acquired goose

[ChickenChaps]

About 2 weeks ago, I let my dogs out in the back pasture as I usually do, to go check the fences. The dogs chase the birds out of the wetlands on the back corner. Birds fly away, except one, who is Honking, standing up to the dogs! I called the dogs off once I realized it was a GOOSE!!! lol How in the world did a goose get in my yard? Its fenced with regular field fence.
Well, here we are 2 weeks later and the goose hasnt left. He paced the fence for a while, trying to figure out how to get out. Now he is content to just stay I guess. He wont let me close enough to him to catch and toss over the fence.

From doing a little research, I think he is a gander, and is a Chinese. ?? right? And from what I read, they dont fly very well, so how did he get in? Think someone dumped him? Or did he fly in and cant figure out how to fly out?

I have lots of chickens, quail, goats, horses, dogs, cats, lol - but never had a goose. He stays out in the wetland area, doesnt wander up to the coop or barn. I put some food out and not sure if he ate it or the sandhill cranes and egrets ate it. Do I need to give him food? What do I need to provide for him? Any advice?

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

looks like a chinese gander. He can probably fly short distances, like 10 feet... so could get over a fence easy. Is he aggressive? You might try rehoming him if you don't want a goose, or find some good nutritious balanced waterfowl food and make him a pet.

 

[kuntrygirl]

He is a beauty. I have a female just like him. Mine can fly a few feet off of the ground about 25 feet but that's it and some get tired and stop halfway.

He may have flown across the fence.

Don't let him co-mingle with the rest of your flock. You don't want him to pass on any diseases to the rest of your animals.

Can you put an ad out to see if someone "lost" him?

What is the world is that in the back near the fence?

 

[ChickenChaps]

I have thought of putting up a sign, Found Goose. I should do that. I did that when I found a bearded dragon too, just wandered into the yard!. LOL Guess I am an animal magnet.
Thanks for the advise. Ill get some food for him. I just didnt understand that if he flew in, he could and would fly out, but hasnt.
Goose cant intermingle with chickens? So far they havent. The chickens dont go out back that far, and he doesnt come up. If he can pass problems to the chickens then Ill have to rehome him.

Them are Sandhill Cranes in the background. They are protected species. Noisy stupid birds!!!

Thanks!

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

It is a longshot, but I would post the signs. Once a pair of obviously domestic flightless ducks showed up at our pond. After posting an add on Craigslist, I received and email from someone whose ducks had disappeared. They included a picture of their ducks for identification, since I lived quite a ways from them and was having problems getting close enough for a good photo. Sure enough, same ducks. Our best guess was that one of their unsatisfied neighbors had duck-napped them and relocated them to the "wild." SOME PEOPLE! Maybe your loud gander got goose-napped, but then again maybe the owners dumped him.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

He could have wandered the road and some scarred him and he made it over the fence. Now he just doesn't remember how to make it back out. Check your neighborhood for someone who has geese and is missing one. Perhaps that is were he came from. I would be cautious with signs, because someone may see a free food offer here. I would not worry about the goose getting close to your birds. Waterfowl is less prone to diseases, so your contamination chances are not high. Geese are wonderful guard dogs and will protect the flock once they have adopted it. I say make good friend with him and adopt him. It will take time, because geese are not the kind of bird that trust everyone. They also have a very good memory and don't forget bad experiences.

 

[ChickenChaps]

Great advice thank you!

I will walk the road nearby and see if I find any homes with geese. There is only one road near, and its not that close...
I thought the same thing maybe, the owners had too many males and dumped one? or he was too aggressive or loud so dumped him? (he IS loud! lol) or maybe he did get lost. Maybe I should ask him - oh, I have, he wouldnt tell me.

Good to know he wont harm my chickens then.

So, waterfowl food (duck food?), free choice? or some amount daily? Will that make him my friend? He wont let me close, he walks away honking.

Thanks for your helps

 

[thekid]

Quote:
BEARDED DRAGON!!!!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Very few diseases can be transmitted between waterfowl and chickens. This time of year you probably don't have to feed him at all since they eat lots and lots of vegetation. My geese come up and nibble some cracked corn in the evenings but otherwise I never see them...they are constantly munching on grass, clover, and dandelions out in the pasture somewhere.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

he may have been frightened by something, and flew over the fence. My lady goose, when she sees me coming, flaps up and over the fence, but then can't figure out how to get back in, so I have to pick her up and put her back.... geese aren't geniuses.