what are we doing wrong?

[alfredmama]

My daughter hand raised 6 Chinese Geese, 3 whites, 3 brown. They are so sweet and social and they know their 'mama'. They are now 4 months old, beautiful. BUT, just recently we lost two of them! They suddenly began acting lethargic, weak, hardly able to stand and then died overnight. She thinks they got some of the chick starter which is medicated, but not much. They have been eating all-flock mixed with scratch. Three of the remaining seem alert and healthy, one is looking a little less than 100%. We think they weren't getting enough greens because they were in their pen most of the day. Please, any ideas, we don't want to lose another one! these are her babies.

 

[livininbrazil]

Hi Alfredmama, sorry to hear about your goslings. I´ve lost 3 this year, younger than yours, so I know how sad it is. I did a lot of research, and although I´d already had them on grass, giving them lettuce, water-cress, etc, as they need a lot of greens, some on the forums also suggested that they need brewers´ yeast, which I´m giving those that I still have, just a little, of course, and they´re doing really well, seem very strong and growing well.. Maybe it could help yours...they need Vit B and lots of greens.

 

[RURU]

One thing very important is geese need waterfowl feed because it has all the things in it already that goslings need. Plus they need to graze for the grass. There have been many people on here losing their goslings because they are not feeding waterfowl feed!!!
The goslings need the extra niacin that is in waterfowl feed.
For new hatched gosling I buy gamebird growth for them and feed it for 3 weeks to them and make sure they get plenty of grass and dandelion greens cut up for them. I also give them romaine lettuce pieces of cut up celery, kale and chick grit to help digest the greens.
Then take the out on nice days for grazing.
I start feeding adult waterfowl feed to them at 3 weeks of age.
I have not lost a gosling from my hatches so far in 5 to 6 years......

 

[livininbrazil]

Hi Ruru, yes, specific feed is, of course, ideal, and I forgot to say about grit. Here where I live there´s no specific waterfowl feed, there´s just feed for chickens. I don´t know where alfredmama lives, maybe it´s available there. I use builder´s sand as there´s no grit available here either. I put the sand in the bottom of their tiny paddling pool, they love to play with it, and I float their greens in pieces on the water. They love that, too, which is good because I dissolve the Brewers yeast in their water, so they get that too.

 

[livininbrazil]

p.s. congrats on not losing goslings in 6 years. Wonderful

 

[RURU]

Hi Ruru, yes, specific feed is, of course, ideal, and I forgot to say about grit. Here where I live there´s no specific waterfowl feed, there´s just feed for chickens. I don´t know where alfredmama lives, maybe it´s available there. I use builder´s sand as there´s no grit available here either. I put the sand in the bottom of their tiny paddling pool, they love to play with it, and I float their greens in pieces on the water. They love that, too, which is good because I dissolve the Brewers yeast in their water, so they get that too.

I know you have a hard time in Brazil where you live to get the waterfowl feed,
But with putting the brewer's yeast in their water and should be put in their feed as well. That way they get the niacin they need for strong legs and other things. On your feed take and put about a cup of brewer's yeast in 10 pounds of feed. That way you are getting a good amount into them and will have no leg problems or anything else that might show up because you have to feed chicken feed.

Thank you.

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks Ruru, you´ve been very helpful.

 

[RURU]

Hi Ruru, yes, specific feed is, of course, ideal, and I forgot to say about grit. Here where I live there´s no specific waterfowl feed, there´s just feed for chickens. I don´t know where alfredmama lives, maybe it´s available there. I use builder´s sand as there´s no grit available here either. I put the sand in the bottom of their tiny paddling pool, they love to play with it, and I float their greens in pieces on the water. They love that, too, which is good because I dissolve the Brewers yeast in their water, so they get that too.

On sand it is better to use the sand for children play sand it does not have toxic stuff in it like builder sand can...

 

[RURU]

Now with the niacin you can get that from your pharmacy and get regular not fast acting. I hope I have that right. Then you just sprinkle that in their fresh water each day. This helps goslings get all they need while still feeding chicken feed. As you have found out geese need a total different nutrients then chickens do....

 

[livininbrazil]

You´re very cautious, Ruru, and careful. Thanks for all your advice. As regards the sand, I don´t believe I´ve seen any children´s sand here, they all go off to the beach!! And the builder´s sand is simply dredged out of the rivers! So the geese should be ok with it, can´t see why not. My geese that have the run of the place also like to sift the sand and stones at the bottom of the stream here. I managed to get Brewers´ Yeast which I´m giving them almost every day in their water and a little in their feed. I couldn´t get it anywhere that´s to do with animals, I thought the baker´s may have it, simply because they sell just about everything there, bread seems to be a side-line! The agricultural store recommended I try the brewery...Nice! But the pharmacy came up trumps, bought the last pot! I definitely see adifference between these goslings and the others that I lost. The tiny one is so much stronger than the older one was at this age, though that one is also going great now, I also think that confining them a bit has helped, too, constant grass to eat, not walked off their little legs with the parent birds in search of something that bit greener!. 6 eggs are due to hatch under another goose in two weeks, so I´ll be better armed with all I´ve learned. Thanks again.