STARTING TO KEEP GEESE Text and photos: Denise Moss Photo: West of England Goslings Rearing goslings - the first few weeks It is often recommended to beginners that they start with adult geese. However, I suggest that a good way to introduce the human family to geese is to acquire some baby goslings. These endearing creatures are hardy and adaptable birds and are easy to rear. It may not be possible to persuade breeders to part with exhibition quality goslings, but pet quality, utility or table goslings are easy to acquire, and quite inexpensive. Alternatively, you may be in a position to hatch some eggs. Right: Shetland gosling. Their home Newly hatched goslings must be kept in a warm, safe place, for instance the kitchen, to begin with. Not only will they be spared from chilling and predators such as rats, they will be in a position to receive the love and attention they deserve. Reared in this way, they will become used to human presence and activities and be easier to manage when they are adults. A large cardboard box can be used to rear the goslings, but the corners should be blanked off so their space is more or less circular to prevent any possibility of crushing
should the goslings pile up in a corner. Alternatively a 250 litre plastic barrel, sawn in half to make a tub, will do for a while. Wood shavings or chopped straw should be used for bedding to a depth of four inches. Initially this should be covered with a towel. The bedding should be kept clean and dry, any soiled or damp areas being removed. Left: Crested Roman Gosling Warmth Goslings need heat for the first few weeks. This can be provided by suspending an infrared lamp over part of their pen at the height of about 2 feet. The lamp should be positioned off centre, to allow a cool area, and it must be placed so it does not present a fire hazard or where it may be splashed. The correct height can be judged by observing the goslings: if they re huddled together under the lamp, shouting a single syllable distress call, the lamp is too high whereas if they re panting and trying to get as far away as possible from the lamp, it is too low. If there are only a few goslings, an ordinary 60 watt light bulb will be cheaper to run than an infrared lamp, which is usually 250 watts. A 60 watt domestic spotlight bulb will screw into an infrared lamp holder so that the heat will be reflected downwards. Such a lamp should be suspended about 15 cm above the goslings. Both sorts of lamp are liable to burning out so use two lamps if possible. If you are in an area prone to power cuts, a well wrapped hot water bottle can be placed in the pen if the goslings are to be left on their own for more than a couple of hours. As the goslings grow, the lamp should be raised so the birds become accustomed to a lower temperature. You may be able to dispense with the lamp after about 2-3 weeks, but this depends on the temperature of their environment and on how many goslings there are and on their size this will vary according to the breed. If there are lots of goslings, then they can huddle together and keep each other warm. Turn the lamp off for a couple of hours during the day, and see what happens. Right: Crested Faroese x Chinese gosling
Food and Water Newly hatched goslings do not require food or water for a day or so, but they will eat and drink if it is available. Newly hatched goslings may be quite wobbly so any dishes should be carefully placed so the goslings don t get trapped by them. They will find food and water on their own, but you can point it out to them by getting their attention and dipping your finger in. For the first few days, water can be provided in a small shallow dish, such as the lid of a coffee jar. This should contain some pebbles to weight the dish down and provide the goslings with an easy way to clamber out of the dish. Otherwise at best the water will be spilt everywhere, and at worst, the goslings may drown. As soon as the goslings are big enough to cope, a proprietary drinker can be used, with some means of ensuring that the bedding doesn t get soaked. A proprietary vitamin preparation made for chicks can be dissolved in the water. It is important for goslings to be able to dip their heads into water to keep their eyes clean and free of infection, so ensure the drinker is deep enough to enable them to do this. Above: Progression of drinkers For the first three or four weeks, crumbs should be fed, allowing the birds to eat as much as they want. Some types of crumbs may clog up the mouths of baby goslings if they are fed in a dish, and although they will get rid of them by shaking their heads violently, for the first few days it is better to scatter the crumbs on a rough piece of cardboard or wood. Chick crumbs do not contain enough B vitamins for the requirements of waterfowl, but more importantly, they contain coccidiostats which may harm the goslings. It is better to use feed specially formulated for ducklings, goslings or wildfowl. However, you may find difficulty in obtaining a suitable supply of this feed. Unless you are trying to rear exhibition quality heavy geese, it is possible to rear goslings on alternative foods.
