Reasons why goslings pinch each other's feathers
People who decide to connect their lives with poultry, at some point, are faced with the question of why the goslings pluck out each other's feathers. They, like many other chicks, look like harmless lumps of fluff, but in fact they can show aggression towards their fellows.
Why do goslings pluck each other's feathers
At first this may seem rather strange, but in reality there are a number of prerequisites for such behavior that must be combated in order not to lose part of the brood. Sometimes it happens that minor lesions that seem harmless become inflamed and rot, as a result of which the goslings can catch blood poisoning, which will lead to death.
The reasons for this behavior in goslings
It is impossible to answer unequivocally why the goslings nibble each other. There is simply no universal reason for this behavior; it can be due to completely different factors that should be analyzed in detail to solve the problem. There are three main reasons why goslings pluck each other's feathers:
- instinct;
- vitamin deficiency and lack of calcium;
- small area of content.
It is assumed that there are also other reasons that cause chicks to harm each other in this way, however, these remain unknown. In this case, there is a relatively universal solution to the problem, which will be discussed below.
Before trying these or those methods, it is important to first check the instinct option or dietary change. Changing the diet and changing the territory of detention most often leads to a solution to the problem.
Gosling instinct
It's no secret, especially for poultry breeders, that geese themselves are lovers of pinching.
They are ready to pinch almost anything and anyone, according to their nature. When there is nothing nourishing nearby, they have to switch to their fellows in the fluff, leaving bloody footprints and patches of naked body.
If, nevertheless, goslings are pinched solely because of their nature, instincts embedded at the genetic level, it is quite simple to deal with such a manifestation of aggressive behavior with the right approach. There are 2 main solutions to the problem:
- Pecking can occur if there is not enough grass in the diet of birds. It is necessary to give the goslings the opportunity to pinch it. If there is enough grass, the number of victims is minimized.
- The second solution is rather an addition to the first, but this should also be given your attention. To prevent the goslings from plucking each other's feathers, they need to be provided with an alternative. So, you can give them an unnecessary piece of cloth or other harmless material, which they will gladly nibble at their leisure.
One way or another, the goslings' instinct can be tricked if you approach the problem solving wisely, using the aforementioned methods. In most cases, it is recommended to combine them for higher efficiency.
When combining methods to distract goslings, it is important not to overdo it. It is important to remember that young chicks are quite vulnerable both physically and psychologically.
Avitaminosis and lack of calcium in goslings
Goslings, like any other animal, especially at this stage of growth, need quality nutrition.
If this is not given to them, they begin to compensate for the lack of nutrients in their bodies at the expense of their own relatives. Usually the smallest and weakest suffer, since it is much easier to harm them. In this case, the aggressive behavior of goslings is not so much a problem as a "symptom" of a more important problem: a lack of nutrients, due to which not only individual goslings, but also their entire group, can suffer.
If the goslings pinch each other until they bleed for the aforementioned reason, it is very easy to solve the problem, but this should be done immediately. It is not hard to guess that their diet needs to be optimized and balanced by adding new foods and substances to it. It is generally recommended to include the following in the diet of chicks:
- cottage cheese;
- boiled eggs;
- vitamin supplements.
With proper nutrition, the goslings will not have to pluck the feathers from each other, because there is simply nothing to compensate for, and all the substances and vitamins are in abundance. Lack of vitamins makes the survival instinct work, and this leads to such consequences.
It is important to remember that during the growth period, goslings have the same needs as adolescents during the growth period. That is, the body requires an increased content of vitamins and minerals in the diet.
Small territory of content
One of the answers to the question why the goslings pinch each other is quite simple and commonplace, because it is found in almost the entire animal kingdom. Pets may run out of territory. Goslings, like any other creature, do not like crowding. In such a situation, each of them wants to demonstrate who is in charge of the group and who is entitled to more freedom. In this situation, the weak and the little ones suffer even more than in the case when they simply do not have enough vitamins, therefore, in order to save them, something must be done urgently.
If the goslings pinch each other due to a lack of space required for keeping, first of all, it is necessary to isolate the weak and small chicks from their larger counterparts who do not disdain violence against their family for the sake of a square meter. If you disconnect them by dividing the group into 2 parts, aggressive goslings will not be able to harm the babies.
It should always be remembered that space plays an important role in the growth and development of the young generation of birds. There are some content standards:
- For 1 sq. m you can keep 8-10 chicks, whose age has reached 1 month.
- For goslings that have already lived for 2 months, 1 sq. m for 4 individuals.
- If the chicks are older, 1 sq. m can only accommodate 2 birds.
If this factor is not taken into account, it will be impossible to avoid conflicts even with proper nutrition and plenty of grass. If small goslings have little space in the pen, then growing up, they begin to show aggression towards each other.
In this case, it is required either to settle the brood, or to expand the territory for keeping chicks. If the goslings continue to get injured after settling, you need to observe and calculate the most ardent “bully”.
If the reason is not established
It also happens that the goslings have enough of all the necessary nutrients, their territory is vast, and the diet is composed correctly, but they still pluck each other's feathers and injure the backs. In this case, the root of the problem remains unknown. In this case, it is important to treat the backs of the chicks and try to prevent infection.
However, there is one clever way to help avoid such atrocities: you need to use birch tar. They need to lubricate the backs of the chicks.
The bitter taste of tar will quickly discourage the desire to pluck fellows, and its antiseptic effect will help to heal existing wounds and restore lost fluff. The effect will be visible within a few days.
Conclusion
If the young nibble on the fluff and peck each other's backs until they bleed, this can become a serious problem. Down performs a protective function in the body of chicks, such a cover on the back and on the tummy is especially important.
Geese pluck each other's feathers for various reasons. But this problem cannot be ignored: such damage can lead to the death of young animals.