Sebastopol gosling questions

[nsanywhere]

my 2 new babies are just a week old and loving life in the bathtub (with 5 blue sweedish ducklings). But....one of the goslings looks different than the other - the baby fuzz on its back doesn't fluff up. They love to play in the water when I rinse the tub so you can see the soaked fluff in this pic, but the one gosling never seems to dry out completely, and they all love to pick at the feather/fuzz.

Should I be concerned? No blood or anything, but still......

Before water play

After water play

 

[TennesseeTruly]

They're preening her. That's what's going on and that's why she's always wet. You may not see them doing it but it's happening. Or she could be preening herself. I have the same thing that goes on here.

Laurie

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

I would watch this closely as this chewing could get worse. They may be in too small of an area and are board, so this is quite common. You might put in other things they can chew on or play with like Kale stems or weeds with a thicker stem .Maybe even some small tree branches.

 

[Cordell]

I have a pair of Sebastopol goslings that 7 days oldl. They are in with a pair of Lavender goslings the same age. The 2 Sebastopol have that same thing on their backs. It does draw the attention of the other goslings to groom them there. The wet feels oily or soapy to me. I bathed the area last night and dryed and fluffed it but it was back this morningl. I am thinking it is their oil glands. But I am also worried about the over grooming by their playmates. Do you think it could be oil from their glands and they are just not able to spread it around yet?

 

[Hillside]

There's nothing wrong with these birds like an oil gland or anything like that. They are being chewed on and are covered with goose spit.

Golden Valley has said it best. They are bored. There is already, literally, a pecking order. The same birds do it and the same ones will have it being done to them. It is the beginning of chewing if nothing changes. More room and some tough stuff to chew on usually stops or helps. If there are other or older batches taking the chewers out and putting them in with birds a week or more older can be a good idea.