Geese diet during laying season

Moon_Manor · **Joined:** Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:03 pm **Posts:** 18

Hello All,
wondering if someone can assist me.

Background Info:
* I have 4 Sebastopol geese (1 gander and 3 females). Two of the females have started to lay. One of the females is in her first season (i.e. she hatched last year). I have noticed has now started to limp - she is clearly favouring her right leg. I have examined her right leg as best I can. There is no obvious injury or swelling (i.e. nothing broken, no obvious sprain).
* I had a similar problem last year with a Chinese goose, who was also in her first season. She was running with 3 other older Chinese geese (1 gander, 3 females).
* Based on the symptoms it reminds me as if both of the geese (i.e. last years Chinese goose and this years Sebastopol goose) have something similar to rickets. I have searched this forum but was unable to find any reference to these symptoms in geese. I have Google searched "rickets in geese". Most references point to rickets being a problem in baby chickens, but not geese.
* My solution for last years Chinese goose was to:
-> pen her up and isolate her from the others for a couple of weeks, in case the gander was being too rough,
-> provide her with the opportunity to graze by herself (the others got locked away and she was allowed to graze independently for a few hours), and
-> provide her with good quality shell grit purchased from the local produce store in case it my guess of a calcium deficiency due to egg laying was correct. I ended up throwing the shell grit out at the end of the season - she seemingly never touched it.
* The Chinese goose never really came "good" and was left with a permanent limp. She is now no longer with me.
* My current Sebastopol goose currently demonstrating similar symptoms is in her first season. Already she has laid 2 eggs. Currently she is isolated from the others in case the gander is being too rough, and being allowed to graze independently away from the others. While she is locked up she has access to a grain mixture all the other geese are feasting on. The other geese and chooks are demonstrating no obvious issues with supplementing their grass diet with the same grain, except that all the chooks ended up going broody at the same time!
* When the geese are penned up I have offered them a range of leafy greens, carrots, corn, watermelon etc. They are not interested in any of this, and I end up turfing the lot out at the end of the day for the while birds to consume.

My Questions:
1. Has anyone experienced similar with young geese during their first season?
2. If so, have you a solution that worked without leaving the goose permanently impaired?
3. Could this be diet-related or am I on a "wild goose chase"? Could these young geese be suffering from a calcium / magnesium / phosphorus / Vitamin D deficiency? If so, why is it affecting just 1 bird and not all of them?

Any informed suggestions / ideas / recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Cohgan · **Joined:** Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:02 pm **Posts:** 3

It could be from mating the first years layers are not as strong or experience as they older geese and the weight of the gander many be a problem? it could also be a diet issue with vitamin e because when they lay eggs they use allot of body calcium and they need to replace it so maybe you can give them some vitamin e supplement in the water? I know vitamin e is very good for bird when they are recovering from leg problems so maybe worth a try

Moon_Manor · **Joined:** Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:03 pm **Posts:** 18

Many thanks for the reply.

I took your suggestion and separated the young goose from the gander for a few days. She gets "conjugal visits" each night to keep her bonded to her flock, but during the day she is locked away in a different run with the bantam chooks.

She has recovered well and there are no further signs of limping. After a couple of days of adjustment, she happily heads for the chook run when I let the geese out in the morning, heads back to other geese in the afternoon, and appears quite content with bossing the bantams during the day.

This has also provided an additional unforseen benefit - the young goose has continued to lay, but now does this in the chooks nest (much to the dismay of the bantams) and the other goose lays in a separate nest in the geese run. Now I know who lays which eggs, it reduces the guessing game of which goslings (if I get any) belong to whom.

Sebducks · **Joined:** Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:41 pm **Posts:** 812

What layer mix if any do you feed? I have sebs here also and have never experienced your problem so hope to be able to assist you in any way I can.

I provide mine with all the free range grass they can eat and a course layer mix with added calcium and mineral mix already mixed in it.

I have my original pair, two from last season and two goslings from this season.

Moon_Manor · **Joined:** Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:03 pm **Posts:** 18

Hi Sebducks,

Many thanks for your reply.

I feed the geese a grain mix called "AviGrain". It includes dun peas, sorghum, wheat, safflower, and a sprinkling of black sunflower. They also get to graze free range every second day - I alternate the grazing between the Sebs and the Chinese as the two ganders fight if they are out together.

When they are not grazing in the paddock they are in their enclosed run.

I have tried providing them with shell grit as a mineral supplement. They completely ignored it. Is there something I can add to their grain and / or water you could recommend?

The young goose that caused me the concern has come along in leaps and bounds since being separated from the gander during the day. I suspect he was being a bit too "active", causing her the grief.

Given you have Sebs you might be able to help with another observation. Do your Sebs grab mouthfuls of dirt off the floor and spit it into their water bowl? When mine a locked up in their house they engage in this behaviour. When they are out in their run or paddock they dont do such. Their previous owner warned me of this - apparently they used to wander around in their previous shed, pick up off the floor small stones, and spit them into their water bowl. My 4 can turn their shed water dish into sloppy mud overnight. I know they are not bathing in the dish as it is not physically possible to get their bodies into it. Can you shed any light on these antics?

Sebducks · **Joined:** Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:41 pm **Posts:** 812

Is the dirt behaviour happening at night when they are in the run or during the day when they are locked up? They are most likely getting mouthfuls of food and dipping their bills in the water but also getting dirt at the same time. Boredom can be another factor, just messing around with the water when they are locked up. The picking up of small stones is very normal, you will find that they and other poultry swallow some to help with the grinding of the food in the crop.

Mightywings · **Joined:** Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:21 pm **Posts:** 1

How do geese go on turkey grower pellets as a form of higher protein?

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