Goosebaby

Free Ranging
Premium Feather Member
Nov 10, 2019
3,812
6,078
526
Northern California
My problems just keep coming....


For the last 7 days I’ve noticed all of my goose flock has increased urates, something’s bothering their kidneys.
D090A6DD-3D31-4C41-80FE-B3DD614C6CAB.jpeg F5E40699-9CEE-4D4E-8F97-0A24E58A5A79.jpeg 64181BD8-6500-4CB6-919D-791BE2312CAC.jpeg

I’ve also noticed very mild respiratory problems, the occasional head flicking, sounding slightly congested with slightly runny noses in the morning, this tends to go away as it heats up during the day only to reappear the varying extents the following morning.

When one of them first starts showing these symptoms they’re very subtly withdrawn for a day to 3 days and will eat less than usual in that time.

The first to show symptoms is my Buff Apricot (goose) though she’s been feeling off, off and on since March though minus the extra urates and slight congestion, those are new, she had pica off and on as well, strangely though that has gone away.

The second was Roxbury (goose) or maybe he was the first, he has had an ongoing illness with recurring bouts of lameness, he seems on the mend and has been doing great and gaining weight but he has had the white diarrhea, mild congestion, and head flicking at times throughout his ordeal and has it again now, maybe those symptoms before were unrelated to whatever’s going on now and his kidneys were just in overdrive from the amount of medications he was on then, or it’s all part of whatever he had/has, I can’t say.

Then Helios, Dandelion, Leo, and Delphi (geese) got the sniffles and were mildly withdrawn for a few days.

The next to show symptoms (I think) were Friday (goose) and Henry (duck) Friday already has a chronic kidney problem and Henry is an arthritic geriatric 14 year old pekin so it’s hard to really say sometimes when they’re sick sick or it’s just their current conditions acting up. Henry and Friday were however more subdued than usual for about 3 days in which Henry in particular hardly ate. Since Henry has bounced back spunkier than before.

The last to show symptoms so far is Strawberry and Darby (geese) Darby has hardly shown symptoms but Strawberry was hit the hardest, the day before yesterday he barely moved, barely made a sound, refused to eat, only occasionally sipped his water, was extremly withdrawn. Strangely he does not have any respiratory symptoms that I can see. As of yesterday he was feeling much better but not 100%, so far this morning he looks well, no symptoms that I’ve seen yet.

Tuesday (goose) was effected the least if if at all so far. I’ve seen her shake her head maybe once but that could be from anything.


Those that seem to be doing better still have increased urates/white diarrhea though. Pictures of droppings are all from different geese.

Friday also laid an thin shelled egg last week that had a slight dimple.
It was a runny and pale on the inside. “The screw came from someone working on something 15 minutes prior to me cracking the eggs, don’t worry I removed it.”

D81CC529-00E3-4682-96C3-D12C0B21CD48.jpeg
F34A39E9-49B0-4AAF-B3FC-833240BA0F83.jpeg

Dandelion also laid a pale runny egg, it’s shell wasn’t abnormal that I could see.
B71337CD-AC56-4667-B7DD-638A311CFC6B.jpeg

Tuesaday’s eggs have been normal that I can tell, Tuesday’s egg “the darker colored one” vs. Dandelion’s for comparison.
72B338DD-718F-4342-A5FC-29D57027D024.jpeg

Tuesday laid one more after this that felt a bit chalky but otherwise looked normal inside and out.


D9D2D857-C4A2-4EB0-8E57-9A63CA3D079E.jpeg

Since these last eggs none of my girls have laid so I don’t know if these were just end of this year’s cycle funkiness or if these are also signs of the illness, whatever it is.

Has anyone seen something like this before whatever the species? What was it and how did you treat it if it was treatable?


My flock’s diet currently includes:
Nutrena all flock/ Purina flock raiser
Oystershell if they want it “separate bowl that no ones been interested in lateLy.”
Lawn grass
Forage turnip
+treats, berries, tomatoes, carrots, apples, melons, strawberries.

