Newly aquired Goose not eating. HELP!

[V1P3R]

Good day guys,
I'm new here in the forum, but have been visiting the site for some years.
I just acquired a goose, I think it's a Chinese Goose. She is 6 months old. I got her from some people who are leaving the island and cannot travel with all they backyard chickens. Since we got her on saturday she has not eaten. At most she may have taken like 5 bites to her food in these day. She swims a lot and drinks water. But no eating. Tried fresh spinach, grass, lemongrass and other plants my chickens love to eat but only took a bite once to some scratch feed. Is she homesick or something, since she is still young, does she need time to adjust to her new environment? The first day her i got her, in the car she pooped many times. the first 3 times it was solid/firm, but the next ones were very watery. The rest of the days it's mostly water with some color. Another thing to be noticed that when the owner went to her coop to pick her up for me, she was running away from them and they told me she normally doesn't do that. That she always comes to greet and play. Any advice/help is very much appreciated.

 

[Skyle]

Welcome to BYC!
Do you have other geese? Did she lived with other geese before? Maybe she is also missing her companions, geese have strong bonds with their flock mates.

 

[Isadora]

Good day guys,
I'm new here in the forum, but have been visiting the site for some years.
I just acquired a goose, I think it's a Chinese Goose. She is 6 months old. I got her from some people who are leaving the island and cannot travel with all they backyard chickens. Since we got her on saturday she has not eaten. At most she may have taken like 5 bites to her food in these day. She swims a lot and drinks water. But no eating. Tried fresh spinach, grass, lemongrass and other plants my chickens love to eat but only took a bite once to some scratch feed. Is she homesick or something, since she is still young, does she need time to adjust to her new environment? The first day her i got her, in the car she pooped many times. the first 3 times it was solid/firm, but the next ones were very watery. The rest of the days it's mostly water with some color. Another thing to be noticed that when the owner went to her coop to pick her up for me, she was running away from them and they told me she normally doesn't do that. That she always comes to greet and play. Any advice/help is very much appreciated.

For actual feed, are you only offering scratch grain? Scratch isn't going to be a good food for them on a regular basis. You'll want to get some all flock feed for her. Did you ask the previous owner what her typical diet was?

 

[V1P3R]

Welcome to BYC!
Do you have other geese? Did she lived with other geese before? Maybe she is also missing her companions, geese have strong bonds with their flock mates.

Hi Skyle. Well she was the only goose with the original owner. The other animals in the coop were some miniature chickens and bunnies. I was told that she was like the protector of the chickens. and she was also curious or protective with my ducklings when i was carrying them. At home we have chickens and 3 ducklings.

 

[V1P3R]

For actual feed, are you only offering scratch grain? Scratch isn't going to be a good food for them on a regular basis. You'll want to get some all flock feed for her. Did you ask the previous owner what her typical diet was?

Hi Isadora, the scratch feed was just giving to the chickens and she was interested and ate like once. she has her flock feed, i have both grower and layer feed. she was on grower feed and tried giving her grower feed and that was the other bites she ate that i mentioned in the post.

 

[Skyle]

Hi Skyle. Well she was the only goose. The other animals in the coop are some miniature chickens and bunnies. I was told that she was like the protector of the chickens. and she was also curious or protective with my ducklings when i was carrying them.

I don't know if it's that the problem because she's not eating, but geese should be kept at least in two, otherwise they feel lonely pretty easly. How old are the ducklings? If they're old enough I'd try to let her see them (maybe with a net/fence in the middle, so she can't accidentally hurt them) and see if she is more willing to eat when seeing them. (I don't know if you are quarantining her. If you are, then I wouldn't do this. If you already introduced her to your flock tou can try)

 

[V1P3R]

I don't know if it's that the problem because she's not eating, but geese should be kept at least in two, otherwise they feel lonely pretty easly. How old are the ducklings? If they're old enough I'd try to let her see them (maybe with a net/fence in the middle, so she can't accidentally hurt them) and see if she is more willing to eat when seeing them. (I don't know if you are quarantining her. If you are, then I wouldn't do this. If you already introduced her to your flock tou can try)

the ducklings are 6 weeks old. they are kept apart with fencing. The goose is not in quarantine. She is lose walking around with the chickens. She is a bit afraid of the chickens though. I will try with the duckling, keep her and the duckling with me when trying to feed her see if she eats.

 

[Isadora]

Hi Isadora, the scratch feed was just giving to the chickens and she was interested and ate like once. she has her flock feed, i have both grower and layer feed. she was on grower feed and tried giving her grower feed and that was the other bites she ate that i mentioned in the post.

Glad to hear that.
When I first got my geese, they didn't eat very much for the first several days. I did see them eating grass, though. I assume there is some kind of adjustment, which could explain why she's reticent about eating. The watery poop would also be explained by her not eating much food.

 

[V1P3R]

Glad to hear that.
When I first got my geese, they didn't eat very much for the first several days. I did see them eating grass, though. I assume there is some kind of adjustment, which could explain why she's reticent about eating. The watery poop would also be explained by her not eating much food.

Is there anything i can do to let's say revive that appetite? I will let her walk around today in the garden see if she eats any grass. In the coop itself there are is no grass, my chickens eat everything, even leaves from trees.

 

[Isadora]

Is there anything i can do to let's say revive that appetite? I will let her walk around today in the garden see if she eats any grass. In the coop itself there are is no grass, my chickens eat everything, even leaves from trees.

Yes, I was going to ask if she had access to grass. Let her be in the garden as long as you can manage it. If she has her choice of what plants she can pick at, she would be more likely to eat.
@Goosebaby Any suggestions?