- May 15, 2011
- 4
- 0
- 7
Exactly a week ago, we rescued a tiny baby "duck". Found out shortly after it was a gosling and probably less than 3 days old when we literally fished it drowning, all alone out the river (we live on the river, very fast current). Left it outside for a while, no one came for it and it was shivering and wet. It immediately started following me around. So, we've been taking care of it, i'm reading like crazy about gosling care and am nervous about feedings.
After 2 days of crushed, mushed dog food (which my mother said she saw somewhere on the internet) I bought and gave it (non-medicated) "chick starter/grower" from tractor supply, which the label said was appropriate for a gosling of its age. It eats like crazy, nearly nonstop when there's food in the pen and for a day or two i thought that as good. When the food ran out it napped and then would make a pretty anxious cry as it searched for more food. Its penned in our house right now because its been VERY cold and rainy, but i've been adding grass from the yard to the pen. It definitely prefers the chick starter. After doing more reading and watching how much it would eat if I let it, i'm starting to get worried.
The chick starter its getting is 20% protein and from what I read that borderline high and I REALLY don't want this guy to get angel wing, since we're hoping it will join a flock & migrate. So today i rationed its food a lot more and gave it a ton more grass, plus a little celery and part of a strawberry (it went crazy for the celery but not the strawberry). But I can tell, now that its growing like crazy, that its getting increasingly antsy stuck in the "playpen" (its aprx 2 yards long and 2 feet wide), especially since i'm not giving it as much chick starter. On less food its pooping less (which i don't mind) and more active, as it "forages" through the grass etc. that i've scattered.
Nevertheless, I'm really worried about what the right balance of food is since it can't be outside right now for very long. Any recommendations on how much chick starter it should receive or better alternatives would be exceptionally welcome. I know even goslings can do well foraging for themselves outdoors but we're looking at rain & 40s/50s weather for at least 3 more days! What should i do???????????? I'm not sure what the balance is between overfeeding and starving my little guy.
Help! Thanks!!!
After 2 days of crushed, mushed dog food (which my mother said she saw somewhere on the internet) I bought and gave it (non-medicated) "chick starter/grower" from tractor supply, which the label said was appropriate for a gosling of its age. It eats like crazy, nearly nonstop when there's food in the pen and for a day or two i thought that as good. When the food ran out it napped and then would make a pretty anxious cry as it searched for more food. Its penned in our house right now because its been VERY cold and rainy, but i've been adding grass from the yard to the pen. It definitely prefers the chick starter. After doing more reading and watching how much it would eat if I let it, i'm starting to get worried.
The chick starter its getting is 20% protein and from what I read that borderline high and I REALLY don't want this guy to get angel wing, since we're hoping it will join a flock & migrate. So today i rationed its food a lot more and gave it a ton more grass, plus a little celery and part of a strawberry (it went crazy for the celery but not the strawberry). But I can tell, now that its growing like crazy, that its getting increasingly antsy stuck in the "playpen" (its aprx 2 yards long and 2 feet wide), especially since i'm not giving it as much chick starter. On less food its pooping less (which i don't mind) and more active, as it "forages" through the grass etc. that i've scattered.
Nevertheless, I'm really worried about what the right balance of food is since it can't be outside right now for very long. Any recommendations on how much chick starter it should receive or better alternatives would be exceptionally welcome. I know even goslings can do well foraging for themselves outdoors but we're looking at rain & 40s/50s weather for at least 3 more days! What should i do???????????? I'm not sure what the balance is between overfeeding and starving my little guy.
Help! Thanks!!!
