and I did much better once I switched to using the still air hatcher.

Good luck!

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks Lori: It is always hard losing one of them...baby or adult. Sadly, I'd rather it happen the way it did than have it be a few days old and mysteriously die.

If you haven't already, check the sticky section on the duck threads and find Pete55's waterfowl hatching guide: Then follow it to the letter.

Last season, I incubated and hatched about 8 goslings. They not only take longer to incubate, but to hatch. If memory serves, once they pip externally, it can be up to 24-30 hours before they are fully zipped. Watching carefully is the best thing you can do. If the baby is breathing and cheeping, leave it alone until you can tell they are stuck...and you'll know.

Keep the humidity where it needs to be, and I recommend hatching in a still air unit: The fan in my Brinsea seemed to be causing shrink wrap on the slow-pokes last year and I did much better once I switched to using the still air hatcher.

Good luck!

X2

 

[Goose and Fig]

I made a little video. Please excuse my silly hand and squeaky voice. It gets better toward the end when they start flapping.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I made a little video. Please excuse my silly hand and squeaky voice. It gets better toward the end when they start flapping.