Raising A Gosling for the First Time

Lewie, my first Farmyard Toulouse was purchased for five dollars at a chicken swap set up by a local poultry organization which I am a member of. He imprinted on me right away. This means that he recognizes me as flock leader or mother. Lewie is very fond of grazing. He prefers clover, dandelions, tender green grass, and unfortunately some garden plants meant for us humans. I will probably need to fence in the garden to keep my plants safe. I feed Lewie game bird crumbles. Game bird crumbles are designed to be fed to all poultry but particularly water fowl. They can be purchased at any local feed store that carries livestock grains. Crumbles seem to be less likely to choke waterfowl as it is less powdery than chick starter. Also it does not contain medication which can be harmful to some waterfowl. Lewie, being a waterfowl, drinks a lot of water. I find that a standard poultry watering fount does the trick. A cheap kiddie pool satisfies his need to splash, bathe, and keep clean which is in the nature of most geese. Lewie is not as obsessive about the water as my ducks, however, he does enjoy a good swim. I recently put him in with young Silkie chicks and noticed that he seems to now prefer to be with them. I'm not really sure how to get him to bond with me again. When I take him away he runs back to the Silkie coop and cries for his chicks. Perhaps spending a bit more time with Lewie will make me his mom once again.