What did my week old gosling die of and will the rest get it? Weakness, tremors, bent neck

GosfieldAcres

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jun 15, 2011
32
3
24
Canada
Yesterday we noticed our week old gosling was mostly sitting on it's hocks and thought it had spraddle foot. We hobbled it with yarn (not too tight, looked up how to do it) , but then it would just flop over, and be unable to get up. It also would not huddle with the other nine, and stayed by itself in a corner. Didn't eat, didn't drink.

Today (the hobble fell off...guess I didn't do it right) it was still sitting most of the time, legs splayed, but it's neck was bent to the side, it would fall over and have a hard time getting up. It also had convulsions or tremors. It would not join the rest of the goslings, and randomly it spazzed out and ran around like it was crazy. I had them outside for a bit (in a dog kennel, and made a run by propping up boards) and this one (only) budged the boards apart and ran off into the yard.

Anyway, we brought it in by itself and it rapidly got worse. It was convulsing a lot, flopping around in circles, and at one point it's head bent sideways all the way back, it's legs stuck out straight behind it and it went super stiff. I thought it had died, but it "came back" after a bit, flopped around a lot, and died about an hour later.

My concerns are 1) the nine other goslings in the pen, 2) the four ducklings we were brooding in a bin next to these (a couple days ago I saw a duckling tremor weird for a moment, but it has been normal and active since) and 3) my children have been handling these birds daily.

Does anyone have any idea what this might be? Can the other waterfowl get it? Can my children or myself contract anything? I also have little turkeys in another room that came in the same box as the geese. I sure hope they will be okay too.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
 
THIS HAPPENED TODAY TO ME TO I, I HAVE NO IDEA WHY? IT WAS PERFECTLY HEALTHY IN MORNING WITHIN 2 HOURS IT DIED????????????????????????????????????/
 
A second one died, and a third one is doing poorly. I don't know what's wrong or how to stop it. :(

Anyone?

First of all go here and talk to folks who have geese... https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/47/geese" this thread is mostly about chickens but you'll get more answers on the goose thread. Have you contacted the hatchery? which hatchery is it? also are your children being supervised when handling the goslings, I am not insinuating they have injured intentionally but goslings are delicate when so young.
 
Oh, thank you, Miss Lydia, Ill ask over in the goose section. I didn't realize this one was limited to chickens.

My children aren't allowed to pick the goslings up anymore because getting picked up made the goslings scared of us. The dying gosling issues don't really line up to being carelessly handled.
 
Oh, thank you, Miss Lydia, Ill ask over in the goose section. I didn't realize this one was limited to chickens.

My children aren't allowed to pick the goslings up anymore because getting picked up made the goslings scared of us. The dying gosling issues don't really line up to being carelessly handled.

This Thread isn't limited to Just chickens but I think talking to folks who have geese and have maybe had the same issues can help. I wouldn't ever want to give the impression if you have something other than chickens you shouldn't ask on this thread. Sorry if i did.
 

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