We love our geese as if they were people, and so are really concerned about this young goose who seems to be ailing. It's an 18-week-old Embden who lives with its parents and 6 other siblings. This morning when I went to let the family out of their pen for their typical day of free-ranging we noticed that one of the youngsters had his neck tucked in close, as if he were feeling cold. I didn't think much of it, and went on to do the other morning chicken chores. Later my son said "I don't think that Big Bird is feeling well, I picked him up, he was easy to catch". That did not sound typical at all, usually these birds don't like to be held.
I found Big Bird sitting in the driveway looking very sorry for himself. His vent & bottom are clean, dry & fluffy. His eyes are bright & clear. The only thing I can see is a slight bit of clear discharge coming from his nostrils. The feathers on his chest are a bit dirty, probably from the discharge dripping there. And there is a very slight sound of whistle-y wheezing when he breathes.
He has found himself a place to sit under a picnic table and is staying there while his family continues to travel around the yard.
Please tell me what I can do for Big Bird! He is of course our popular favorite, the only one with a name so far, having distinguished himself by having a small black spot on his head so we can tell him apart from the rest.
Most of my chicken flock has been dealing with an upper respiratory ailment which I've been treating with oral antibiotics. The geese don't interact much with the chickens, but of course share the yard with them. Can geese catch germs from chickens, or are they species-specific?
How can I help Big Bird get better, and how can I keep his family from getting this same illness?
I found Big Bird sitting in the driveway looking very sorry for himself. His vent & bottom are clean, dry & fluffy. His eyes are bright & clear. The only thing I can see is a slight bit of clear discharge coming from his nostrils. The feathers on his chest are a bit dirty, probably from the discharge dripping there. And there is a very slight sound of whistle-y wheezing when he breathes.
He has found himself a place to sit under a picnic table and is staying there while his family continues to travel around the yard.
Please tell me what I can do for Big Bird! He is of course our popular favorite, the only one with a name so far, having distinguished himself by having a small black spot on his head so we can tell him apart from the rest.
Most of my chicken flock has been dealing with an upper respiratory ailment which I've been treating with oral antibiotics. The geese don't interact much with the chickens, but of course share the yard with them. Can geese catch germs from chickens, or are they species-specific?
How can I help Big Bird get better, and how can I keep his family from getting this same illness?