When to incorporate goslings into a small flock?

[amsunshine]

Hello, I'm new to geese, and am hoping for your help.

I have two (I think) brown Chinese goslings (pictured). I got them at an auction. These are my first baby geese. We also have 3 adult geese (1 Chinese brown gander and a mated pair of Toulouse) that I got earlier this year. The Toulouse goose has been making a nest for herself in the barn, where they sleep at night, and at first she sat on the eggs for a couple weeks. In the last couple weeks, she's not sitting on the eggs like she used to, but still actively defends the nest (she'll walk over and hiss at me if I get to close). I think the goslings were 2 weeks old when I got them, and by my calculations, they should be 5 weeks old at the end of this week. They are just starting to get their wing and tail feathers, as well as some on their chests.

The Toulouse gander is very protective of his mate and of her nest. I don't want the goslings to be attacked by the gander or by the other two.

What's a good age at which to introduce the goslings to the adults? We keep the goslings in a whole other building. Thanks in advance!

P.S. - that's the goslings in our cattle corral after a big rain earlier this week!

 

[livininbrazil]

Hello, I'm new to geese, and am hoping for your help.

I have two (I think) brown Chinese goslings (pictured). I got them at an auction. These are my first baby geese. We also have 3 adult geese (1 Chinese brown gander and a mated pair of Toulouse) that I got earlier this year. The Toulouse goose has been making a nest for herself in the barn, where they sleep at night, and at first she sat on the eggs for a couple weeks. In the last couple weeks, she's not sitting on the eggs like she used to, but still actively defends the nest (she'll walk over and hiss at me if I get to close). I think the goslings were 2 weeks old when I got them, and by my calculations, they should be 5 weeks old at the end of this week. They are just starting to get their wing and tail feathers, as well as some on their chests.

The Toulouse gander is very protective of his mate and of her nest. I don't want the goslings to be attacked by the gander or by the other two.

What's a good age at which to introduce the goslings to the adults? We keep the goslings in a whole other building. Thanks in advance!

P.S. - that's the goslings in our cattle corral after a big rain earlier this week!

They´re sweet. You could fix up a bit of weldmesh fencing just to separate the goslings from the adults for a while, so they get used to each other, or maybe you don´t even need to do this, depends on your geese. There´s a chance that the chinese gander will adopt them, or the pair. Geese just love babies. The seemingly confused goose could make a good mum for them, or could be too focused on her nest....either way, it´s not difficult. Just put a little pen in with the adults and put the babies in it and see what happens.

 

[amsunshine]

Thank you so much! I'll follow your advice and post in a week or two to let you know how it all settled out.