Sudden gosling deaths

[JDowey]

Over the past two days we've lost two goslings.
So for context, goslings are pilgrims, first time I've had this breed as previously only had Toulouse (which I still have, just wanted to expand in breeds) started with five, they're about 4 nearly five weeks now, starting to feather up abit but v v slow compared to Toulouse but that might be normal idk. They've been off heat for two weeks, outside under a run and in at night for a week. Yesterday we decided to try out all night too considering previously we stuck out Toulouse goslings outside from about 3 weeks and they where grand, only reason we hadn't stuck them out earlier with these ones was we were worried they'd get through the gaps in the goose pen fencing. This morning I went out and one was dead, complete stiff and cold dead, now it had been the runt, I'd noticed it not really eating well, lying down alot when the others where up and about eating and chirping. Was abit bummed but though ah well that's a shame must have been something just wrong with it (seemed to just stop growing at about 3 weeks) assumed because of this the others would be fine. However went out tonight to check on them (10pm my time) and one was floppy but seemed still alive, rushed it into the house but it didn't make it, brought the others in too but they seem fine. The one that was floppy and died also had some Reddy brown liquid come out of its mouth, not sure if from crop or from lungs or what.
Does anyone know what's causing this?? Are they cold and just not ready for outside at night? A disease? Something else ?
Also I live in northern Ireland so the only predators we have are domestic cats and foxes but no sign of these

 

[Goosebaby]

I’m so sorry!

The only way to say for certain would be to have a necropsy performed by a veterinarian.

How do the droppings of the others look? Are they mostly solid or are they mostly runny? Also have you noticed black or red, orange, or pinkish slime?

I’m wondering if they have intestinal parasites like worms, coccidia, or giardia that could be causing issues, like the one’s lack of growth. Another issue could be viral or bacterial, enteritis can cause sudden death in young goslings and chicks.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Condolences on the loss of your goslings. I also raise Pilgrims and enjoy them immensely.

A couple of questions in addition to those @Goosebaby has already asked:

• What do you feed them; and
• What have the overnight temperatures been?

 

[JDowey]

Condolences on the loss of your goslings. I also raise Pilgrims and enjoy them immensely.

A couple of questions in addition to those @Goosebaby has already asked:

• What do you feed them; and
• What have the overnight temperatures been

I’m so sorry!

The only way to say for certain would be to have a necropsy performed by a veterinarian.

How do the droppings of the others look? Are they mostly solid or are they mostly runny? Also have you noticed black or red, orange, or pinkish slime?

I’m wondering if they have intestinal parasites like worms, coccidia, or giardia that could be causing issues, like the one’s lack of growth. Another issue could be viral or bacterial, enteritis can cause sudden death in young goslings and chicks.

Unfortunately we don't have a vet near that would do that for a bird. They have been on the runny side. No slime. The second one had no symptoms at all until it was pretty much dead

 

[JDowey]

Condolences on the loss of your goslings. I also raise Pilgrims and enjoy them immensely.

A couple of questions in addition to those @Goosebaby has already asked:

• What do you feed them; and
• What have the overnight temperatures been?

They get a young game bird mix feed with wheat berries and sunflower seeds etc in it but mostly what they eat is grass and other greens from the garden.
Over night temps have been roughly 18c/62f, which is pretty much the warmest my country gets

 

[Goosebaby]

I don’t know what is readily available in Ireland so this might be easy or hard to come by, but you could try treating them for coccidia to start with. Corid/ Amprolium is usually what we use in America to treat coccidia, Toltrazuril also works very well. Diclazuril is one that’s used in Europe and India from what I’ve heard, it’s unavailable here in America so I have no experience with it, but it’s supposedly very effective and safe.

You could also try worming them, albendazole and fendbendazole are two wormers that are effective with most worm species.

For a non specific bacterial infection a broad spectrum antibiotic might be effective, Tylosin, amoxicillin, baytril, SMZTMP are some antibiotics used to tackle a range of bacteria.

