A lonely goose question (injured Canada Goose)

[Brahma Chicken5000]

That is so great that everything worked out for you to get Ducky to her new home. You did a great thing for her and I’m sure she is so grateful to you. Hope you get updates on her progress.

 

[Morrigan]

Thank you so much for the update. Ducky was very fortunate to have you in your corner. It sounds like you found her a wonderful place to begin her new life. Well done!

 

[TabbyCats]

Thanks! When you spend 4 years looking out for some"one", you can't help but get attached and feel responsible. I knew I couldn't keep up the goose patrol every spring (I'm not getting any younger! And, what would happen if we move, etc., the new homeowners might not take kindly to a goose who comes to the house for corn). When I learned just how long geese can live, I knew this loneliness of hers was no way to spend it.

Anyway, I miss her like crazy! The pond is so quiet and lonely for me now, but it would've just kept on being even lonelier for Ducky.

When I get an update from Possumwood that she's out in the big pond with the other Canada Geese, I'll be sure to share it.

I sure appreciate your help and encouragement!

 

[Vicktoria Giuergia]

I joined because I have goose questions. Canada Goose, specifically. I live in NC on a small subdivision pond. About 5 years ago this coming summer, a broken-winged Canada Goose arrived here and made the pond its home. I checked with a wildlife rehabber, but they said that if the broken wing was more than 24 hrs old, they couldn’t do anything to help it and that if they came to get it, it’d just be put down, and so it has remained here. It’s been nicknamed “Ducky” (Duck Duck Goose). We have no real idea as to its gender, but watching prospective mates its first couple of springs, it seemed the suitor goose stood guard more, so maybe that made Ducky the female?

We befriended it and fed it supplemental corn whenever there weren’t other geese around (didn’t want them staying!). This time last year, a goose pair arrived with the intent on making this pond their home for a nest and promptly made Ducky’s life miserable. I tried and tried to chase them off, but it didn’t work. They forced Ducky away. I was broken-hearted for her and worried. I finally saw her at the closet pond and then not again for awhile. She did try to come back after the appropriate amount of nesting time, but wouldn’t you know it—the nesting pair laid duds, and they were trying a second nest, and poor Ducky had to leave again, the same evening she’d arrived. Thankfully, I was in the backyard when she arrived, and I was able to feed her and offer water to her (since the gander wouldn’t let her in the pond) and kept watch over her while she rested. I had to come in at dark, and I’ve no idea when she left, but I didn’t see her again until months later at a pond over a mile away. Oh, and the second nesting was also a dud. Thank goodness….hopefully that left a bad taste in their mouths, and they won’t be back?

She was away from last spring (she was forced out last March, returned for one day at the end of May, then left) until last month. She showed back up one snowy January morning, and I was running through the house, “Ducky’s home, Ducky’s home!” She’s been very skittish of us, even though she recognizes us and accepts corn and our company. I’ve been chasing any pairs of geese I see, hoping to thwart any from thinking this is a nice place to live. I use a slingshot (I can’t / don’t want to hit hard, just sting) and a green laser to chase.

But, poor Ducky. The honking is so forlorn of an evening. She wants to fly away, I can tell. This is no life. If I couldn’t find a mate or a flock to be part of, to fly, to constantly be scared because of the disability, I wouldn’t want to live another 20 years…..

So, thanks for reading this far….. what can I do for Ducky? Should I try and find her a farm pond to go to that has domestic geese? Should I try and find her a companion and bring here (though I don’t know what the subdivision would think, although only one other house backs up to the pond)? Would it matter if it’s a domestic goose (would need to stay here, obviously)? What if it ended up being the same sex? If it were a domestic goose, it’d have to live like Ducky—in the “wild” (it’s a country subdivision with 1+ acre home lots). The pond is nice with ⅓ lined by trees / brush and a couple of acres of field on one side, our house on the other with a nice backyard. Other wildlife passes through, and I often hear Ducky honking a warning at night.

