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In This Issue...

	Splinting Legs
	Expanding Our Waterfowl Vet Directory
	Keeping Waterfowl Cool in Summer
	Avoiding Toxic Plants
	Keeping Ponds and Pools Clean
	All About Steinbacher Geese
	Get to Know Your Predators: Black Rat Snake
	Recommended Reading: Venomous Animals & Poisonous Plants
	Reader Poll #19

All About Steinbacher Geese The Steinbacher was probably first introduced from Germany in the 1980s.It originated in former East Germany as a cross-breed of the local geese with the Asiatic Chinese. It may also have been bred from a cross with the Tula - the Russian fighting goose. The Tula itself was bred as a cross between the western greylag types from Europe and the eastern birds developed from the swan goose. Either way, the Steinbacher is a fusion of eastern and western blood, but is a truly unique breed. It is not a big breed. The standard weights are 11-15 lbs. The plumage, in pure specimens, is a beautiful pale lavender blue. The breed also occurs in darker grey, and buff, but lavender is the most popular. Blue and Grey are both accepted colors of Steinbachers in Germany. Unlike most fowl, Blue Steinbachers breed true, producing blue young. The beak is bright orange and has a black bean and black edging along the beak serrations. Ganders weigh 13-15 lbs. (6-6.5 kg) and geese 11-13 lbs. (5-6 kg). The best thing about this breed is the temperament. Although supposedly bred as a fighting goose, Steinbachers are extremely tame and amenable. Brothers brought up together can be kept in the same flock without fighting, and birds which are brought up to be tame stay confident with people for life. Information above obtained from: Feathersite.com Ashton Waterfowl Get to Know Your Predators: Black Rat Snake The Black Rat Snake can grow to the length of eight feet and they can climb trees. Their diet includes eggs, frogs, rodents, squirrels, small rabbits, birds and ducklings. They are constrictors who wrap around their victims and suffocate them before consuming them. Although they are rarely known to cause trouble, keep all native species of snakes (especially those that are venomous) in mind when building your enclosures, especially if you have ducklings or small ducks. If you have climbing snakes in your area, a ceiling to your enclosure will be in order. Digging predator barriers will keep rodents from digging tunnels into your pen, which will also keep snakes from moving into tunnels and finding a way inside. There are laws protecting native snakes, so before you react to any on your property, it would be wise to first check your state’s legislature on the matter. Reader Poll #19 Question: What would you do if your duck or goose broke a leg? Take it to the vet Try to splint it myself Have a friend splint it Post to forums for advice "Wait and see" approach Euthanize the duck/goose Voting Has Closed. Please see next issue for results. Results of Reader Poll #18 What do you think caused the alien face in the IBRRC mallard duck x-ray?   An Alien 40% Corn Kernels 0% Trick of Light & Shadow 40% Internal Organ Deformity 0% Forever a Mystery! 20%   Contact Us Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary 17 Barker Road Lebanon, CT 06249 director@majesticwaterfowl.org Our Newsletter The Majestic Monthly is published 12 times per year. Back issues can be obtained online from our Newsletter Archives.

Splinting Duck and Goose Legs

We receive quite a few disturbing emails that begin: “Can you tell me how to splint my duck’s leg…”

When a duck or goose breaks their leg, qualified veterinary assistance is always in immediate order. Do not try to splint your bird’s leg in lieu of seeking out a qualified vet to do the procedure properly.

We have received emails from folks boasting that they saved the day with a few ordinary popsicle sticks and some gauze tape, but whenever we have asked them to produce a photo of the duck after the splint was removed, communications from their end always came to a screeching halt. Apparently, the final result was not as pretty or perfect as boasters would have liked us to believe.

You can cause serious injury and further discomfort to an animal when trying to remedy a problem without proper equipment, tools and information. Your vet has all of these things on hand, so please leave this to the professionals.

X-rays need to be done, and fractured bones may need to be reset before splints or casts are administered. A qualified waterfowl vet must do this procedure to prevent infection, lameness or even death. Anesthesia and pain relievers will most likely be needed to help alleviate the trauma and pain your stressed feathered friend is experiencing.

Expanding Our Waterfowl Vet Directory

Please take a moment to visit our Waterfowl Vet Finder and check the vet listings for your state. This is a resource available to assist you and your flock.

If you have a waterfowl vet and they are not listed here, please fill out the form to add them to our list. As many of you know, it can be very difficult to find a waterfowl vet in your vicinity. By adding your waterfowl vet to our directory you do a great service to others in your area interested in the quality care of their flock.

We are looking for volunteers for our Waterfowl Vet Finder Directory Expansion Team. If you live in a state other than CT, RI, MA, ME, NH or NY you can volunteer your time and phone line to call on avian vets in your own state (phone lists will be provided to you). Volunteers confirm which avian vets handle waterfowl and get their verbal permission to be added to our website directory. This is a great way to help ducks and geese right in your own state! If you are interested in helping build our directory, please fill out our Online Volunteer Form and check the box to join our Waterfowl Vet Finder Directory Expansion Team.

Keeping Waterfowl Cool in Summer:
The Autumn Olive Tree (Elaeagnus umbellata)

Some folks don’t care for the Autumn Olive tree since it has escaped cultivation and progressively invades natural areas, but Majestic highly recommends this shade tree for your waterfowl.

One of the great things about this tree is you can prune it to your heart’s content in any season with little risk of killing it. In fact, it tends to grow back even stronger after a pruning. We enjoy shaping the fast growing trees that naturally dot our landscape. They are easy to transplant and they make nice shady spots in our waterfowl pens. It is simple to control their height and shape, so you can sculpt them to fit into nearly any size pen or yard.

The Autumn Olive thrives in full sun and it enriches the soil with nitrogen. It flowers in spring and smells amazing. In the fall, the thick bunches of non-toxic berries attract wild birds into your yard.

Avoiding Toxic Plants

We have received many requests for information on toxic plants. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has a very helpful list with photographs to help you ensure that your duck and goose pens are safe from many kinds of toxic flowers, plants, shrubs and trees. Please visit their website to view the List of Toxic Plants.

Some signs that your waterfowl may have ingested something toxic include:

1. Diarrhea
2. Vomiting
3. Drooping neck, wings
4. Weakness
5. Seizures, Tremors, Convulsing, Shivering
6. Irritation around eyes or bill
7. Depression
8. Hyperventilation
9. Loss of appetite

If any of your flock members exhibit any of these traits, please consult your veterinarian immediately.

Keeping Ponds and Pools Clean

It is important to keep kiddy pools and ponds clean, either by filtration or the old fashioned empty & fill routine. Botulism is a deadly threat and it brews easily in warm, stagnant or unclean water. Avoid unnecessary risks; do not throw food into your ponds. Uneaten portions sink to the bottom and may grow the type of bacteria you are trying to avoid in your healthy waterfowl environment.

Recommended Reading*

A Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants
By Steven Foster & Roger Caras

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Description:

This essential guide to safety in the field features 90 venomous animals and more than 250 poisonous plants and fungi. The 340 line drawings make identification fast and simple; 160 species are also illustrated with color photographs.