Do geese get dandruff?

[starrymutt]

I was snuggling with my 5 week old gosling when I noticed so much dandruff and down feathers coming off as I pet her chest.

She is just getting her adult feathers and is very itchy, no bald spots, just the feel of pin feathers and white flakes coming off. Is this normal?

 

[Sammster]

Could "flakes" be sand from dust-bathing? Have you checked her over well for 3xternal parasites? There is a waxy casing on pin-feathers that flake away when they preen

 

[starrymutt]

Could "flakes" be sand from dust-bathing? Have you checked her over well for 3xternal parasites? There is a waxy casing on pin-feathers that flake away when they preen

I didn't know geese did dust bathes! I haven't seen her do it. It does seem to be more like wax, like big flakes just coming off when I rub her body. Mainly her chest where there's feathers coming in

 

[Sammster]

I didn't know geese did dust bathes! I haven't seen her do it. It does seem to be more like wax, like big flakes just coming off when I rub her body. Mainly her chest where there's feathers coming in

Pardon me. I totally missed that she was a goose! How - I have no idea!

 

[blackbox]

That's normal for young birds of all kinds, they have waxy sheathes protecting their pin feathers as they begin to grow in that will flake off as they fluff out. Adults will get this too after a molt, with their primary feathers (looks like this).

 

[Goosebaby]

I was snuggling with my 5 week old gosling when I noticed so much dandruff and down feathers coming off as I pet her chest.

She is just getting her adult feathers and is very itchy, no bald spots, just the feel of pin feathers and white flakes coming off. Is this normal?

It’s flaking feather shaft and skin cells, it’s normal as their first feathers come in.