Sick sebastopol goose?

[LSWaddell85]

My 5 month goose is not feeling so well. The day before last I went out to feed everyone and he came over for food, sat down, and refused to get back up. He looked as if he was preening himself so I brought him inside. He is eating and drinking fine, but his eyes seem glazed and his feathers ruffled. He was shaking his head a lot and seem dizzy when he tried to stand so I figured he had caught a cold. We are now on day 2 in the house and he is still eating and drinking, and even trying to preen me. He will stand up when he sees me but he really struggles and still refuses to walk. What could it be?

He is on the Dumor layer feed and he is allowed out of his pen a few times a week to graze on grass (when he cant leave the pen I make sure to throw grass clippings in the pen. Titus (thats his name) and his duck friends get treats of greens, etc. The 3 ducks in the pen with him are all fine.

Ive been giving him vitamins in his water and I gave him some molasses water last night and today (which he loves by the way) also got some of that VetRx stuff from tractor supply and gave him 2 doses of that. His poop is normal goose poop (its gotten a little runnier since the molasses so I think I will be taking that away in the next few hours)

He also lost some weight this past week. (We've had bad thunderstorms here the past week and no one has wanted to eat (just hide) because of the thunder.

Here are a few pictures, he is a little wet because I had to give him a bath -- he just floated around.)



He is still eating good, but I have to hold the bowl for him most of the time, it seems like he doesnt want to put his head down,




Thats his fresh water with molasses in it, he is sitting on a heating pad too.

Oh and I say *he* but Im really not sure, we ordered him from McMurray Hatchery in March and when I got *him* he was a big pure light yellow gosling, I just figured he was a boy

 

[LSWaddell85]

Anything else I should be doing? help, he is my first goose.

 

[LSWaddell85]

Please help. Any advice would be great.

Update: Well he is trying to stand up every now and then but still not walking Still eating and drinking, talking up a storm to us but he still is rough looking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please help. Any advice would be great.

Update: Well he is trying to stand up every now and then but still not walking Still eating and drinking, talking up a storm to us but he still is rough looking.

Why are you feeding him Layer? even at 5 months old I think that is too young for all the extera calcium he is getting in it, if you have layers get Oyster shell and put it out in a separate container for them they will eat it as needed. Can you get an All flock feed Like Purina Flock Raiser or even Mazuri Water fowl feed? and I would also start giving him some Brewers yeast[found at health food stores] or Niacin in his water brewers yeast sprinkled on his food and if you can't get it Niacin added to his water. Sounds like he is in need of some with weak legs. Make sure to get the niacin that ISN'T time released and is flush free. You should notice a big difference in a few days if it's a niacin deff. Sure hope it is very easy to treat. And the molasses water should only be given for 4 hrs straight anyway because it works to clean the system out of toxins and is a laxative. Hope he pulls through for ya. Let us know how he is doing. and

 

[LSWaddell85]

I was doing the dumor layer because thats what the people at tractor supply told me to buy, haha and by his age the little diagram on the back said that was the feed for his age. Oh and I looked at the wrong bag, he is still on the grower/finisher (which is only 1 - 1.5% calcium) I cant find the Mazuri around here but I will look into the purina. Im headed to the store to try and find the niacin and I will sprinkle some brewers yeast on his feed.

With the Vet Rx being given to him, along with the vitamins, and molasses (I only 1 tbs in a quart of water, which he drank out of for about an hour) he perked up pretty good. I stayed in the kitchen with him until 3am googling about geese and worms, sickness, etc and he preened my hair. He also started preening a little bit and today for bath time he actually moved around. Took him outside to eat some grass too and he was happy.

So I wouldnt say he is improving but he isnt getting better. Im also going to worm him because Im thinking it may be worms in the crop or gizzard from information I got during the late night internet search.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

He needs more grazing and to be switched from Dumor right away. Find a local mom and pop feed store. Look for Purina flock raiser, Nutrena All flock, or mazuri. You can go on Mazuris web site and locate someone near you who sells it.

90% of a gooses diet should be grazing daily, they are herbivores, not omnivore like ducks and chickens. Dont feed a layer feed except during breeding season to geese, and then only if its a goose not a gander. (if you have only the one)

Clean fresh water, dont give molasses anymore as its a laxative.

If you arent allowing the goose to graze daily you need to provide lots of oat hat or other soft leafy (not alfalfa) type of hay to it to eat.

 

[LSWaddell85]

Thanks Celtic! Yea if I dont let him out to graze I make sure to throw clippings in his pen. Honestly Im not sure if Titus is a he or not, I was told when they are babies they are autosexing so when we got *him* and he was pure light yellow I assumed he was a he.

I already stopped the molasses water, I just did it as a precaution for toxins. ( I know about its laxative properties) And like I posted he actually wasnt eating the layer I looked at the wrong bag. But I will definitely look into the other foods, I cant loose my baby he cost too much haha!

Looking better! Titus is currently sitting in bed with me watching pirates of the caribbean.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks Celtic! Yea if I dont let him out to graze I make sure to throw clippings in his pen. Honestly Im not sure if Titus is a he or not, I was told when they are babies they are autosexing so when we got *him* and he was pure light yellow I assumed he was a he.

I already stopped the molasses water, I just did it as a precaution for toxins. ( I know about its laxative properties) And like I posted he actually wasnt eating the layer I looked at the wrong bag. But I will definitely look into the other foods, I cant loose my baby he cost too much haha!

Looking better! Titus is currently sitting in bed with me watching pirates of the caribbean.

From the first pic you posted he does look better. yea!!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

congrats, he does look better in this picture.

 

[LSWaddell85]

Update: Titus is now getting up and taking a few steps, he/she is still gets tired really easy but we have wing flapping, preening, Goose yoga (stretching out the legs while standing) and just making a general mess when it comes to eating and drinking. We also found out Titus likes "playing cars" with my 2 year old. haha My son took his hot wheels over to titus and titus would grab them when they got close enough.

The husband said he is going to have to go back outside soon though -- Titus likes to honk for me when I leave him (even at 1am)