My Screaming Goose

[cwalden]

Hello to all.

I am trying my hand at something new and got a goose from the feed store. My closest experience at this is I have a few chickens too. Well "Dolly" the goose was just a friendly as can be when I got her home but for some reason lately she is scared to death of me. She screams bloody murder when I get next to her and she puts her head through the wire fence surrounding her pen. I am afraid she'll hurt herself. Is this normal and/or am I doing something wrong here?

She has a pen about 15x10' with a large dog house that she stays in at night. I also have a small pool in the pen for her to get in. Seemed like I got her what she needed. I kind of dig goose and glad that I got her but also want to be sure I am doing right for her. I have been reading here and looking at pictures of housing too. She’s growing like a weed too.

Well whatever advice you can offer would be cool. Thanks

 

[larkflying]

I wonder if she imprinted on some of the chickens, and now sees you as a stranger. My goslings act like that when they are scared. If she is still a gosling, she should come around if you spend lots of time out there, just near her area, so she has time to get over her fears.

Geese also do MUCH better with company -- chickens are not really good long term company. They don't have the same feelings about water for one thing. She will be much happier with another gosling/goose for company - but if you can't find one, even a duckling would be better. This time of year I can still find goslings on craigslist, but in another couple weeks they'll be hard to find.

How old is she now? She sounds like she is mostly grown up if she is outside with a pool -- my older daughter is trying to make friends with the goslings that my adult geese raised. She puts food out near her and just sits there quietly and they gradually are getting comfortable with her and coming closer. It might take a bit longer for your goose since she has no flock to feel secure with but I bet she'll come around!

 

[cwalden]

Thank you so much for the reply. Great info! I'm going to take your advice for sure.

I am not sure how old she is but I got her April 2013. She was small then. She is losing her soft feathers and she clearly does not look like that anymore. She's getting big. I'll get a new pic of her.

I just got through reading about the "imprint" on a goose to human. Never heard of that. More great info. Here is the link: http://www.thegoosesmother.com/id6.html I'm not sure I have made this contact.

I'll spend more time with her. I am outside often and always go to converse with her. I also think she hates to be put in that kennel at night. I am supposed to put her up at night right? I want her to be safe. I really appreciate your advice. I did find someonoe near me who has geese and ducks for sale.

Thanks again.

Charles

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you so much for the reply. Great info! I'm going to take your advice for sure.

I am not sure how old she is but I got her April 2013. She was small then. She is losing her soft feathers and she clearly does not look like that anymore. She's getting big. I'll get a new pic of her.

I just got through reading about the "imprint" on a goose to human. Never heard of that. More great info. Here is the link: http://www.thegoosesmother.com/id6.html I'm not sure I have made this contact.

I'll spend more time with her. I am outside often and always go to converse with her. I also think she hates to be put in that kennel at night. I am supposed to put her up at night right? I want her to be safe. I really appreciate your advice. I did find someonoe near me who has geese and ducks for sale.

Thanks again.

Charles

She should def be put up at night for her safety. Hope you can find her a friend.

 

[homeworkin]

I have three goslings, about 7 weeks old. One Toulouse and 2 Africans. They hate me.

Every time I open the door to their pen (three times a day for fresh water, etc.) they get hysterical and try to beat their way through the wire mesh. I have treated them exactly the same as the chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Most of the chickens like me, the ducks love me, and the turkeys want to follow me everywhere.

I have also had major problems when they are around any other birds. The guy at the farm store said the turkeys and geese could be raised together. Within 4 days they geese had turned on the turkey and plucked his back bald. So, I separated him out and got more turkeys so he would not be lonely. Once they were a bit bigger, I tried to reintroduce them. The geese immediately got so aggressive (trying to bite the turkeys neck, pinning him to the ground by his neck, etc.) that I had to separate them again. They also hate the ducklings and started beating them up too when I tried to house them together.

I sure hope goose meat is worth the trouble. They are beautiful and do a great job eating down weeds in their Little Goose Coop (our goose tractor). Great feed conversion since their fave food is rye grass. But they are a pain in the behind.

 

[larkflying]

Wow! That is so strange that they are like that. I know of people that have Toulouse and other birds -- as a child we had a female Toulouse and several Embedens with our ducks/chickens/turkeys and they all were fine together. The goslings do go through a nervous phase where they are more jumpy than usual - but yours sound like they are taking it to extremes!

I have 8 goslings in the barn right now, and they huddle in the corner when we come in to check on them, but they get over it and start moving around and visiting us -- my daughter loves it when they climb all over her. My older goslings are out in the field with their parents, and while they have fun playing move out of my way with the ducks, they surely don't try to attack them. Maybe their parents taught them it wasn't necessary.

I'm so sorry that your geese are so difficult. I enjoy my geese a great deal - but I'd have similar feelings about them if they acted like that! Sounds like you are doing the best you can with them. Maybe you can find a local pair of proven friendly geese somewhere later in the summer . . .

