question about brooding goslings

[sunleacreations]

I have 2 sebastopol goslings a little less then a week old. They where pretty clean at first but now are getting into their water. Someone posted about using a rabbit water bottle but I know they need to submerge their head(which they can't do in a chick waterer) so if I go the water bottle route how old do they have to be before I can give then a bowl or put them in the bath tub for a little bit once a day. I'm more worried about them getting chilled then anything. I'm open to any suggestions for waterers and swimming pools.

 

[larkflying]

When my goslings and ducklings were that age, I used a bowl and overturned another bowl inside it that was slightly smaller in diameter. They had enough water to dip their beaks in, and rinse, but not enough to get really wet in, although they tried they couldn't climb over the bowl in the center. . . I had more troubles with the ducks actually. As they go taller I found buckets in increasing sizes so they couldn't climb into them, but could still get their heads washed . . . and I think I did use a chick waterer -- the plastic ones with the red rim, not the glass jar kind. Until their beaks/heads get too large to fit in the slot, they were able to rinse pretty well in there.

Someone in the duck section has a great brooder waterer design -- very mess free . . .

I didn't let mine go swimming in a kiddie pond till they were all feathered out - which was absurdly early compared with chicks -- maybe at the 6 to 8 wk mark. But I think if you brought them inside the house or made sure they dried completely that it might be okay for just a few minutes, especially if it was warm.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Our brooders. They are 4x4' and 3' tall

These are filled with pellet bedding, and all have ceramic heat emitters not red lamps.

Our water source

These are hung from above and run automatically.

 

[lovesgliders]

As long as you are careful that they don't get chilled, goslings can go swimming pretty much from day 3 onward. But always supervise, make sure the water is warm, and pop them right back under the heat lamp when they are done. I always keep a close eye on my ducklings and goslings after tubtime but haven't had any problems yet. Then again, I always brood in the house so I can spoil them rotten. LOL

 

[littledear]

I brood in the house until they start feathering out and I place a tall small diameter bowl with a large (cleaned) rock in the middle so they can't climb in when they are very little. I placed some four week goslings outside because our days have been warm and run them in to a small brooding house at night with a 100 watt light bulb (night temps around 56*F). I placed a square dishpan in with the waterer (the plastic kind). One morning the largest gosling was in the dishpan just floating away. He climbed out as soon as I opened his door. Now he has a baby's plastic swimming pool in the pen and he climbs in and out without a problem. He loves it! He paddles around and sits in it whenever he isn't eating. I went out on the back deck this afternoon and he was laying down and stretching his neck out to get his food out of the feed dish. The other smaller goslings have not done this yet. They have a few wing feathers in and a few tail feathers in. They love being out in the grass during the warm part of the day. By the way my goslings also have a stuffed duck that I placed with them when they hatched and the largest gosling still cuddles up with it to sleep.

 

[sunleacreations]

Thanks. Mine are inside in a 3 1/2 x 2 indoor rabbit cage (the kind with the high plastic bottle and wire top) I saw some ducks at the local feed store swimming in a bowl. I would only let then play in a warm bowl ir shallow bath tub. It was warm here but has gotten chilly again so I haven't taken them outside but have brought them some grass to nibble on along with their starter feed.so I guess tomorrow is swim day. Lol either it will fill their need for water or make them worse. Lol

 

[sunleacreations]

Where do you get the ceramic heaters and what do they look like? Do they use more or less electric then a heat light? Is your brooder in a heated room?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Our brooders are in a seperate building. The ceramic heat emitters are found at a local pet store in the reptile area. They look just like a bulb but are solid white ceramic. They don't have light and heat up quickly and put heat down below them without much waste and over flow of heat. So of they are chilly they lay under, or can move out and away to easily get away from the heat source.