I live by a lake and found this adorable little gosling. I know that its a canadian because thats all we have around here. I'm guessing it's under a week old because It only has a few feathers. But I have NO idea wat to feed it, what kind of beding it needs, if i should let it swim, ect. PLEASE HELP!!!
Answers:
Determine its age. Does it have feathers?
If not and you know where the nest is located, replace the hatchling in the nest. The parents will take it from there.
If it is feathered and not obviously injured (broken wing, leg, etc.), clear all pets and children away from the fledgling and observe it for an hour. Chances are the parents will return for it. They may be waiting until all the hoopla has died down before approaching the youngster.
I tried all that, I don't know where the nest is and/or the parents haven't returned. What do I do now?
Carefully pick up the baby and put it immediately in a small cardboard box or plastic food container large enough for the bird to stand up in or move around a bit. (Try to have the container ready before you pick up the bird; this will reduce stress on the animal.) Use facial tissue, toilet tissue or paper toweling for padding and cover the container LOOSELY with a towel leaving a small gap at the edge for good air circulation. Place the box in a warm, QUIET area of the house and call your local wildlife rehabilitation center (see below) for further instructions. Do not offer the bird food or water until you have spoken with them and avoid peeking at or disturbing the bird.
Well, I think this baby I found is a duck. Do I do the same thing?
Absolutely. Always observe a young waterfowl before picking it up. These birds are doting parents and will respond to a lost offspring. They do know how many babies they have. Because of this, they'll backtrack until they find the errant youngster. If you listen, you'll hear the duckling/gosling calling for its parents.
If you're sure the duckling/gosling is an orphan, follow the same steps as above. Place it in a padded box/container, covered with a towel, and put it in a warm, QUIET place. You'll want to use a deeper container for ducklings as they will jump. Immediately call your local rehabilitation center for further instructions.
Tips on Capturing Wildlife For Transfer to a Rehabilitator
If you spot an animal, particularly a young or juvenile animal, that appears to be deserted or in difficulty, do not catch it right away. Take 20 minutes or so to observe it's behavior.
In the case of a young or juvenile animal, it may simply be waiting for a parent to return. Remember, adult animals will often leave their young to hunt for food and truurn within a short period of time to feed/care for the offspring.
If you believe the animal is injured, call a rehabilitation center near you BEFORE you pick up the animal. Injured wild animals can be dangerous and need special handling. Keep an eye on its whereabouts and describe its condition to the rehabilitator you reach on the phone. They will give you the proper course of action to take for that particular animal.
If, however, you are unable to reach a rehabilitation center for advice, a good rule of thumb is to wear appropriate clothing and safety equipment. use common sense: if the animal has teeth (like raccoons, opossums), a sharp beak or talons (like hawks), wear gloves and eye protection. Place an injured animal in a covered box (with air holes punched in it), and keep it in a warm, QUIET place. Do not try to administer first aid, offer food or water to the animal, and avoid lifting the lid to check on its condition. The less it sees of you, the less stress it will experience, and the better its chances for recovery will be. Call a rescue/rehabilitation center or, if you're traveling, deliver it to the nearest rehabilitation center, Fish %26 Wildlife office, or police station. In most cases, these people will be able to direct the animal to an appropriate rehabilitator.
Remember, most species of birds are protected and therefore it is not legal to keep them unless you are licensed to do so. Beyond the legalities, these animals require specialized care and diets to grow up healthy and strong. It's important to turn them over to an experienced person as soon as possible.
In most areas, Wildlife Rehabilitation is governed by Fish %26 Wildlife or Wild Game agencies. Although some areas do not have established shelters for wild animals, there are rehabilitation individuals who provide home care. Again, Fish %26 Wildlife offices, humane societies, animal control agenies, and often state or local police will be able to provide you with phone numbers and/or addresses.
One day that ugly duckling might become a swan! Good luck.
ah! bad thing! you should have left it. geese are very viscious, like swans. the bite, snap and hiss. i think you should call an expert.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3...
i will research it 4 u!! brb
P.S i heart animals!! good luck!!
It's probably illegal for you to have this animal, just so you know. You need to get in touch with a wildlife rehabilitator in your area. He or she is licensed by your state to care for and hopefully release orphaned and injured animals and has all the necessary resources to do so. I STRONGLY encourage you to call as soon as you can!
call the DNR and have it sent to a wild life rehab station.
for now, i would buy birdseed and breadcrumbs, but I would research this and find out what they feed on naturally. You could bring it to a nature center, but they'd probably take it away from you.
some pet food suppliers will sell "duck feed" which although probably isn't optimal...i think its a start...
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distributio...
has some tips..
When my brother had a pet duck he used to feed it a bit of cooked steamed rice...you don't want to just give it rice because it would be malnutritioned- but its a way to buy you some time to figure out how to take care of it.
When we raised chickens in class - we'd feed them crumbled hard boiled eggs (yes I know- canablism...but if you think about it- eggs are rich in the nutrients and proteins they needed to grow up- it should be a very rich and ample starting feed)
I hope that helped somewhat- I'd call your local vet and ask as soon as you are able.
And just because its cute...doesn't mean its legal for you to keep it or care for it...you might need some kind of license depending on local laws...i'd contact a wildlife center and figure out what you can do.
For now, let it eat some bread. Go to a feed store and buy it some mash, or cracked corn, and of course water to drink. Don't worry, geese like to eat grass too. I raised geese before and it is easy.
Another thing you ought to do if it is really tiny, is boil some water and fill a mason jar with it ,and then close the lid and put that next to it in the box. It is warm and like a mother and will help it sleep. also change the papers periodically.
I hope the thing grows up, because if you set it free, it may leave and come back to visit you many years to come. Any bird will.
I would check with a wildlife specialist, they can tell you what you need to do. Just a word of caution, it may be illegal for you to keep it, they may take it to raise.
as the bed, use an old basket and put a blanket in it
feed it wet bread (take half a piece of bread and get it wet feed it to it)
give it another box which is 1/3 full of water so it can swim
and you think about it
Get this bird to a wildlife rehab for it's best chance of survival. It is illegal for you to have a wild bird in your possession.
The problem with raising a single gosling is they imprint on people real easy. Unless you plan to keep the gosling for its entire life then you need to take it to someone who will raise it with other geese. Otherwise he will think your his parents and when you go to set him free he will be lonely and miserable. For how imprinting works check out this site
www.thegoosesmother.com
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