Anyway, I’m just really attached to this goose and want the best for it. I’d love to help it more if I can…… Any thoughts? Thanks so much!
Tab

 

[Helping animals]

I joined because I have goose questions. Canada Goose, specifically. I live in NC on a small subdivision pond. About 5 years ago this coming summer, a broken-winged Canada Goose arrived here and made the pond its home. I checked with a wildlife rehabber, but they said that if the broken wing was more than 24 hrs old, they couldn’t do anything to help it and that if they came to get it, it’d just be put down, and so it has remained here. It’s been nicknamed “Ducky” (Duck Duck Goose). We have no real idea as to its gender, but watching prospective mates its first couple of springs, it seemed the suitor goose stood guard more, so maybe that made Ducky the female?

We befriended it and fed it supplemental corn whenever there weren’t other geese around (didn’t want them staying!). This time last year, a goose pair arrived with the intent on making this pond their home for a nest and promptly made Ducky’s life miserable. I tried and tried to chase them off, but it didn’t work. They forced Ducky away. I was broken-hearted for her and worried. I finally saw her at the closet pond and then not again for awhile. She did try to come back after the appropriate amount of nesting time, but wouldn’t you know it—the nesting pair laid duds, and they were trying a second nest, and poor Ducky had to leave again, the same evening she’d arrived. Thankfully, I was in the backyard when she arrived, and I was able to feed her and offer water to her (since the gander wouldn’t let her in the pond) and kept watch over her while she rested. I had to come in at dark, and I’ve no idea when she left, but I didn’t see her again until months later at a pond over a mile away. Oh, and the second nesting was also a dud. Thank goodness….hopefully that left a bad taste in their mouths, and they won’t be back?

She was away from last spring (she was forced out last March, returned for one day at the end of May, then left) until last month. She showed back up one snowy January morning, and I was running through the house, “Ducky’s home, Ducky’s home!” She’s been very skittish of us, even though she recognizes us and accepts corn and our company. I’ve been chasing any pairs of geese I see, hoping to thwart any from thinking this is a nice place to live. I use a slingshot (I can’t / don’t want to hit hard, just sting) and a green laser to chase.

But, poor Ducky. The honking is so forlorn of an evening. She wants to fly away, I can tell. This is no life. If I couldn’t find a mate or a flock to be part of, to fly, to constantly be scared because of the disability, I wouldn’t want to live another 20 years…..

So, thanks for reading this far….. what can I do for Ducky? Should I try and find her a farm pond to go to that has domestic geese? Should I try and find her a companion and bring here (though I don’t know what the subdivision would think, although only one other house backs up to the pond)? Would it matter if it’s a domestic goose (would need to stay here, obviously)? What if it ended up being the same sex? If it were a domestic goose, it’d have to live like Ducky—in the “wild” (it’s a country subdivision with 1+ acre home lots). The pond is nice with ⅓ lined by trees / brush and a couple of acres of field on one side, our house on the other with a nice backyard. Other wildlife passes through, and I often hear Ducky honking a warning at night.

Anyway, I’m just really attached to this goose and want the best for it. I’d love to help it more if I can…… Any thoughts? Thanks so much!
Tab

You are a wonderful person to have done so much for Ducky. I too am in the same boat as my goose which we've Named Bella La "Goosy" seems to have an injured wing. We noticed this in July and now here we are late September 2024 and she still can't fly. You can see it when she spreads out her wings, the right one only opens part way. Plus, when other geese are on our small lake and fly off, Bella will just swim away. At night, she sleeps on a large rock surrounded by water, 50 feet from shore, so it's a pretty safe location I think. Our winter's here in Ontario are very harsh & so very cold, and although we feed her corn as well and apple pieces, she has improved as she was quite small when we noticed her injury. Now she is plump and happy, but I fear she will be alone if she even survives the winter. We will keep an eye out if this were to be the case and give her food and water accordingly. I too am so attached to her and she eats right out of our hand and allows us to gently pet her. So as my husband say's...let nature take its course and knowing that we have done our very best to keep her fed and healthy, the rest is up to her and the Universe. I still find it heartbreaking when I hear her honking at night for company and you can just feel how lonely she is. Thank God for kind & caring people like you and knowing that Ducky has survived because of you is just wonderful and meant to be. I also have to be aware that I've done the very best that I can do for Bella and hope that if she gets hungry or thirsty, she knows where to find us. Hope this helps.