Chicken mutilated by goose

[CrazyChicken Lady]

Note-Please no mentions that I have a lone goose. I am well aware thank you

Hey everyone. Today I have a upsetting question. Last night my toulouse(lives with 9 ducks and two chickens,) brutally killed a juvenile rooster living with her\him( gooses gender unknown) she is about 4-5 months old. She has been fine with him until he started mating the ducks a few days ago. I wanted to move him but haven't yet. Then last night she decided to brutally mutilate and kill him. his back is naked and his face is deformed, part of his beak is missing too. he passed away a hour ago. Why? Does this mean she is a he? Will she turn on my precious ducks and murder them? I love her since I raised her from 2 weeks old. I really don't want to get rid of her. Was she just protecting the ducks? Thank you everyone.

 

[Goosebaby]

Did you witness the goose doing this?

Geese can and will get violent towards rivals or what they deem as a threat towards their mate/babies, but mutilating isn’t something a goose will generally do.
The only time I’ve seen them do something like that is if two ganders are fighting with each other while there is a linked fence between them, they can’t really fight normally so they’ll just stand on either side sort of mauling each other, and it can be really bloody. It’s a good reason not to separate ganders with chain linked fences.

However usually if they aren’t separated they’ll fight by grabbing hold of their target and smacking with their wings until their target gives up and leaves. If they’re in a confined space however and the victim can’t get away and the attacking gander has breeding hormones driving him the attack could go on until the victim dies.
I have seen geese rip feathers out of other birds, and if confined it’s very possibly that your goose did kill your cockerel, but chewing his face up to the point that part of his beak is missing is on another level, it would be very unusual.

Is it possible that a predator like a skunk or raccoon could have gotten into your coop?

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

I know she did it. This morning she walked out of the coop covered in blood and 9 other ducks perfectly clean and fine. No way a raccoon was in there. I was just shocked by the brutality. She use to be so sweet and loving. She adores her ducks, and will protect them furiously. Would that make her a gander thinking she was fighting another "gander"? I was upset she become so vicious as to do that.

 

[Goosebaby]

I know she did it. This morning she walked out of the coop covered in blood and 9 other ducks perfectly clean and fine. No way a raccoon was in there. I was just shocked by the brutality. She use to be so sweet and loving. She adores her ducks, and will protect them furiously. Would that make her a gander thinking she was fighting another "gander"? I was upset she become so vicious as to do that.

If it was her it’s probably breeding horomones, females can be aggressive but there’s a stronger likelihood she might actually be a male.

During breeding season geese, especially males, are quicker to anger and more prone to violence. They start seeing other individuals, wether they be birds, people, or other animals as potential mates and rivals regardless of species. If he decides someone is a mate, he must protect them, if he decides someone is a rival, he must banish them, and if he can’t get them to leave his sight he could kill them.
If he did do this what likely occurred is that the poor rooster triggered him in some way, trivial or not, he attacked the roo, and because they were in a confined space and the rooster couldn’t get away, the attack didn’t stop.

It’s heartbreaking but truthfully the gander isn’t really at fault, breeding horomones make geese peabrained, irrational, and violent to varying degrees. It isn’t something that can be avoided unfortunatly. Most of my boys get along fine the rest of the year but once winter arrives I have to separate them because they just have no control over themselves. By the time breeding season is over things go back to normal.
Even females aren’t necessarily safe with each other if they aren’t bonded very well, I’ve seen nasty fights between girls over nests, and I’ve actually seen some vicious fights between females and ganders because they don’t necessarily always get along either. Breeding season is rough.

I’m sorry for your Rooster.

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

One more question-are my ducks safe tonight? She(well I guess probably him) is super protective of them, and seems to love them. Even if it's irrational I still worry she'll hurt one of my precious ducks overnight. I worry a lot about my poultry

 

[AGeese]

The problem with geese and smaller fowl is the size difference. If they're bonded with the ducks, it might be an issue later if it's a male.

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

Okay.. thank you. I do worry. I have calls and I asked people but everyone said it’d be fine if I had lots of space. Which I do.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

My gander hates roosters hed kill one if given the chance

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

Does he hate drakes? I have a little call drake that I suddenly started worrying about. Tater( the goose) has been living with the drake for a long time but if he’s entering his first breeding season and has too many hormones he could kill the drake with a stomp of his massive feet.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had a female take the comb off a hen. She was also a lone egg laying goose. She was jealous because the hens were having chicks. Has anyone had a goose hatch and raise baby chicks?