Fresh young grass, cut into half inch lengths, or shorter initially, will be readily consumed, and should be offered even if crumbs are available. Chopped dandelions, clover and other pasture herbs can be included, as can lettuce, cabbage, carrots, swedes, apples etc. Protein levels can be boosted by chopped up hard boiled egg, crumbled cheese and the occasional small worm. A dried yeast tablet, crushed and added to the feed or mixed in a drop of milk will supply B vitamins which will help to build strong healthy legs and wings. A supply of sharp sand should be available to enable the birds to crush the nutrients out of the feed. Left: Russian Grey with goslings. In good weather, you may be able to take the goslings for walks or when they re about three weeks old you can put them out for short periods in a wire netting run so they are safe from crows and other predators. However, they must not be allowed to become wet or cold. For this reason, they should not be allowed to swim at this stage. Although goslings reared by geese may follow their parents into a pond, the geese have the instinct to look after the goslings and to warm them and get them dry. They also help to waterproof the goslings by conveying some of their oil onto the goslings and by fluffing them up by electrostatic charge. Nonetheless, goslings may drown if they cannot clamber out of the pond. Problems Goslings are unlikely to suffer any ill health, but here are one or two problems you may encounter. In their first day or so, they may fall on their backs occasionally, and if so you should right them as soon as possible. Hatching with splayed legs is another possibility. This can usually be corrected in a number of ways. Firstly, by manipulation. Sit the gosling on your lap and place its legs in the proper position. Half an hour s massaging with the legs correctly placed can sometimes fix the problem. Failing that, you can tie the legs together with wool or tape or an elastic band. Keep an eye on the gosling to make sure nothing untoward happens with the tie, and in perhaps half an hour, all will be well. Right: Gosling with splayed legs. Sometimes cases prove more recalcitrant, so in addition, you can cover the floor of the gosling s pen with turf. (The turf should preferably be obtained from an area not used by geese or other poultry, and must be free of chemicals and have short grass). The gosling will be able to get a good grip on this
surface, and will exercise itself by wandering over the turf instead of sitting under the lamp doing the splits all day. It will also enjoy picking at the grass, and benefit from the fresh nutrients. Left: Gosling with pasted vent. An occasional gosling will suffer from a pasted vent, where waste material builds up into a hard lump. If a gosling appears to be growing less rapidly than its companions or is not interested in food, this can be the cause. The lump should be soaked in warm water, taking care to keep the rest of the gosling dry, until it can easily be removed. Gizzard worms may infect goslings if any grass they are given has come from an area used by geese or other poultry. The best route is prevention by using clean grazing if at all possible, otherwise use of worming preparations will be needed. Some batches of goslings acquire the habit of feather pulling, denuding the backs of their companions. This is best prevented by providing a piece of turf or bunch of greens for the goslings to pull at. Above: Emporda with Goslings. Bonding Most importantly, goslings need to feel they have parents. In the wild, baby goslings will imprint on the first moving thing they see their mother, and they will soon come to know and respect their father. However, in the domestic situation, they will imprint on anyone who spends sufficient time talking to the goslings in their own language. This person will be accepted as a foster parent, and this will happen even if the birds have initially been reared by another person, or a goose or broody hen etc. Geese and goslings will greet each other should they have become parted for any reason, and you should do the same. You can greet them by saying What-what-what and the goslings will rush over to you, their little wings outstretched, going What-what-what What-whatwhat Later on, when you take them for walks to get their own grass, you can call, very loudly Come on. If you ve had the opportunity to be present when the embryos were in their final few days before hatching, you can encourage them with the same call, and they will respond with tapping and cheeping noises. Quite often, they will break through the shell while you are encouraging them in this way.
Goslings are happy, confident creatures and provided you start early, they do not mind being handled, so a little cuddle will not go amiss from time to time. Believe me, this can be the start of an engrossing hobby. Rearing goslings with broodies Broody hens, Muscovy ducks and many geese make good foster parents if it is not possible for you to rear the goslings yourself. It is easier if the Muscovy or goose is very tame and used to being handled. You will of course need a sitting bird at the time you obtain the goslings. The broody will tend the youngsters for you and keep them warm. Large hens and Muscovies can rear up to 9 or 10 goslings and large Silkie crosses about 5. A goose may be able to cope with about a dozen. The goslings should be introduced one at a time, gently tucking them under the wing of the sitting bird. This can be done at dusk when the parent will be calmer. Observe the new family to ensure the goslings have not been rejected. The broody and goslings should be housed in an ark with a run attached, which can be moved frequently to fresh grass. You should ensure that the ark and run are proof against aerial predators and also against foxes, badgers, polecats, mink and rats. They say you are never more than a few feet away from a rat, and they will certainly destroy a nestful of goslings in the space of a night. After the first few days, when the goslings have learnt where the food is, a creep should be placed round it. This allows the goslings to access the food freely but keeps the broody away from it. This prevents her scoffing it all. She can then be fed twice daily on a cheaper ration of corn. A creep can be made for instance with a circle of sheep netting or a wooden box with a small entrance. If you use a broody goose, remember they have very long necks, so keep the youngster s food well out of reach. The goslings will not require artificial heat, but you should ensure initially that the broody prevents them from getting wet and that she calls them into the ark at dusk. Otherwise, their needs are the same as for hand reared goslings. By the time the goslings are about three or four weeks old, they can be weaned from their parent hen or Muscovy without problems. However, goslings reared by geese normally stay with their parents for a year or more and will not usually become as tame as those reared by hand or by broody hens or ducks, unless, that is, the parent geese are extremely tame. Copyright 2008 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC