Older gosling suddenly lame and unbalanced

[Willeboer]

This gosling has not followed me to the dam for a few days but stayed in its nesting area still walking, eating and drinking, so didn't suspect any problems. From an early age its feet were turned in, but it has been getting Vitamin E in its water and Brewer's Yeast in its food for a few months.
This morning she followed me, but wouldn't use the steps so I picked it up and placed it outside and it just lay down calling. I carried it to the dam, but it had no balance in the water and rolled onto its side.
So now it's in the hospital cage. It falls to the right (pic 1) and it's wings appear to be in spasm - they are raised and stiff (pic 2). It's eating and drinking (and playing with my finger - pic 3), but also seems to have diarrhoea. The feed - regular mixed fowl feed - has a spoonful of Brewer's Yeast added. And I had added 5ml Vitamin E to 5l water daily. I have now added Collodal Silver, Doxy-Max [doxycycline hyclate] (for bacterial infections), Sufaclozine sodium Hydrate (for coccidiosis and coryza), and Tylosin Tartrate to the water. And stopped the Vitamin E.
I am washing it and changing the bedding constantly as it can't move out of its own mess.
Any ideas or advice would be helpful. Thanks

 

[Pumperkinz]

Good morning!

I noticed you are feeding them whole corn. A gosling needs vitamin B complex to help with walking and nutrition! What food do you have them on? I'd get them some b complex and drench some wter for them and it will take a week or two to get them back up right I hope.

Please don't use silver on goslings it can cause other issues I know some might fight me on this but a baby this size can cause some toxicity.

 

[Pumperkinz]

Sorry also to note the brewers yeast is great, but depending on what normal food you are feeding them it could still have some vitamin B deficiency or food deficiency I worry.

Whole corn for older geese is completely fine, the problem at this age they will choose their favorite food if you are doing whole grains and not eat everything in there just as an fyi. From someone who lost many of chickens in my early years feeding them mash/pellet/mini pellet will save them long term.

If you need other help @Goosebaby is a wealth of knowledge if im not around.

 

[Goosebaby]

This looks like a vitamin deficiency. Gosling require a 22% waterfowl oriented flock raiser start type feed with enough niacin, thiamine, and other B vitamins. A mixed grain diet isn’t great because what ends up happening is they decide to only eat the corn or sunflower seeds and nothing else, corn is nutritionally poor on it’s own.

I strongly advise getting a liquid B vitamin complex and starting the gosling of a daily regimen of it. I also suggest getting a liquid multivitamin because of one deficiency is there others probably are too.
Also please find a more appropriate feed.

 

[Willeboer]

Thank you all for your replies.
I have searched, without success, for water fowl feed in the past. I found a feed manufacturer that makes 3 varieties of duck food, but no one here stocks it - according to one store the minimum order is 100 x 50kg bags per variety: and there is no demand.
They referred me to a petshop that make there own brand of pellets but with no information as to what it consists of.
The little one is eating it and drinking the vitamin water though.
The diarrhoea seems to have stopped too.

 

[Pumperkinz]

Thank you all for your replies.
I have searched, without success, for water fowl feed in the past. I found a feed manufacturer that makes 3 varieties of duck food, but no one here stocks it - according to one store the minimum order is 100 x 50kg bags per variety: and there is no demand.
They referred me to a petshop that make there own brand of pellets but with no information as to what it consists of.
The little one is eating it and drinking the vitamin water though.
The diarrhoea seems to have stopped too.

I understand.

If you cannot get duck/goose pellets your next best option would be allflock (whole flock etc.) and the big component is niacin. If they do not have enough niacin in their diet they basically become unable to use their legs and act lame. The other option would be to supplement with a b-complex in the feed or you would have it in the water as a drench almost. Brewers yeast is a good supplement, but I notice some goslings hate the flavor and will move the feed around to find piece that have nothing on them cause they are picky. I always for the first 2 months give them b-complex in the water just for peace of mind myself.

How old and what type of goose is this? You noted months, and typically a 2 month old goose should be half it's mature size almost by then. Some common foods that have some amounts of niacin my goslings love are carrots, romaine lettuce/kale etc., and peas.

 

[Willeboer]

I understand.

If you cannot get duck/goose pellets your next best option would be allflock (whole flock etc.) and the big component is niacin. If they do not have enough niacin in their diet they basically become unable to use their legs and act lame. The other option would be to supplement with a b-complex in the feed or you would have it in the water as a drench almost. Brewers yeast is a good supplement, but I notice some goslings hate the flavor and will move the feed around to find piece that have nothing on them cause they are picky. I always for the first 2 months give them b-complex in the water just for peace of mind myself.

How old and what type of goose is this? You noted months, and typically a 2 month old goose should be half it's mature size almost by then. Some common foods that have some amounts of niacin my goslings love are carrots, romaine lettuce/kale etc., and peas.

The gosling hatched on 1 October - these are the typical geese found in South Africa on farms - these are thr adults

 

[Pumperkinz]

Okay so not super far off!

They are similar to our pilgrim variety in the states or maybe cotton patch.

Hopefull the little one pulls through keep us up to date.

 

[Willeboer]

Thanks all. I found out about a pigeon medicine supplier in town. Bought a vitamin b and a multivit solution from them.
We seemed to be getting somewhere as the little one was trying to get up on its haunches yesterday morning.
Unfortunately though, when I checked up again in the afternoon, it was stretched out and had died.
Thank you for all your help though - at least I have found a meds supplier

 

[Pumperkinz]

Thanks all. I found out about a pigeon medicine supplier in town. Bought a vitamin b and a multivit solution from them.
We seemed to be getting somewhere as the little one was trying to get up on its haunches yesterday morning.
Unfortunately though, when I checked up again in the afternoon, it was stretched out and had died.
Thank you for all your help though - at least I have found a meds supplier

Sorry for your loss.

Sometimes no matter what you do they fail to thrive even with all the help.

If you raise more goslings in the future don't hesitate to reach out we are here to help.