Goslings....

[mandamay28]

Has anyone had good results with goslings bonding to a human after being hatched and raised by mama goose for a few weeks? I have 2 female Pilgrims that are scared to death of us! They scream when we touch them. they had almost no human contact for the first 3 weeks of their lives and now I have them but I'm afraid they will not work out for us.

 

[Pyxis]

Try not to force yourself on them. Picture it from their perspective: they were just ripped away from their mother and now one of the big scary things that took them and has forward facing eyes, which means it's a predator, comes after them in their brooder all the time and grabs at them and tries to catch them and touch them and they're certain it's trying to eat them.

So, if they don't like to be touched, don't touch them.

Sit quietly near their brooder so they can see you're not a threat. Read a book, etc, and just hang out there silently, not grabbing at them, not talking to them, etc.

Find a treat they like. Maybe something like romaine lettuce or collard greens. Put pieces in their water so they eat it and learn it's delicious. Then, when they are calm about you being near the brooder and have learned that the treat you're giving them is delicious, start tossing pieces in when you walk by them. Then they will associate you walking by with good things.

Finally, when they are calm and look forward to you walking by the brooder, offer them some directly from your hands.

They will probably never want you to touch them. Most geese don't want you to when they reach adulthood, anyway, so that's not really a big loss. Even my human imprinted adult female will only let me pet her chest, and that's only when I 'trade' with her by letting her chew on my hair while I'm doing it.

 

[Serb]

Has anyone had good results with goslings bonding to a human after being hatched and raised by mama goose for a few weeks? I have 2 female Pilgrims that are scared to death of us! They scream when we touch them. they had almost no human contact for the first 3 weeks of their lives and now I have them but I'm afraid they will not work out for us.

Goslings that have been with the mother for atleast 2 weeks will not bond with humans unless the mother is tame and you could go near the goslings. If the mother doesn't like people the goslings will not either.

Had the same thing multiple times even with goslings a one week old!

They will get use to you but won't have a bond.