Without knowing for certain what the cause is, treating it on your own isn’t always effective. I usually have to treat blindly, “there are really no vets in my area that will see birds and the few that will are terrible to put it lightly” and I can say from expierience that it can be costly and unproductive trying to treat something when you don’t know what is the issue is. I feel for you if you’re in that position.
Treating goslings is tricky, you’ll need a scale to weigh them properly to get the right dosage with any medication you end up giving them.

Also do you have any B vitamin mixture or vitamin mix you can give them?

 

[JDowey]

I don’t know what is readily available in Ireland so this might be easy or hard to come by, but you could try treating them for coccidia to start with. Corid/ Amprolium is usually what we use in America to treat coccidia, Toltrazuril also works very well. Diclazuril is one that’s used in Europe and India from what I’ve heard, it’s unavailable here in America so I have no experience with it, but it’s supposedly very effective and safe.

You could also try worming them, albendazole and fendbendazole are two wormers that are effective with most worm species.

For a non specific bacterial infection a broad spectrum antibiotic might be effective, Tylosin, amoxicillin, baytril, SMZTMP are some antibiotics used to tackle a range of bacteria.

Without knowing for certain what the cause is, treating it on your own isn’t always effective. I usually have to treat blindly, “there are really no vets in my area that will see birds and the few that will are terrible to put it lightly” and I can say from expierience that it can be costly and unproductive trying to treat something when you don’t know what is the issue is. I feel for you if you’re in that position.
Treating goslings is tricky, you’ll need a scale to weigh them properly to get the right dosage with any medication you end up giving them.

Also do you have any B vitamin mixture or vitamin mix you can give them?

Amprolium I actually do have, I give it too my chickens. Antibiotics there's no chance of my getting, you can't by them here unless you import them illegally from Eastern Europe or India. The febendazole I could only get as part of a chicken feed, would that be a problem? I know it is with ducklings so I would have assumed it is with goslings too. I've been giving the three I have left some pep solution which is just water fortified with sugar and vitamins basically.
Thank you for your advise so far

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

They get a young game bird mix feed with wheat berries and sunflower seeds etc in it but mostly what they eat is grass and other greens from the garden.
Over night temps have been roughly 18c/62f, which is pretty much the warmest my country gets

Ok - neither of those sound like they should be the cause. Is there any chance they could be eating something toxic (to them) that they can access in the garden? This site has a list of plants toxic to geese that may be helpful.

x2 on the B complex, too.

 

[Goosebaby]

Amprolium I actually do have, I give it too my chickens. Antibiotics there's no chance of my getting, you can't by them here unless you import them illegally from Eastern Europe or India. The febendazole I could only get as part of a chicken feed, would that be a problem? I know it is with ducklings so I would have assumed it is with goslings too. I've been giving the three I have left some pep solution which is just water fortified with sugar and vitamins basically.
Thank you for your advise so far

Chicken feed is normally to be too low in vitamins and sometimes too low in protein for ducklings and goslings, you can give it to them for 5 days and it will worm them but definitly supplement the feed with a vitamin solution as well, particularly if it has multiple B vitamins, E and A are also very important. Adding nutritional yeast is another option.
20% to 22% protein is typical for a feed, anything lower isn’t enough and you’ll need to supplement with something to boost their protein like soldierfly larva or meal worms.

Antibiotics are illegal to use without a prescription in my state also (California) there is a loop hole though. Fish antibiotics are repackaged antibiotics manufactured for human use, they don’t require a prescription, neither does antibiotics marketed for pigeons. I have no idea if it’s the same in Ireland, if you can even find them or not. Just adding that on the off chance it helps.

 

[JDowey]

Ok - neither of those sound like they should be the cause. Is there any chance they could be eating something toxic (to them) that they can access in the garden? This site has a list of plants toxic to geese that may be helpful.

x2 on the B complex, too.

Having had a look at that list I think they may have gotten at some curly Dock unfortunately we have some in the garden for sure, chickens arnt bothered by it and they haven't had any tremors but the other symptoms match