New to Geese..... is my goose a lame duck????

[Peeper7]

I recently adopted 3 Toulouse geese about 3 months old.... I and DH are really enjoying them!
One of them seems to have a problem getting up and getting started walking and it lays in the grass most of the time while the others wanter.
It behaves normally and is eating well. Does not seem sick in any way.

Would appreciate any insight into this. We are hoping it is not something serious -- these are really lovable pets...
thank you,
Valerie

 

[monster1]

i have some toulose gosling that are a couple weeks old. one of them it the same way. maybe you should try feeding it hard boiled egss and givning it childrens vitamins without iron. i heard people post that stuff all the time. couldn't hurt.

monty

 

[Kim65]

Pick it up and examine it's legs very carefully for swelling, redness or tenderness. Go up and down the leg bones and squeeze gently, move the joints, examine the webs and toe joints.

See if you can see any thing that way. Another idea is while holding him, roll him onto his back and see how his legs move as he tries to right himself. Do they both move equally? Does he keep one leg still?

Let us know!

 

[Peeper7]

I appreciate both suggestions and certainly the extra nutrition may actually be the ticket. Don't know why I didn't think of it....

The breeder feeds his geese bread for much of their diet. I know he also fed the goslings flock raiser.

I have examined her (hopefully) a little. Checked the legs up and down as you suggested kim and note no swelling or tenderness. Both leg and thigh muscles are the same size which should mean she is likely bearing weight equally on each leg. Joints move freely.

At first I thought she was limping, but now I'm seeing more that it is just an effort for her to walk at all. I'm afraid of predators since she is a "sitting duck" so to speak.
She lets me walk up to her and pick her up. I move her to where the others are hanging out.

I will do a more thorough exam and try putting her on her back as you suggest.

I'll be back......

P.S. Is there any easy way to sex these birds?

Can someone point me to some more detailed information about my geese and their breed? We just LOVE them which surprised us. I hear the Toulouse are a docile breed. The chickens chase them now and steal whatever they have. Will they be more assertive as they get older?

Very Gratefully Yours,
Valerie

 

[Kim65]

If his legs are OK in appearance, then you gotta wonder about a vitamin deficiency or an injury you can't see (and therefore can't do anything about aside pay a vet to see if THEY can diagnose).

Does he feel lighter than the others? Does he sleep more? Usually geese do everything together . . . they all preen at the same time, sleep at the same time, swim or eat at the same time . . . does this fella sit and not join in?

I'd make up a vitamin solution for their water, and squeeze a vitamin E capsule in his bill once a day for a few days. A lot of mobility issues in waterfowl are vitamin or mineral deficiencies that can be corrected pretty quickly and the bird recovers fine

As far as sexing Toulouse . . . or any geese for that matter that aren't sex linked, it's a guessing game until he lays an egg or you see a goose penis (they are rather large) when they are playing in the water. A professional "sexer" could take a look up their bums. It's not easy and most people wonder until eggs are laid.

The males in general are more alert and more "friendly" at first, hold their heads up higher and scan the environment. They are just braver, in general. The females hold their heads "down" submissively, and are shyer.

Males feather out a little more quickly.

I had two ganders named Chloe and Zoe, and I was trying to apply these principles

so there ya go.

 

[Peeper7]

Quote:
The bird seems a little lighter than the others and does not keep up with the other two. I know they "flock together" and so I pick up the affected bird and move it around to where the others are. Sometimes it gets up and moves around just fine... just seems like it is an effort for it to walk around. Otherwise appears healthy. I make sure she eats and drinks.

The vitamin E is no problem but these geese are free roaming and I would have to pen them up to provide vitamin water. Can I just give a liquid -- like a children's vitamin, or pet vitamin once or twice a day?

If it gets any worse I'll have to pen it up for safety anyway. It allows me to pick it up without much protesting, but normally it would try to get away a little I think. That's what the other two do.

I don't think these geese were out in the sun at all before I got them. Just does not seem healthy. Could this be a factor?

thanks so much!

 

[Peeper7]

OK, I got home today and for awhile she was up and running around with the other geese.
I stopped and picked up Nutri-Drench supplement and started it today.
I rolled her on her back and she kicked her feet wildly -- and evenly. Again I could not find an obvious musculoskeletal abnormality.
So-- hope there is improvement with the supplement. thanks again!

 

[Kim65]

I don't see why you can't just take a baby vitamin solution (for humans) and put a few drops in her mouth every day. I've done it with chicks who seemed slow to start.

Good to know both her legs flail wildly when you turn her over

that tells you they are capable of moving, and move correctly at least!!

Put cayenne pepper -- a lot -- in their pan of feed. It won't hurt the healthy ones, is a natural antibiotic/source of vitamins and minerals. Birds don't have the receptors to feel the burn with peppers, so it is completely safe and good for them. This would take care of a low grade infection, if that's the problem. Just don't breathe it in yourself

Ask me how I know!

If she is trying to run around, eats and drinks, she's not THAT sick, so hopefully that is a relief.

BTW, how well does she swim? Does she paddle like the others? Use her legs "normally" getting around in water?

Maybe some hydrotherapy in your bathtub will be good for her. I've heard of people rehabbing sick waterfowl by letting them do a lot of floating and swimming, they'll use their legs more and if there is pain with weight bearing, it won't stop them from paddling around.

Or of course a kiddie pool would work too

 

[Peeper7]

thanks Kim,

Sorry to be amused by my imagining what happened with the cayenne pepper, but I'm sure it was funny and obviously you survived...

Will try it.
The geese have a kiddie pool, but all they do is jump in and splash and jump out, so not a lot of paddling going on there.

New development: I just spoke with the breeder. He still has eight juveniles from the same recent batch and states that 2 of them are exhibiting the exact same signs. He thought they needed more exercise etc and he expanded their quarters.

So I shared your suggestions with him and he is grateful also. I already bought the nutri drench so I'm going to try it first. I think it is higher in vitamin E than children's vitamins.
We are both feeding Purina Flock Raiser -- I wonder if they've had a bad batch or something. I think I'll call them.

Next step: tub therapy -- as soon as I clean out my bathtub from the brood of chicks I just took out

thanks for your interest... I'll be back....

 

[Peeper7]

We did some water therapy Sunday -- although it did not go quite as planned.
The geese's kiddie pool is shallow, but we have these big rubbermaid oval tubs deep enough to do some good.

DH filled one and we put the goose in there. It has had a dirty butt since all of this I think from not being able to reach well to preen? Anyway, she loved it and was working her little legs well. Did not want to come out. We had to leave for the day.

When we returned

the goose was still in the tub 6 hrs later

. it apparently could not get out. Poor thing

we felt soooo bad, my husband in particular because he initiated the "therapy."

It could barely walk at all when I took it out. It was waterlogged and weak. Its little legs were cold and wrinkled looking.

We penned them up for safety and got her dried up. The next morning she was walking and "flying" with the rest of them. In fact, I had a hard time figuring out which one it was. It seemed much much better and has continued to do well for 2 days now.

So, overall i think the therapy was very helpful -- just a bit too long a session. We'll try it again.

Will be back....