Need advice on gosling

[lizzyGSR]

After a day or two of not wearing the wrap, Lucy's angel wing re-appeared, so I re-wrapped it Saturday morning. Today is day #3 of her wearing the wrap. I'm hoping that she'll leave it on for the whole week. This time, I put a small piece of duct tape over the end of the wrap to keep it from coming unstuck. Lucy enjoys playing in the pool, so I'm hoping that the duct tape will hold for a few more days.

 

[Miss Lydia]

After a day or two of not wearing the wrap, Lucy's angel wing re-appeared, so I re-wrapped it Saturday morning. Today is day #3 of her wearing the wrap. I'm hoping that she'll leave it on for the whole week. This time, I put a small piece of duct tape over the end of the wrap to keep it from coming unstuck. Lucy enjoys playing in the pool, so I'm hoping that the duct tape will hold for a few more days.

She probably just got it off too early, hope she will keep it on long enough this time

 

[lizzyGSR]

The wrap has been off now for a week, and her wing is looking good.

However, I seem to have another problem on my hands, and again my goose is the culprit (are all geese trouble-makers???). My flock has recently discovered dog food. My husband and I own a chocolate lab, and he doesn't eat his dog food as soon as we give it to him. Sometimes, he doesn't eat it 'till the afternoon when we give it to him first thing in the morning. Well, my birds found it and have been eating his food for him, even if he's there trying to eat it himself. My goose is not afraid of the dog (mainly because we've forbidden the dog from attacking the birds). Yesterday I had to guard the dog so he could eat. Today, the birds snuck up on him without me noticing and he attacked my goose. He didn't bite her but ran her over and pinned her instead. On top of this, I separated her from the flock this morning and fed her extra. She didn't eat all of the extra I gave her and, instead, went after the dog's food. Any suggestions? Is it bad to give her JUST dog food? Since she's discovered dog food, she seems to like it more than her poultry food. Also, I was under the impression that geese were supposed to graze during the day. I rarely see my goose grazing, and when she does, it is only when my ducks are out looking for bugs and stuff as well. She LOVES dandelions, and we have plenty of them, but she doesn't eat them because the flock doesn't hang out in the area where the dandelions are. Any ideas/hints/suggestions on how/what I should be feeding my goose?

 

[Miss Lydia]

The wrap has been off now for a week, and her wing is looking good.

However, I seem to have another problem on my hands, and again my goose is the culprit (are all geese trouble-makers???). My flock has recently discovered dog food. My husband and I own a chocolate lab, and he doesn't eat his dog food as soon as we give it to him. Sometimes, he doesn't eat it 'till the afternoon when we give it to him first thing in the morning. Well, my birds found it and have been eating his food for him, even if he's there trying to eat it himself. My goose is not afraid of the dog (mainly because we've forbidden the dog from attacking the birds). Yesterday I had to guard the dog so he could eat. Today, the birds snuck up on him without me noticing and he attacked my goose. He didn't bite her but ran her over and pinned her instead. On top of this, I separated her from the flock this morning and fed her extra. She didn't eat all of the extra I gave her and, instead, went after the dog's food. Any suggestions? Is it bad to give her JUST dog food? Since she's discovered dog food, she seems to like it more than her poultry food. Also, I was under the impression that geese were supposed to graze during the day. I rarely see my goose grazing, and when she does, it is only when my ducks are out looking for bugs and stuff as well. She LOVES dandelions, and we have plenty of them, but she doesn't eat them because the flock doesn't hang out in the area where the dandelions are. Any ideas/hints/suggestions on how/what I should be feeding my goose?

I am afraid your goose is going to end up dead if you don't keep your dog and Lucy separate, a dog can only handle so much then he is really going to go after her, I can speak from experience. If your dog doesn't eat till the afternoon don't put the food out in the morning or put it in a place where the ducks/goose can't get to it. Maybe a back porch or some kind of area where the flock can't get too. Dog food is not a complete feed for water fowl. For 5 years I had a gander with only ducks, and even though he is a goose he acted more like a duck, didn't forage unless the ducks were out hunting for bugs and such. I didn't realize how much the poor fellow has missed until I just recently got a goose, Now he is beginning to see what it's like to be a goose, she goes out to forage he will follow, and listen you can tell your dog not to attack the birds but it is only going to take one time of your goose nipping the dog and that will be it he'll either kill her or injure her and it won't be your dogs fault. . He needs to eat in privacy. Feed her the same as you are feeding your Ducks. some kind of All Flock feed when the dog food isn't there she will start eating her feed again.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

x200

 

[Cciprnancy]

