The Poultry Keeper

hch4971 · Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 24 Location: North Yorkshire

Hi, we bought 3 goslings at auction yesterday and when we got them home found one that seemed really ill. The other 2 are healthy and noisy, moving around a lot but this one is much smaller and just seems to sit and sleep. It seemed to have difficulty breathing and was very wobbly. We rushed out and bought a heat lamp as I figure they are all younger than we thought and it seemed much better last night. I managed to get it to drink and it will drink every time I offer it water, it has also started going to the drinker on it's own but it will not eat. I have mashed the chick crumbs with water, with sugar and water and have offered boiled egg yolk but it doesnt seem to know what to do. The others are eating almost constantly. I am worried that it is ill rather than just younger than the others although it does have moments when it gets up and rushes over to the others if they have left it. The other 2 have dark colouring down their backs but this one is just yellow with dark colouring only just appearing under the yellow. Any ideas?

thehenman · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 171 Location: lincolnshire

probably a bit of both young and cold as it was out of heat all day ,maybe got a chill ,just keep it warm and see how it goes ,i hatched one gosling out the other week ,it came early and was vey weak for the first 2 or 3 days and then all of sudden it just came to life ,its only 3 weeks old now and nearly as big as a full grow hen Very Happy

hch4971 · Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 24 Location: North Yorkshire

Thankyou! How long was it before it started to eat? I'm really worried that it hasn't eaten anything whilst it has been with us.

thehenman · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 171 Location: lincolnshire

a good 2 or 3 days before it even moved ,dipped it in the water and food but didnt seem interested at first ,then like i say away it went ,now its like the roadrunner Very Happy

i will post a pic later

CP · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject:

Hope yours does the same hch4971.
Good luck. Wink

hch4971 · Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 24 Location: North Yorkshire

thank you so much. Just as you said she started eating last night. I had been offering her mashed feed every couple of hours and she started to show a bit of an interest but when I went in the next time she was in the feeder chomping the crumbs. She went back constantly, just stopping to rest under the lamp for a few minutes, had a drink and then more food. You really helped put my mind at rest so thank you for that. She looks much better this morning and was lively and noisy.

CP · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

That's good news. Very Happy

thehenman · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 171 Location: lincolnshire

heres mine ,he or she is in with 17 chicks ,ive just moved them into a bigger pen today ,the goose is 3 weeks old and the chicks range from 4-6 weeks old today will be there first day off heat ive been putting it on at night but thats it for them now there on their own Very Happy

hch4971 · Joined: 27 Apr 2008 Posts: 24 Location: North Yorkshire

oh he/she is lovely, is it an emden? We bought ours as Ebdens but Im not sure if it is the same as the emden and people use different names. They are growing so quickly you can almost see it. The little one is doing really well but they all seem to have started pulling at each others feathers a lot so Im not sure if they are trying to preen each other or if it is the light that is causing the older 2 to do it. One seems to hold water in it's mouth and then chase the other big one and wet its back before having a good tug at its tail. Today is the first day they have been left for any legnth of time and I am panicking like mad about them. Cant wait to get home and check on them.

thehenman · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 171 Location: lincolnshire

mine s a pomeranian

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 873 Location: Cornwall

Put some brewers yeast in their water, it builds the goslings up nicely

thehenman · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 171 Location: lincolnshire

is it ok for ducks and hens as weell