You may have to separate them. Ganders are pretty mean at times! This is breeding season and they know the hen will mate if there is no babies. May be the issue with them. I have seen this in my white Chinese. Its usually the ganders, and some were even aggressive to me. Day old goslings attacking your hands! Grumpy was a real stinker, I would grab him up and hold him the second he would bite. He grew out of it, but now that he is almost grown he is at it again! I bump the chest, firm but not to harm them. If a gander goes to attack mode flogging with their wings, I embarrass them! I will pin the bird upside down and not let them up till they stop struggling.
So even baby goslings are affected by breeding season instinct? Wow. The babies are separated from the older goslings, I will take introductions slow. With the mild rain and cold we had over the past few days I haven't let the little ones outside. In June I will be down sizing my flock of chicks and geese as some are going to my sisters as a B-day present for her husband. Hopefully by that time I can tell who is male and female in the goslings. I also have an aggressive gosling. He is always biting the others and plucking them! He is definately going to her house. If he is that mean now I can't imagine how mean he will get when full grown. With children I can't afford an overly aggressive gander, but he will go with a friend. I have 3 other suspected male goslings that are much nicer, 1 even climbs in my lap for snuggle time! With the 2 female Africans and 1 suspected female white Chinese I should have mates for 3 males. 1 of my goslings is a tufted roman, i am hoping to trade him for a amature vet sexed female white chinese. Unfortunately I have an odd number of goslings, so I will have a trio even though I wanted pairs. But if I am wrong on gender can 2 male ganders get along with no female? As much as I love my sister and her husband, she won't get a female until my ganders have mates. I can always give her 2 female next year if I have a successful hatch.
They look lovely, and they´ll be fine outside now, whatever the weather (within reason!) as they´re preening themselves, using their oil gland...(tiny goslings need the oil that they get from their mums´bodies for protection, so when you´re raising them without mum you have to be very careful as they can easily get chilled, but at this age they´re fine.)
As for feeding, there are a few things to avoid, but you know, generally they know what to avoid...they´ll tend to leave it. In our chácara there are avocado trees, and the fruits fall and the geese totally ignore them. the dogs, on the other hand, can´t get enough of it! But the geese eat the grass like crazy, it´s their natural diet, their main staple, and lettuce (romaine is good because it has a good amount of vitB3 which geese do need, as you know), corn, and other fruits go down like treats! That´s how I move mine around...just wave a bit of something and they come running to wherever I want them! Mine also like white cabbage.
somewhere on here someone put that you have to be careful of certain lawn grasses, especially one beginning with "k".
At what age does their oil gland start working? Asking so I can introduce the African girls to water and grazing when they are water resistant. As for my lawn, most of it is weeds, lots of crab grass and stuff in the front. The back is the only spot that has nice grass, that is where I take my goslings to graze for now as I don't want them scared by the cars or dogs walking by on the street. I have no idea what kind of grass is in the back, maybe Bermuda or carpet grass? This is why I wanted to grow edible plants for my goslings. In Texas summer much of my grass will wilt in the heat and I wanted to supplement them from my garden. I am adding romaine lettuce and just hope I can keep up as I have spinach and kale growing where I should have put the lettuce! Guess I have to find another spot to open up for a lettuce patch. I do have oat grass, I planted some sprouts next to the chicken/goose coop, is that ok for them?