Sad news about one of my broody geese

[Gyburc]

Upsetting post - sorry.

One of my three broody geese died yesterday evening.

She started to look a bit listless on Monday evening, so I checked on her on Tuesday morning. She was still pretty down, but got up and went out into the garden, so I didn't think anything more of it. When we got home on Tuesday evening, she was sitting in the garden and wouldn't move, so we picked her up and gave her water and food. She was very thin, but drank some water after we coaxed her and seemed to perk up a lot. I put water in the shed with them before locking them up, and she drank of her own accord.

Yesterday morning, she still seemed fairly listless, so I put some water and corn in the shed with her and the other two geese, and she drank some while I was still there. After that, I think she just ignored the water and the food, because when we got home, she was so much worse. We tried to give her water, but she wouldn't or couldn't swallow, and she passed shortly afterwards.

I feel very guilty about this, because I keep thinking I should have done something more.

Also, I'm worrying about my other two geese - they seem very lively at the moment, and one has been getting off the nest regularly. The other one, I'm not sure - should I pick her up and take her outside?

RIP Hermione goose. I'm sorry.

 

[Denninmi]

Aw, that is sad. I hope you can get the situation under control with the others.

They'll actually starve or dehydrate themselves to death out of instinct not to leave the nest? Hmmm, weird.

 

[Gyburc]

Apparently they will, sometimes. In Hermione's case, she must have been ignoring the food and water out in the garden as well as the lot I put in the shed for her. Poor goose.

I'm keeping a sharp eye on the other two - for the moment they seem fine and are eating and drinking well, and one of them at least is regularly running out into the garden to drink, eat and wash. If I get the slightest hint that anything is going badly, I'll take them out and remove the nest.