I have a closed flock, and I don’t intend on hatching/bringing in more, the last time I had new birds was a year ago when Tuesday, Dandelion, Roxbury, and Helios were bred and hatched here.
Though in January I had new neighbors move in next door with chickens, their coop is roughly 300 yards up the hill from my yard. I’ve never been up there and they’ve never come down into my yard, humans or birds.
This is a pesticide, herbicide, chemical free yard.
I’m overextended as it is so a vet sadly isn’t an option.
 

Attachments

  • A693307D-0385-4584-A7DB-EB32C848DA6A.jpeg
    A693307D-0385-4584-A7DB-EB32C848DA6A.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 2
  • 09B7067E-F8AF-4290-8255-ECD1974062F3.jpeg
    09B7067E-F8AF-4290-8255-ECD1974062F3.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 3
  • B7031769-055A-4775-A055-4087A9E1420D.jpeg
    B7031769-055A-4775-A055-4087A9E1420D.jpeg
    948.5 KB · Views: 3
Last edited:
I can only imagine how perplexing this must be. Since I haven't personally experienced this with my waterfowl, I hope another BYCer comes by who has and can offer helpful info/insight.

If you haven't already seen it, the FAO has published this info online that describes common goose diseases and treatments. Unfortunately, more than one may fit the symptoms you're seeing and without lab analysis, a confirmed diagnosis may be elusive. Nonetheless, I'm passing it along in case it's useful.

Sending good vibes for your flock's recovery!
 
I can only imagine how perplexing this must be. Since I haven't personally experienced this with my waterfowl, I hope another BYCer comes by who has and can offer helpful info/insight.

If you haven't already seen it, the FAO has published this info online that describes common goose diseases and treatments. Unfortunately, more than one may fit the symptoms you're seeing and without lab analysis, a confirmed diagnosis may be elusive. Nonetheless, I'm passing it along in case it's useful.

Sending good vibes for your flock's recovery!
Thank you!
 
Is the eggshell wrinkly? That can be a sign of infectious bronchitis - which runs its course and is rarely lethal. The birds will be carriers for life though.
This is the only one I’ve seen with any blemish, it had this little dent at the very top, laid by my 7 year old Friday.
 

Attachments

  • 4791B4F5-40B6-4C92-BB3D-5C44A039DDC4.jpeg
    4791B4F5-40B6-4C92-BB3D-5C44A039DDC4.jpeg
    499.9 KB · Views: 4
Tuesday got the sniffles yesterday, and Apricot worsened the day before, showed almost no symptoms yesterday, but this morning her nose is running pretty bad and she’s sneezing pretty frequently.
I’ve been giving them RopaPoultry in their water the last two days now, they’ve also been getting crushed garlic, and fresh lemon in their water for the last three.

Everyone’s droppings haven’t changed, still very white.
 
Apricot now appears to have blood from somewhere in her upper digestive tract turning her droppings black. FEAA7258-6FB6-4D0E-A64A-589DE588C4AE.jpeg

Everyone still has droppings like this one from Roxbury this morning.

42AE32D1-2E9F-48B7-A60C-5FBB676D623C.jpeg
 
White diarrhea is now mainly a morning thing, it mostly goes away as the day progresses, which I don’t really get.
I haven’t noticed much sneezing or congestion from anyone, everyone’s bounced back other than the morning white puddles, except Roxby who was wheezing two nights ago, I haven’t heard any respiratory problems since from him but he’s been acting depressed and lethargic like Apricot was at her worst, though for her that lasted pretty much just a day, it’s now been three days for Roxby and he’s just been like this.
 

Attachments

  • 423B1234-0230-464E-AF10-DAA205E23A5A.jpeg
    423B1234-0230-464E-AF10-DAA205E23A5A.jpeg
    949 KB · Views: 2
I wish I had more of an answer, but just thinking through some questions - have you changed bedding, or maybe the supplier has switched practices? I'm wondering if they're finding some kind of weed that they shouldn't be eating?

If you're comfortable with it, maybe go talk to your neighbor to make sure they aren't spraying anything that's floating down to your yard or experiencing the same problems with their birds.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom