Need help with new to us goose

[Merks]

Long story so I will try to keep it short. My DS has been having some trouble with the powers that be here in our small town, he went down to the river feeling like his life was over and trying to clear his head. While there a goose walked up to him and he convinced it to let him pet it. They spent awhile together and the goose let him pick it up and hold it on his lap. This goose was like a sign to him that things were not as bad as they seem. He took videos with the goose and for the first time in a very long time he was laughing and smiling. When he got up to leave the goose started to follow him, he couldn't get it to leave. He was afraid something might happen to it so he brought him home. This goose was literally a life saver for my son, so I couldn't just make ds take it back. I'm not sure if it belongs to someone and will try to see if we can find it's owners. But for now we have an old Chicken coop we put him in for the night and gave it water and some veggies, so now my questions are how do we take care of it? Do I put pine shavings in the coop like I did for the chickens? Should I get it a kiddie pool? What is best to feed it? and how do I know if it's a girl or boy so I can quit calling it...it? lol

Funny part of the story, it does have a name now. We DS first stated to video the goose he called it a duck more then once, I laughed so hard about that and so did he, so now it's name is Duck.
Thanks for any help you all can give,
Rebecca

 

[jtn42248]

Your son has been selected by the goose as its companion. Geese are grazers so let it graze if you have the space. Otherwise a good mixed flock feed, if you can not get waterfowl feed, will work fine. Yes, a pool of some sorts would be nice but is not required. What is required is clean clear water to drink and to dip its head in to clean its nares (nostrils). It may need a companion goose but you might want to wait until it either does or does not lay an egg to see its gender. Goose egg laying season is typically in the late fall to early spring.

Can you post a picture? If it is a Canadian goose you will need to notify your local wildlife folks that it has moved in with you as they are protected. Otherwise there should be no problem so long as it has a good life with you...and it sounds like it just might. Geese are pretty smart so the fact that it bonded with you son says much good about him and his trustworthiness to the goose. If the goose felt unsafe in any way it would not have bonded with him.

 

[Merks]

Thank you for your advice, Duck is not a Canadian goose it's all white with an orange beak. I went and got him chicken feed, lettuce, cabbage and yes the silly thing also got a pool. We don't have any grass for him to graze on as it's been so dry here and we just couldn't water the lawn 24/7 so it is all dried up. He will have a good home here, I've fallen in love with him already.
Thank you for the kind words about my son and this goose, it means a lot. He's really been going through a hard time lately. Not the best pic but here is Duck and my son soon after they met.

 

[Percheron chick]

What a great story. Looks to be an Emden. Probably a gander. In my experience, ganders have the more outgoing personalities. He's obviously had a ton of handling. You can buy diapers for him and make a house goose out of him.

 

[Merks]

That would be funny but I'm pretty sure my dog and cat would disagree. I know dh would never allow it. Dh thinks it a gander also and I'm pretty sure your right on the breed. I looked it up and that's just what he looks like. The owners came by and told my son they were planning to give him away because he keeps getting loose and told him he could keep him

 

[Miss Lydia]

How awesome, it was meant to be.

 

[Merks]

Thanks everyone, I have another question. When I bought the chicken feed I didn't really pay attention and it turns out that it's a mash not crumbles or pellet. I read somewhere that mash was not good for them because it can get stuck in their mouth. On the bag it says for geese 0-8 weeks. So now I'm confused and afraid to feed it to Duck. So can I feed it to him or not? Oh and I have no clue how old he is, but my guess is full grown adult.
Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Always keep water available when feeding anything in the feed department. You can also make Fermented feed for Duck if interested I can get you info it is moist so easy to eat.

 

[Merks]

Always keep water available when feeding anything in the feed department. You can also make Fermented feed for Duck if interested I can get you info it is moist so easy to eat.

Thank you miss lydia. I gave the mash to a friend that had chickens. I just did want to risk it. But yes I would love to learn more about this fermented feed. How much do they eat? I feed him a big bowl of lettuce mixed with other veggies every morning and evening but he always acts like he's starving. I'm afraid he's not getting enough to eat. He does have water available all the time. He has a pool and a drinking bowl deep enough to dunk his head in. The water bowl get cleaned everyday and the pool every other day. He sure can make a mess of them. Thanks again for your help.
Rebecca

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ter-easy-fermented-feed-method-w-video.65375/

This is what I started by, of course you'll need to make smaller amounts since you only have Duck, I have 43 birds so I make it up in 3 gal buckets. And they eat quiet a bit a day I'll have to figure out how much but I'd feed Duck by starting him out on say a cup of feed in the morning and if he gobbles it up fast then offer more. I keep feed out all the time during the day and put it up at night since they are all sleeping and no way can the water fowl have food and water inside boy what a mess. lol
I make up my feed one day and feed it the next since my home is small and I don't have room to have more than one bucket going at a time. So it doesn't get to ferment long but it is still much better for them than dry and they love it.

So what did you end up getting crumbles or pellets? Both will make a good FF.

Duck reminds me so much of my gander Sam he is Embden also.

Sam likes whole corn too but I only give it out as a treat when I am giving everyone their dried meal worms in the afternoon. He won't eat meal worms but my female Toulouse loves them. Spoiled rotten they are.