- Feb 20, 2011
- 30
- 1
- 32
About a month ago my pilgrim gander nearly killed my cayuga drake. He put a silver dollar sized hole in his back. The drake, gander, goose and 5 other cayuga ducks all arrived together from the hatchery and have been raised together. They shared a 12 x 12 horse stall at night and had access to over an acre pasture during the day. We pulled out the drake and let him heal until we could come up with a plan. A few days ago, my husband fenced off a small separate area with a solid gate and wall for the geese pair to have a new home. We thought perhaps the issue was sharing the same living space. The ducks and drake would have their own entryway onto the same pasture. Within an hour the gander had squeezed (and I mean squeezed) into the duck area through a tiny door and attacked the drake. I was right there and broke it up. I closed up the duck door until we could again make some decisions.
About an hour ago; despite checking all day (I had checked moments before) I looked out to see the gander on top of the drake. Somehow the drake and three ducks had squeezed through a 4" gap at the base of the barrier wall into the main pasture. The gander was covered in blood and the drake a bloody wreck, but he was still walking. I had to kick the gander off him as he would not separate.
Right now the ducks and drake are all safely in their stall. I don't know if the drake will make it this time or not.
Does anyone know of this happening, ever? Is there something I could have done differently? Should I have raised them separately? I know the gander couldn't give a fig about the guinea fowl, roosters or hens wandering into his pasture during the day, eating his food and even hanging out in his stall. He pays no attention to anyone else.
Obviously my only option is to either get rid of the geese or the ducks or house the geese outside the pasture in their own enclosure (which we would have to build). I was going to get a few khaki campbells for duck eggs this year but I am afraid to introduce anyone new around this gander. He is not aggressive to us, I actually had to pick him up the other day to move him to the new area. The ducks have to stay, we are gluten free by necessity and their eggs make all the difference in how my baked goods rise.
Help????
About an hour ago; despite checking all day (I had checked moments before) I looked out to see the gander on top of the drake. Somehow the drake and three ducks had squeezed through a 4" gap at the base of the barrier wall into the main pasture. The gander was covered in blood and the drake a bloody wreck, but he was still walking. I had to kick the gander off him as he would not separate.
Right now the ducks and drake are all safely in their stall. I don't know if the drake will make it this time or not.
Does anyone know of this happening, ever? Is there something I could have done differently? Should I have raised them separately? I know the gander couldn't give a fig about the guinea fowl, roosters or hens wandering into his pasture during the day, eating his food and even hanging out in his stall. He pays no attention to anyone else.
Obviously my only option is to either get rid of the geese or the ducks or house the geese outside the pasture in their own enclosure (which we would have to build). I was going to get a few khaki campbells for duck eggs this year but I am afraid to introduce anyone new around this gander. He is not aggressive to us, I actually had to pick him up the other day to move him to the new area. The ducks have to stay, we are gluten free by necessity and their eggs make all the difference in how my baked goods rise.
Help????
I'm going to sleep on it tonight and make a decision as to what to do tomorrow.