 

[cwalden]

I wanted to update this thread. Dolly still fusses when I go in the pen. I have learned to walk around the other side from where she is and she seems to not go as crazy. I took some advice and have a 5 gallon bucket that I just go sit on. She doesn't ever come right up to me but she will get pretty close and then just make noises. I am trying to get her used to me. She will swim in the pool while I’m in there. I call this progress.

She still hates to be put her up at night. I think clearly that is a major part of her fussing with me. Maybe she thinks I'm going to lock her up each time.

No matter what I love the goose. She is beautiful. She has this thing where when I leave the pen she stretches and raises one leg. Kind of like she posing. Pretty cool.

The chicken coup is right next to hers and when I go in there she throws a fit. Craziest thing. Glad I got her.

I hope no one ever videos me sitting on that bucket talking to the goose. Lol. Well there’s my update.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wanted to update this thread. Dolly still fusses when I go in the pen. I have learned to walk around the other side from where she is and she seems to not go as crazy. I took some advice and have a 5 gallon bucket that I just go sit on. She doesn't ever come right up to me but she will get pretty close and then just make noises. I am trying to get her used to me. She will swim in the pool while I’m in there. I call this progress.

She still hates to be put her up at night. I think clearly that is a major part of her fussing with me. Maybe she thinks I'm going to lock her up each time.

No matter what I love the goose. She is beautiful. She has this thing where when I leave the pen she stretches and raises one leg. Kind of like she posing. Pretty cool.

The chicken coup is right next to hers and when I go in there she throws a fit. Craziest thing. Glad I got her.

I hope no one ever videos me sitting on that bucket talking to the goose. Lol. Well there’s my update.

Progress is progress no matter how small, my goose was 4 months old when I got her and had been on pasture since hatched so no much human contact at all, she is now over a year old and still wary of me, although she will come close if I have treats, I see any progress as a sign they are starting to trust. and that makes me feel good.

 

[cwalden]

Miss Lydia,

I wanted to say that your advice and comments have been right on the money. Dolly still doesn't like me to go up to her but lately she has become more trusting. It started at the gate/fence by her coming closer to me each day. Now she comes to me IN the pen. Wow is that a change of pace. She tends to peck at me slighly but not threatening I think. It seems like she is checking me out and I let her do it. If I raise my hand tooo fast she moves away.

One she has started doing is crying/whining I think. Man I hated writing thsi because I thought people would laugh but she started about a week ago making this sound. She does it quite a bit. It is a marketebly different sound and I can't explain it in words except to say she crying/whining. Have you ever heard this? It is definitely not the honk.

I happen to think she is the coolest pet. I didn't get her a freind yet. I'll be building her a larger pen too. I think she is grwoing too big for the dog house she is in. Well thats by story and I'm sticking to it. LoL.

Ya'll take care.

P.S. When do they start laying eggs?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia,

I wanted to say that your advice and comments have been right on the money. Dolly still doesn't like me to go up to her but lately she has become more trusting. It started at the gate/fence by her coming closer to me each day. Now she comes to me IN the pen. Wow is that a change of pace. She tends to peck at me slighly but not threatening I think. It seems like she is checking me out and I let her do it. If I raise my hand tooo fast she moves away.

One she has started doing is crying/whining I think. Man I hated writing thsi because I thought people would laugh but she started about a week ago making this sound. She does it quite a bit. It is a marketebly different sound and I can't explain it in words except to say she crying/whining. Have you ever heard this? It is definitely not the honk.

I happen to think she is the coolest pet. I didn't get her a freind yet. I'll be building her a larger pen too. I think she is grwoing too big for the dog house she is in. Well thats by story and I'm sticking to it. LoL.

Ya'll take care.

P.S. When do they start laying eggs?

Miss Lydia,

I wanted to say that your advice and comments have been right on the money. Dolly still doesn't like me to go up to her but lately she has become more trusting. It started at the gate/fence by her coming closer to me each day. Now she comes to me IN the pen. Wow is that a change of pace. She tends to peck at me slighly but not threatening I think. It seems like she is checking me out and I let her do it. If I raise my hand tooo fast she moves away.

One she has started doing is crying/whining I think. Man I hated writing thsi because I thought people would laugh but she started about a week ago making this sound. She does it quite a bit. It is a marketebly different sound and I can't explain it in words except to say she crying/whining. Have you ever heard this? It is definitely not the honk.

I happen to think she is the coolest pet. I didn't get her a freind yet. I'll be building her a larger pen too. I think she is grwoing too big for the dog house she is in. Well thats by story and I'm sticking to it. LoL.

Ya'll take care.

P.S. When do they start laying eggs?

You'll see eggs next late winter early spring. and so happy to hear of the progress with Dolly, I haven't heard the whining your talking about but maybe she is lonely and wants your company and this is her way of calling to you. Pics when you can. Since Missy is Finally through with laying and sitting I can talk to her and she makes a soft moaning noise like she is talking to me, it's so cute.