Questions. Help please

[azygous]

It never hurts to have an antibiotic on hand. I always keep an assortment in case one doesn't work, then I can try another. It's terribly frustrating when you have a sick bird and have to wait for an antibiotic to be shipped, worrying your patient could die before it gets there. But he may not need it.

I've had a hunch that this little man has a dietary issue. He does need protein, but maybe expecting the Flock Raiser to satisfy his dietary need for protein isn't the form of protein he needs. Maybe, and I'm merely speculating, his ideal main source of protein should come from grassy plants such as the alfalfa cubes and whole wheat grain, only supplementing those with the Flock Raiser.

He may be on a sort of hunger strike until his body gets what it needs. It's a huge clue that he went for the wheat after turning down the Flock Raiser. After he gets the foods he needs, his body maybe will be back in balance again, and he may go for the Flock Raiser again. But I wouldn't make that his main source of protein.

 

[MGG]

So he can just eat wheat and the cubes? Thank you so much. I sprinkled a tiny handful of FR on the ground with the wheat and he ate it too. Will wheat from the grain elevator be ok?

 

[MGG]

I actually do think he is on some sort of strike. He tastes stuff but then just turns up his nose (bill) at it. He's acting so picky. He was never this way before.

 

[azygous]

Oh, yes! But I would wash and rinse and drain the wheat before you give it to him in a bucket of fresh clean water, in case there are any rodent droppings in it. But continue to offer the Flock Raiser, too. It has vitamins and minerals he needs, too. Give him a little of everything and let him select what he needs.

 

[MGG]

Ok, thanks! They keep it pretty clean because it's for their cattle usually. Will it sprout, or is it treated? SO happy this might be something silly like that. Thanks for all of your and @MasterOfClucker 's help.

 

[azygous]

Oh yes! Sprouting the wheat is one more way to pamper the silly goose. (See what I just did there?) Grain will sprout unless it's been roasted. I would still wash the wheat. I don't trust those grain elevators to be rodent proof. It won't hurt it any to wash it and then you'll have the peace of mind knowing it's clean. It's what I would do.

 

[MGG]

Thank you, I definitely will. Should I just sprout it for a few days? Do you have any good methods of doing it on a really small scale? As in like a lunchmeat container? I've read lots of contradicting things about it.

 

[azygous]

I use a gallon glass jar to sprout. But you can use anything. Have you sprouted before? If so, you know that you need to rinse and drain all the water off the grain as it's sprouting or it can go skanky. I rubberband a scrap of window screen over the mouth so all I have to do is pour water in and then shake and drain it by simply inverting the jar. It allows for good air flow, too. Once the sprouts are the size you wish, you can drain them well and refrigerate until Silly is ready to eat them.

 

[CindyinSD]

The article was interesting, thanks for posting it. So where can I get the wheat? He doesn't like lettuce. I hope he likes the parsley. To ferment the cubes how many should I do? I don't have any FF liquid. What else can I use? Sorry to bother you again.

I used to give my geese spinach leaves when they were babies. They went bonkers for them. Just nuts. I sprinkled the leaves into their water. They weren't (and aren't) pets, but they sure came for spinach, I might have to pick some up for them next time I go to town...

 

[CindyinSD]

That sounds like flushing money down the toilet. Jk couldn't resist. Ok thank you

You can drizzle some honey over it or stir in a spoonful of jelly or jam. I like it that way.

In my experience, fermentation will start with nothing more than the wild yeasts in the air--even in a cold garage. A day or two and if you're fermenting his flock raiser, it'll smell like bread rising in there. Just pour in enough warm water to make it slightly soggy, stir, and wait. The feed will soak up the extra water as it ferments.

I would be careful fermenting the alfalfa cubes. Make sure they don't get slimy. They may be just fine--I don't know, though. If you want a starter for them, ACV with active cultures (aka the "mother") will give your initial ferment a boost. After that, you don't need much more than the unrinsed bucket from the previous ferment. It's been my experience that the ferment will be active by evening if you soak the feed/grain in the morning.

I do give my geese alfalfa hay. They don't eat it when I'm there, but they're using the bales for a nest and maybe eating it.

I do a 5 gallon bucket every evening of mixed grains and soybean meal. In the morning it smells wonderful. I feed chickens, geese, ducks & turkeys out of that all day, then start over in the evening. If you make too much to feed in one day it will start to smell sour. That's okay. My birds seem to love it even more. Try to use it all up by three days, though--just in case. A white growth (should you see one) is yeast and may be stirred back in. A black or red or other scary color is spoilage and should be bagged and discarded immediately and everything washed thoroughly and disinfected. I have never had this happen but people in the southern lands sometimes report it. We northerners have other things to deal with.