Is it normal?

[justin shrew]

Have anyone ever had a goose that follows chickens?
Molly, the gander was raised by a chicken and has spent almost two years of his time with chickens. So this year we thought we could find him a partner to forages with and raise a family. In late may, we bought an adult goose who's almost 6 years. So as time goes they managed to get along and has paired up. They are graylag geese. And breeding season of graylag geese in here normally begins from July to November. I have seen the female digging holes and lining them with grass. Yes, she's known breeding time is at its nearest.

But now the odds of backyard came by. The gander is now hanging with one of the mother hen. He follows her where ever she goes. And the female never stop digging nest holes.
This was taken from this early morning.


So we locked them up. He wasn't happy out there. Pacing back and forth, wanting to come out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My gander was hatched by a muscovy duck, they were a pair for 5 yrs then I brought home a female goose and he wanted nothing to do with her. After a few months of chasing her off everytime she tried to get close I finally separated him and her to their own section of the yard and covered the fence so he couldn’t see his Muscovy. This was in Sept or Oct. they began to hang out more and finally come breeding season in Jan the deal was sealed and they have be an item for 8 yrs.

 

[justin shrew]

Wow, these are real odds. Yes we separated them this early afternoon. But the problem is, the female is older than him and owns the whole yard. She sometimes chases him with aggression. Prettily, it seems like we'd be having unfertilized eggs, since the breeding is close by. So is locking them up a good idea or is it just the play of time? So we can let them out and deal with the infertile eggs...

 

[Miss Lydia]

She’s already laying? And they aren’t mating? Well to separate them you’d have to have a large enough area so he could stay away from her if she’s ornery. But I think once breeding season starts she’s going to be after him for mating. How old is your gander? When my goose and gander began mating he was 5 yrs old and she was 9 months believe me she let him know she was ready for mating.

 

[Goosebaby]

Do they have access to water they can swim in? A child’s baby pool is enough. Being in water puts most geese in the breeding mood.

 

[justin shrew]

She not yet laying, and i have never seen them mating, but only her chasing him off. Shes showing signs that she's about to start laying.

5 years? You must be joking. He's about to reach, not yet, two years.

 

[justin shrew]

They do have a small pond outside the coop about 5m wide. And inside its just the water basins.