Author Topic: Raising geese - drop out rate? (Read 3279 times)

Possum · « **on:** July 20, 2014, 02:50:28 pm »

We are raising geese for the first time this year. They free range in an orchard or paddock during the day and have a large shed to sleep in at night.

We started with ten 3 week old goslings but one had to be put to sleep at 6 weeks due to a fast growing tumour in his neck. At 10 weeks one of them developed a bad limp and could hardly walk. The vet couldn't find anything wrong but prescribed metacam and antibiotics. He slowly got better over 4 or 5 weeks, but two days ago I found him and another goose sitting down and unable to walk.

I have isolated them both and they are eating and drinking. They can both stand today and have walked a few paces but they are looking very listless and I don't hold out a lot of hope for their recovery.

Am I doing something wrong, is it just bad luck or is there always a natural drop out rate with young geese? (My OH's theory at the moment)

bigchicken · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2014, 07:43:17 pm »

Bad luck I would say, reared geese for the last couple of years and they are the easiest animal ever grass a wee bit of mixed corn and plenty of water they grow like mushrooms and they taste great it's a win win all the way for me.

shygirl · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2014, 08:53:57 pm »

we bred geese on grass for a few years and never lost any offspring that survived the hatching(lost a few there). we had splayed legs a couple of times from incy eggs but they recovered fine.
leg problems may be down to feeding too much hard feed.
were they put on clean grass?

doganjo · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2014, 09:24:33 pm »

I'd like some geese, but since a fox attack a couple of years ago I worry about them. My ducks are pretty skittish but they come for their tea just before dusk so I can shut them in. Would geese do that too? And what age would be best to introduce them? I think the scent of my dogs keeps the fox away in the daytime, and I'm around most of the time too.

Dogwalker · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2014, 09:55:45 pm »

You can herd geese in quite easily.

hughesy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2014, 10:02:13 pm »

The only geese we've ever lost were to predators plus we had one that got into a bucket of water and drowned. We've found them to be pretty hardy and healthy.

HesterF · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2014, 10:17:36 pm »

It might be down to the genes too. You said you bought them in so suggest you try a source next year. I've hatched my first goslings this year and the only one I lost was one that I struggled to hatch and he clearly had a leg problem from the outset which the vet confirmed could not be treated so he was humanely dispatched. My goose book does say they can be tricky to rear but like the others I've had no problem. To be fair, six were with a broody hen so she did the hard work, one went into school to live with some newly hatched ducklings in reception class and two went to friends who wanted some small creatures to coo over. So I only really took responsibility when they were feathered up and self sufficient!

As to shutting them up at night, easy to herd but never likely to go in by themselves (unlike the ducks which do eventually head indoors).

H

shygirl · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2014, 10:29:34 pm »

Quote from: hughesy on July 20, 2014, 10:02:13 pm

we had one that got into a bucket of water and drowned.

that must be quite common as we witnessed one of ours do that when he ran in a panic and headfirst into a bucket but luckily we were there to pull him out, but in the same week, we sold a goose to a family who lost theirs to drowning in a bucket, and their gander was heartbroken.

Possum · « **Reply #8 on:** July 21, 2014, 05:12:06 pm »

Well fortunately none of ours have tried to drown themselves in a bucket, but I am going to check their paddock, just to make sure.

The vet is coming tomorrow, so I may have more of an idea of what is going after that.