Embden goslings - failure to thrive

[User635240]

Hi this is my first go with geese. I ordered 15 from Hoover's Hatchery via Family Farm and Home. They said one died day after arrival so they supplied 14. It's been about two weeks and 3 more have died. They are not putting on weight. A fourth looks gaunt, can barely stand, seems like he only has hours left as well. I put them outside today in a carrier for some sun and fresh air, which they seemed to like. Also gave them liquid b vitamin complex. They are eating a custom 22% protein mash and fresh grass clippings. I also bought 3 African goslings from the same store, a few weeks prior, and they are growing fine. Can anything else be done to save these goslings?

 

[Goosebaby]

Can you explain what you mean by a “custom 22% protein mash?” Is it a known brand or is it something you or someone else personally made? What are the ingredients and nutrient percentages?

 

[User635240]

It's prepared by a local grain mill, with corn, soy, wheat. It is supposed to contain twice the nutrition additives, and more soy mash for extra protein, than his 16% layer mash. Should I buy something else for them?

Can you explain what you mean by a “custom 22% protein mash?” Is it a known brand or is it something you or someone else personally made? What are the ingredients and nutrient percentages?

 

[Goosebaby]

It's prepared by a local grain mill, with corn, soy, wheat. It is supposed to contain twice the nutrition additives, and more soy mash for extra protein, than his 16% layer mash. Should I buy something else for them?

How old is the feed? Feed that’s past 4 months old will begin to lose nutritional potency.
Is it formulated for waterfowl? Waterfowl babies need more B vitamins than other poultry.

You could definitely try switching their feed and see if that makes a difference. I don’t know where in the world you are and what’s available to you but Mazuri waterfowl starter and purina flock raiser are two decent varieties to try.

You can also sprinkle nutritional yeast on their feed or give them a multivitamin mix in their water to help them along.

Given that the African goslings are doing fine there may be something like a parasite affecting the other’s growth. You could start them on corid but you’ll have to stop giving them B vitamins during the treatment or it will be pointless.

Have you noticed any series droppings? Red, black, overly white, yellow, bright green, pink, orange or bubbly droppings?

 

[User635240]

How old is the feed? Feed that’s past 4 months old will begin to lose nutritional potency.
Is it formulated for waterfowl? Waterfowl babies need more B vitamins than other poultry.

You could definitely try switching their feed and see if that makes a difference. I don’t know where in the world you are and what’s available to you but Mazuri waterfowl starter and purina flock raiser are two decent varieties to try.

You can also sprinkle nutritional yeast on their feed or give them a multivitamin mix in their water to help them along.

Given that the African goslings are doing fine there may be something like a parasite affecting the other’s growth. You could start them on corid but you’ll have to stop giving them B vitamins during the treatment or it will be pointless.

Have you noticed any series droppings? Red, black, overly white, yellow, bright green, pink, orange or bubbly droppings?

Thx. The feed is mixed every week or two. I'll try the yeast, corid and or one if the specialty foods. Is it possible these birds were bred poorly? My order was actually delayed because the intended ship date was canceled by the hatchery due to bad or reduced hatch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thx. The feed is mixed every week or two. I'll try the yeast, corid and or one if the specialty foods. Is it possible these birds were bred poorly? My order was actually delayed because the intended ship date was canceled by the hatchery due to bad or reduced hatch.

It happened here I ordered runners lost 2 when they arrived the hatchery said shipping stress but another member had ordered Runners from the same hatchery and they got their order delayed becasue of hatching issues So whatever the problem was it was affecting the duckings. Keep up with the liquid B Complex. There is also Poultry Cell that is really good for babies that are struggling too. I am very sorry for your losses and I hope you can keep the others going and the B complex will kick in.

 

[Berd Man]

Thx. The feed is mixed every week or two. I'll try the yeast, corid and or one if the specialty foods. Is it possible these birds were bred poorly? My order was actually delayed because the intended ship date was canceled by the hatchery due to bad or reduced hatch.

Bred poorly? If you bought hatchery geese (as many others, including myself have) all you can hope for at best is that they are close enough to the right color you wanted. Hatcheries do not select for proper structure, nurturing instincts, foraging tendencies, or anything really other than making sure that if you order Embden that it’s a mostly white bird.

I believe cross breeding is commonplace despite their best intentions to keep lines pure. The sizes are always all over the place, and color leakage is commonplace. I don’t like to make fun of my birds but one of them has eyes that aren’t even close to the same size lol

Not knocking hatcheries, again that’s where my birds are from, but the attention to care and priorities are different when you are managing hundreds or thousands of birds as opposed to someone managing a small flock with flock/ variety improvement in mind.

I don’t know how well cared for the parents of your goslings were, but that can make a difference in the health/vigor of the young as well. Hatcheries sometimes allow satellite farms/partners to provide stock and while standards are usually in place, maybe there was mismanagement.

Healthy parent geese typically have healthy and vigorous offspring. Parents on poor diet and deficient will probably not produce optimal young and growth may be impeded by sub optimal conditions.

 

[Goosebaby]

Thx. The feed is mixed every week or two. I'll try the yeast, corid and or one if the specialty foods. Is it possible these birds were bred poorly? My order was actually delayed because the intended ship date was canceled by the hatchery due to bad or reduced hatch.

If it were just genetics it would be unusual for that many to all have problems so it could be something to do with incubation issues or as Berd Man said shipping stress and poor nutrition of the parents. They could still have poor genetics. Mine are hatchery geese and they mostly aren’t show quality but are otherwise genetically healthy, mine came from metzer, it’s possible that Hoover may behave supplied from another breeder and if their flock was extremely inbred living in poor conditions maybe that is the issue, all 14 is a lot though, so maybe it’s numerous issues at once. If they were chickens I would suspect the viral cause of runting syndrome but I don’t think waterfowl are susceptible to that virus.

You might consider taking one of the goslings in to see a vet to see what’s going on or having a necropsy done on one of the ones who’s already passed. In the mean time boost their nutritional intake with a multivitamin as much as possible and let’s hope that helps the poor things.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Hi this is my first go with geese. I ordered 15 from Hoover's Hatchery via Family Farm and Home. They said one died day after arrival so they supplied 14. It's been about two weeks and 3 more have died. They are not putting on weight. A fourth looks gaunt, can barely stand, seems like he only has hours left as well. I put them outside today in a carrier for some sun and fresh air, which they seemed to like. Also gave them liquid b vitamin complex. They are eating a custom 22% protein mash and fresh grass clippings. I also bought 3 African goslings from the same store, a few weeks prior, and they are growing fine. Can anything else be done to save these goslings?

Do geese need grit like ducks do at such a young age eating grass? I don't have geese but I know ducks do. Maybe they can get the grit from the ground though I am not sure. Is it possible that there were any chemicals on the grass. That could hurt them if there were. So sorry for your losses and I pray that the rest remain alright.

 

[User635240]

Hi, just an update. A colleague in the next town was also experiencing losses among her poultry and one duck tested positive for botulism. We think it came from the feed from Family Farm and Home. We both brought home meat chickens from different FFH stores about 10-14 days before our birds started getting sick.