Quarantining a guard gosling (and misc questions)

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Goosebaby said:
Excellent advice, also I forgot about mentioning the niacin, which is why they need to be on flock raiser/ all flock.

Also it reminded me that the other reason is chick start doesn’t always have the amount of protein goslings need.
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I found online that it's the other way around: ducks and geese need less protein when their wing feathers are growing in, because otherwise they may grow too fast, which will result in problems with the muscles/ligaments of the wings (they can't keep up with the growing weight of the feathers).

We purposedly got waterfowl food with less protein in it when the wing feathers started growing, to prevent this.
 
Leraje said:
I found online that it's the other way around: ducks and geese need less protein when their wing feathers are growing in, because otherwise they may grow too fast, which will result in problems with the muscles/ligaments of the wings (they can't keep up with the growing weight of the feathers).

We purposedly got waterfowl food with less protein in it when the wing feathers started growing, to prevent this.
Click to expand...
Yes, too much protein causes health issues, such as angel wing, but their nutrient needs are different than what a feed for chicks can provide.
Goslings developing adult plumage need less protein than they had before when they were on starter crumbles, hence why they need to be switched to a finisher or grower or strait to their maintenance feed such as an all flock.
Geese grow faster and larger than chickens, therefore their nutrient needs are higher than in chickens. Most chick start tends to have around 18% crude protein, goslings require around 22% protein. From 12 weeks onwards goslings require less protein, around 17 to 19%, they should be switched to a lower protein feed but one still suited for waterfowl or mixed flocks as they still require more protein than a chicken which needs 15 to 17% from 18 weeks onwards.
As they get older their bodies are more “forgiving” with nutrient deficiencies, meaning you may not see symptoms develop as quickly or as obviously but that doesn’t mean that it is less critical to give them a correct diet. Lack of proper protein and other nutrients will starve the body of what it needs to develop and cause later health issues that aren’t always corectible.
 
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cyfarian said:
This is so incredibly useful. Thank you. I will take it all into consideration. For the food, i looked on amazon and can't find any finisher. I did see mazuri waterfowl maintenance, but it says it is for adult geese. Would Mazuri Waterfowl Youth be suitable? Amazon is out so other sources might be delayed for shipping. By chance, can you recommend a specific brand and type?

I do have brewers yeast and nutritional yeast on hand and can supplement the current chick starter/grower crumbles.

I will test letting her out of the coop tomorrow into a small portable fence.

I will also put a chick in the coop with her (with hardware cloth divide).

I will heavily consider getting her a goose companion. I live on a multifamily farm and the other family now wants a goose, so it is fairly likely she will soon have a companion. Do you know how much their life is shortened by having a non-goose best friend?
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Looking on amazon I found purina flock raiser, I’ve had no issues with it so that’s a good option, it looks like it’s gone up in price. Supposedly amazon doesn’t allow price gouging but that should only be around $20, not $50 for that sixes bag hmmmmm....mazuri is usually the best feed you can get for waterfowl or so I’ve heard.
If you ask around at feed stores a general idea to look for is a flock raiser as a general term, or just as for something for duckling/goslings. smaller family owned feedstores usually know what you’re talking about, tractor supplys not always.
 
This is the nutritional profile of what I am currently feeding my chicks (and her) right now.
1593183232818.png
Would the Mazuri waterfowl maintenance feed work even though it says it is or adults? The person I bought her from says she was somewhere between 2 - 2.5 months old.

EDIT: I didn't see your comment on Purina Flock Raiser until after I posted. I will order that now! They have one day delivery for it. Thanks so much!
 

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