If the dog doesn't eat all his food, you may be feeding him too much at one time. If he doesn't eat it at one sitting, take the food up and give it to him later in the day. I have several golden retrievers and they never leave food behind. But with several, another golden will eat it for them. I agree, don't feed your dog where the geese can get it. He should be fed where he can enjoy his food without bugs too feed him inside or on a porch.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I am afraid your goose is going to end up dead if you don't keep your dog and Lucy separate, a dog can only handle so much then he is really going to go after her, I can speak from experience. If your dog doesn't eat till the afternoon don't put the food out in the morning or put it in a place where the ducks/goose can't get to it. Maybe a back porch or some kind of area where the flock can't get too. Dog food is not a complete feed for water fowl. For 5 years I had a gander with only ducks, and even though he is a goose he acted more like a duck, didn't forage unless the ducks were out hunting for bugs and such. I didn't realize how much the poor fellow has missed until I just recently got a goose, Now he is beginning to see what it's like to be a goose, she goes out to forage he will follow, and listen you can tell your dog not to attack the birds but it is only going to take one time of your goose nipping the dog and that will be it he'll either kill her or injure her and it won't be your dogs fault. . He needs to eat in privacy. Feed her the same as you are feeding your Ducks. some kind of All Flock feed when the dog food isn't there she will start eating her feed again.

I know it won't be the dog's fault if he attacks her while protecting his food. I have told my husband (the dog is his dog) that he needs to give the dog 10-15 minutes to eat and then pick the food up. I'll keep my birds locked up while the dog is eating. I have worked really hard to keep my goose alive (as you can see by reading backwards in this thread) and would really hate to lose her to something preventable. With her, it seems like if it's not one thing, it's another. :/

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know it won't be the dog's fault if he attacks her while protecting his food. I have told my husband (the dog is his dog) that he needs to give the dog 10-15 minutes to eat and then pick the food up. I'll keep my birds locked up while the dog is eating. I have worked really hard to keep my goose alive (as you can see by reading backwards in this thread) and would really hate to lose her to something preventable. With her, it seems like if it's not one thing, it's another. :/

I think now that the dog has gone after your goose it might be best if you keep them apart for good. Unless you can watch them both, Geese are notorious at goosing, mine will nip my dogs on the butt for no reason that said I Never let my dogs alone with the geese, My 3 are mini dachshunds and they hate my gander because of the nipping and my mixed bird dog has gotten hold of the gander 2X the first time she pinned the gander the next time she went after him through the dog door which I am sure saved the gander from serious harm so now the geese and dogs are not Ever together unless I am outside with them, there is a yard an fence separating them but when I can go out and sit I will let them all be together. The dogs stay clear of the geese and vise versa.Like you said you have woked hard to keep your goose alive and have been through alot to do it, I'd hate for you to have such a heart break as the dog killing it. Your learning that geese are tempermental and make enemies because of it. My dog and goose have grown up together but He[gander] just pushed Annie too far.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I think now that the dog has gone after your goose it might be best if you keep them apart for good. Unless you can watch them both, Geese are notorious at goosing, mine will nip my dogs on the butt for no reason that said I Never let my dogs alone with the geese, My 3 are mini dachshunds and they hate my gander because of the nipping and my mixed bird dog has gotten hold of the gander 2X the first time she pinned the gander the next time she went after him through the dog door which I am sure saved the gander from serious harm so now the geese and dogs are not Ever together unless I am outside with them, there is a yard an fence separating them but when I can go out and sit I will let them all be together. The dogs stay clear of the geese and vise versa.Like you said you have woked hard to keep your goose alive and have been through alot to do it, I'd hate for you to have such a heart break as the dog killing it. Your learning that geese are tempermental and make enemies because of it. My dog and goose have grown up together but He[gander] just pushed Annie too far.

I have yet to see my goose do anything that would bother the dog OUTSIDE of trying to eat his food. The birds and the dog share our ~3 acre yard. I haven't had any problems with this until the goose decided to start eating the dogs food. We now feed the birds/dog at the same time. The birds are locked in their pen when they're fed and don't get let out until after the dog's food is picked up. That should fix the problem of fighting over the food. I would hate to have to keep my dog separate from my flock as that would require making it so that my birds could no longer free range, which is the whole reason why I got the birds in the first place. We had the dog first, so if it came to having to sell/give away either the dog or the birds, it would have to be the birds (the dog belongs to my DH and there were conditions that came with my DH allowing me to get birds).

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have yet to see my goose do anything that would bother the dog OUTSIDE of trying to eat his food. The birds and the dog share our ~3 acre yard. I haven't had any problems with this until the goose decided to start eating the dogs food. We now feed the birds/dog at the same time. The birds are locked in their pen when they're fed and don't get let out until after the dog's food is picked up. That should fix the problem of fighting over the food. I would hate to have to keep my dog separate from my flock as that would require making it so that my birds could no longer free range, which is the whole reason why I got the birds in the first place. We had the dog first, so if it came to having to sell/give away either the dog or the birds, it would have to be the birds (the dog belongs to my DH and there were conditions that came with my DH allowing me to get birds).

Hopefully she won't but when they get older geese can be tempermental and dogs don't like to be nipped. Nice you have so much property for them all to be in together. Glad to hear the food isn't an issue anymore.