What to Do When Goslings Peck Each Other's Feathers? Solutions for Back-Feather Pecking

Those who raise geese know that at a certain stage of growth, geese will peck each other's feathers, and the weaker ones may even be pecked to death by their companions. So why does this happen? Is it because the geese have some disease? Is it because they lack something in their bodies? When this happens, how should it be prevented and treated? Is medication better? Or is dietary treatment better? Let's take a look together!

What to Do When Goslings Peck Each Other's Feathers

Preventing gosling feather pecking should start from the first day of age, with the first water and the first feed.

Solutions for Goslings Pecking Back Feathers

1. After hatching, goslings will show open beaks and outstretched necks at 16-18 hours, pecking at the bedding straw or biting each other. At this time, give them warm water to rehydrate, and then they can be started on feed. For the first feeding, it is best to use compound pellet feed, and add an appropriate amount of finely chopped fresh green feed, scattering it in the feed tray or on the goslings to entice them to peck and eat.

2. In the first week, feed a little at a time and frequently at each feeding. Generally, feed 6-8 times during the day and 2-3 additional times at night. The compound concentrate feed should be 20-40 grams per bird per day, and the green feed amount should be 5 grams; in the second week, feed complete-price feed at 50-70 grams per bird per day, and green feed at 50 grams. Second, the stocking density should not be too high. Excessive density easily leads to feather-pecking vice and deterioration of environmental conditions, increased morbidity and mortality, and the continuous appearance of individuals of uneven size in the goose flock during the growing period. Generally, the normal stocking density for goslings is 25 birds per sq m in the first week,

3. and 20 birds in the second week. Under normal stocking density, if the temperature is too low and the humidity is too high, goslings easily huddle together, and feather-pecking vice can also occur. The normal temperature and relative humidity at one week of age are 28-30°C and 65-70% respectively.

4. In the second week, they are 25-28°C and 65% respectively. In feeding management, the raiser should frequently inspect the goose flock. If diseased geese with feather-pecking vice or pecking injuries are found, they should be picked out as quickly as possible and raised and treated in isolation. Check what nutrients are missing from the diet formula, such as insufficient protein and amino acids; deficiency of trace elements and vitamins; especially when green feed is lacking, vitamin deficiency will occur, causing feather-pecking vice in geese.

5. In winter, green feed juice or compound vitamin B can be supplemented, adding 2-5 mg per kg of feed. If the cause of feather pecking cannot be determined for the time being, 1-2% gypsum powder can be added to the feed, while improving feed management and eliminating various adverse factors or sources of stress stimulation, such as reducing density to prevent crowding; keeping indoor temperature and humidity suitable and paying attention to ventilation; preventing strong light from shining for long periods; during the brooding period, an appropriate amount of green and coarse feed can be added to increase the goslings' sense of fullness. For example, tie green feed into small bundles and hang them at a certain height to distract the goslings and supplement the lacking nutrients.

Gosling Rearing Methods

1. Keep the indoor temperature at 31-32°C and the humidity within 60%, and raise 25-30 birds per 1 m3, not exceeding 30 birds, which can prevent the geese from suffocating or dying when huddling together;

2. Inject gosling plague vaccine after hatching. For the first drinking water, use 5% glucose water (not exceeding twenty minutes), with the drinking water temperature at 15-20°C. If a drinker is used, the bottom of the drinker needs to be raised so that the drinker has a height of 5-6 cm;

3. To prevent pasted vent, you can use millet or crushed corn softened in water, using 0.5 kg for 100 geese, and scatter it on newspaper or plastic sheeting to entice the goslings to peck and eat; [for hundreds of millions of Chinese users, providing massive, comprehensive, and timely encyclopedia information for free, and continuously improving the way users create, obtain, and share information through a brand-new wiki platform.]

4. Ensure 24-hour lighting, and do not move the feed trough and drinker casually. Ensure the goslings' rest and sleep, and do not frequently drive the goslings around. Adjust the indoor temperature and humidity in a timely manner according to the goslings' condition.

How to Select Goslings

1. Understand the source of the gosling hatching eggs. Goslings are best produced by high-quality breed geese aged 2~3 years, because 2~3-year-old geese are in their prime, and the germplasm of the geese they produce is relatively robust. New geese from the previous year and overly old geese are somewhat poorer in quality.

2. Look at the hatching time. The incubation time for goose eggs is usually 31 days.

3. Observe the goslings' down, body posture, and vitality. Those with clean and glossy down, able to stand once the down is dry, well-proportioned body posture, a sturdy trunk, bright and spirited eyes, a lively temperament, and quick responses are mostly strong goslings.

4. Feel the navel and abdomen. Those with a well-healed and dry navel covered with down, a small and soft abdomen, good yolk absorption, and strong struggling when held in the hand are strong goslings. Those with poor incubation and development show a large abdomen, nailed navel (the navel protruding outward), and blood stains, head edema, and a thin, weak, and flabby body all over.

5. Listen to their calls. Those with loud and crisp calls are mostly strong goslings. Those with hoarse calls or that call incessantly are mostly weak goslings.

6. Place the gosling upside down on its back. If it quickly turns over and stands up, it is a strong gosling; if it weakly and slowly cannot turn over and stand up, it is a weak gosling.

Most of the reasons geese peck each other are improper management and nutritional deficiency, which cause metabolic function disorders and abnormal taste. During the brooding period, an appropriate amount of green and coarse feed can be added to increase the goslings' sense of fullness. Pay attention to the indoor temperature, and frequently observe the geese's growth. If problems are found, handle them promptly.