Why Is My Goose Have One Eye Closed?
Poultry farming has its ups and downs. Loss of eyesight in geese is one of the downs. There are times when you may notice that your geese have one eye closed. Many reasons can cause this scenario.
There are also a good number of ways that you can adequately address the issue and resolve it before they suffer permanent eye damage. I hope that you will find this article informative and the points presented will aid you in your journey to becoming a more informed geese farmer.
Reasons Goose Can’t Open Its Eye
Geese like other poultry, sleep with one eye open sometimes to keep themselves alert to danger. There are times however, when you notice that your geese are unable to open one of their eyes. Here are a few reasons that may be the root cause of this occurrence.
– Eye Infection
One of the main reasons why your geese may have a closed eye is an eye infection. This can be from damage to the eye or from something that causes damage to the eye as well as other parts of the body.
Some eye infections can result from coccidiosis, which results from eating food that has been mixed with contaminated droppings, coryza which leads to swelling and closing of the eyes, and masons eye worm. As the name suggests, this is a disease caused by worms, specifically slender worms that are common in poultry and spreads through contaminated feces.
– Eye Injury
Another reason for a closed eye may be due to injury. Just like other poultry, geese tend to fight with each other through pecking. This can sometimes get out of hand resulting in injury to their faces. The eye is the most delicate part and as such may suffer from swelling.
Aside from mating, overcrowding and scarce food are the other reasons why geese fight with each other violently. This is usually in an attempt to gain superiority and keep the scarce resources for themselves. Insufficient feeding stations can also result in pecking and injury to the eye even in cases where the feed and space are enough.
– Something Stuck in Its Eye
Geese spend a lot of time in dust and mud, looking for food and cooling off. This may lead to dust particles, mud, or debris getting sucked into their eyes. In such a case, the geese find it difficult to blink and simply opt to close the afflicted eye to avoid further damage to it.
They may also aggressively scratch the eye in case they are feeling irritated and this may lead to eye damage from their nails.
Another reason that may cause your geese to have one eye closed is excessive heat inside their coop, which leads to dehydration and droopy eyes. Manage the heat in the summer as well as the artificial heat supplied during winter to keep this from happening.
How to Treat Goose with Closed Eye?
There are several ways that you can approach this scenario to ensure it is adequately resolved. These are:
– Wiping their eyes
Sometimes the solution is as simple as wiping the eyes of your geese. This is because if the cause for the closure is superficial like dusk or specks, then a simple wipe should clean the eye out excellently and resolve the issues. The eye should be cleaned with a saline solution and a cotton swab or soft tissue two to three times a day till it is back to normal.
Alternatively, a 1:1 ratio of distilled water and apple cider vinegar can serve the purpose as well. This solution is also excellent if the blindness is resulting from a bacterial infection. In the case of wounds, the eye can be wiped with some Terramycin eye ointment or Veterycin spray.
– Control pests in the coop
You can control worms in your coop to keep your geese safe from infections and eye-related injuries. This can be achieved by killing roaches and rats, as these are vectors for pests and disease. Spraying the coop with insecticide once every month should help kill the roaches and a cat should be able to keep the entire environment safe from rodents.
If you notice worms in the eye of your geese, you can call a vet or remove the worms yourself with the aid of tweezers. Cresol can also be applied to the eye to get rid of the worm and give the geese relief.
– Quarantine new geese
When expanding your flock, do not just mix the new geese into the flock immediately. Even if you have acquired them from a reputable breeder or apiary. This is because some diseases in poultry are airborne and others are easily spread through contact.
If the new geese have diseases or worms, then the whole flock will be infected in a few days. Quarantine, examine, and vaccinate new geese before introducing them to the healthy flock.
– Keep the coop clean
Hygiene is important as worms and diseases can be spread between the geese through the mixing of their feed with their fecal matter. Wash the feeders regularly and clean the coop as well.
A weekly clean is advised for both the feeders and the coop. This will help keep away parasites and worms. A clean coop will also keep away predators and roaches.
Can Goose Live with One Eye?
An injury to the eye does not mean that a goose will lose its life after. Geese can live for long even with just one eye. They can still walk around and fly, taking advantage of the good eye.
Life will be a little difficult for them, they will be more susceptible to attacks from predators and landing will take a little adjusting but they will still survive. Domesticated geese have a higher chance of survival as they have everything in the same location and simply need to figure out a way to walk around in the coop and the open with their good eye.
Conclusion
Worms and diseases will be accompanied by other symptoms like loose stool, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Injuries may be accompanied by other signs like loss of feathers, bleeding, and noticeable wounds.
These are the two approaches that you can use to narrow down on the reason why your geese are closing their eyes. If none of these symptoms are present, then it is safe to assume that the loss of sight is a result of something in the eye.
Ensure that you maintain a clean, moderately warm coop with adequate food, water, and feeding stations to keep your geese safe from all manner of eye injuries.
