African Gander - attacking 2 ducks! help

[Spotgieter]

I'd like to give all the information for a better answer as to what we can do........My husband and I had a jumbo pekin and welsh harlequin; both males. They get along great. We decided to get an African gosling and blue runner duckling. They've been brought up in the house, because we had no place outside. We'd bring them out during the day and both were introduced to Marty (Jumbo; top of the pecking order) and his little henchman, Eli (harlequin). Well, they chased the babies, but we never aloud them to get too close. Now that Sulley (gander) and Mikey (runner) are 6 months and grown, they have their own fenced-in area. Somewhere in the time of a month, we tried to bring the 4 of them together again, because we need them to like each other, but now, Sulley is chasing THEM and he's out for blood. We don't know what to do. We've built a house for them and a big fenced-in run, but we're afraid to put the 4 of them in the house, because we know Sulley can hurt the others. What's the best way to do this? How long will it take for them to become friends?

 

[JRies]

All birds seem to have there own time frame for adjustments. Your gander is in full fledged puberty. The other problem is geese protect there own almost from birth its natural to them. I can suggest a few things that may help but others will probably give you better advice. Since the kidos were raised in the main roost (your home) they probably have a its all about us attitude.
You can try to correct your gander when he goes after the others its exhausting and time consuming but it dose work. When he gets aggressive you need to go towards him. Make him back down because you are the flock leader. Dont get aggressive get pushy. stubborn stand tall long sticks help to guide him a different direction 20 minints of herding him being his superior . There your wings. Your runner is a bully because he has a buddy protect him.
Maybe take the runner over to the other side first.. get ready for the verbal protest from your gander.
My ganders usually settle down in there winter then come first spring stars all over again.
When it comes down to it the birds do have to work there way through it but the best thing you can do is let them all know the pecking order starts and ends with you..

 

[Spotgieter]

Thank you! I forget that we're the top of the pecking chain....I did stand in his way this past weekend and he did back down. I'll share this with my husband, so we can be fully prepared. I had read that when it comes to the pecking order, that you have to let them hash it out unless you see the shedding of blood......I like your suggestion better!

 

[JRies]

Tough Love is always the hardest on the giver who is giving it with total love... And apreciated most by them that get it. If you watch a mama goose or a daddy goose they teach tough love from day one. I have raised babby runners and geese in the house for a few years now. And yes together. But getting them ready for the real world is hard. Intro to other birds hard. This year I let my mama goose take on all the babies at 1-2 weeks in all she raised over 40 babies and I got to see how she did it it was amazing. She taught them everything they needed to know. Including respect. When we raise them we have to figure out how to do that. Iv never seen tough love as well as how mama did it. And it was all love.

 

[Spotgieter]

Tough Love is always the hardest on the giver who is giving it with total love... And apreciated most by them that get it. If you watch a mama goose or a daddy goose they teach tough love from day one. I have raised babby runners and geese in the house for a few years now. And yes together. But getting them ready for the real world is hard. Intro to other birds hard. This year I let my mama goose take on all the babies at 1-2 weeks in all she raised over 40 babies and I got to see how she did it it was amazing. She taught them everything they needed to know. Including respect. When we raise them we have to figure out how to do that. Iv never seen tough love as well as how mama did it. And it was all love.

I love this....we plan on having a female goose for Sulley one day.

 

[Spotgieter]

Tough Love is always the hardest on the giver who is giving it with total love... And apreciated most by them that get it. If you watch a mama goose or a daddy goose they teach tough love from day one. I have raised babby runners and geese in the house for a few years now. And yes together. But getting them ready for the real world is hard. Intro to other birds hard. This year I let my mama goose take on all the babies at 1-2 weeks in all she raised over 40 babies and I got to see how she did it it was amazing. She taught them everything they needed to know. Including respect. When we raise them we have to figure out how to do that. Iv never seen tough love as well as how mama did it. And it was all love.

Hi...I'm back with the same problem, except Sulley is randomly attacking me! The first time he did it was over a month ago and I blamed it on me wearing a red shirt (trying to narrow the reasons). It happened again today and I was alone. When it started, I kept my cool and tried to talk to him and that wasn't working, so fighting him off from biting me, I got to the ground and hugged him to hopefullycalm him down. He never let up. He was relentless and I would push him away with my foot (no aggression from me, only keeping a distance between me and his bites) he came right back attacking. He bit and held on to my shirt and I finally got to the gate. He let go and I assumed he realized I was the head pecks. I went back in the pen and he was fine while I refreshed all the pools. I filled 1 pool and he was in it. I went to get the hose and he attacked again and it was much more aggressive. I didn't want to hurt him and I tried to hold him off and he kept coming and at this point I have been bitten numerous times and I was running out of steam and started screaming for my husband. All in all, it was a horrifying experience. Why would he attack me??

 

[JRies]

Hi...I'm back with the same problem, except Sulley is randomly attacking me! The first time he did it was over a month ago and I blamed it on me wearing a red shirt (trying to narrow the reasons). It happened again today and I was alone. When it started, I kept my cool and tried to talk to him and that wasn't working, so fighting him off from biting me, I got to the ground and hugged him to hopefullycalm him down. He never let up. He was relentless and I would push him away with my foot (no aggression from me, only keeping a distance between me and his bites) he came right back attacking. He bit and held on to my shirt and I finally got to the gate. He let go and I assumed he realized I was the head pecks. I went back in the pen and he was fine while I refreshed all the pools. I filled 1 pool and he was in it. I went to get the hose and he attacked again and it was much more aggressive. I didn't want to hurt him and I tried to hold him off and he kept coming and at this point I have been bitten numerous times and I was running out of steam and started screaming for my husband. All in all, it was a horrifying experience. Why would he attack me??

I do feel for you. Have you got any girls or is it just the boys. If you have girls are they laying?

Its breading season would be the biggest reason.. Wild geese are flying over also since its migration season. Spring is hard there hormones that do all the talking. My ganders dont get aggressive with me but it is the time of year I get hissed at. My ganders are all separated right now each with 2 girls. Every pen I go into to feed water or let out the gander is right there standing between me and the girls and the eggs. The same ganders who follow me around all summer have hormone attitude.
Benny and I got into it this year nothing bad just he was confronting me. So I pined him a few times to the ground and held him there a while. just like he dose to the girls to breed them. All the other ganders were watching. Then when he backed down I did the happy dance. Letting him know I won.
This is only my opinion but and yes some of the people driving by think Im loony but if you watch 2 ganders have a fight one always sings and dances about his win to impress the girls. and I dont think they want to be embarrassed in front of the girls again.

 

[Spotgieter]

Yes, we have 3 females and 1 male runner duck in the same pen. Sulley is always herding the male runner and sometimes he tries to have relations with the female pekin, but she runs from him.
The female pekin sleeps in our house and is taken to the pen every morning. The other 2 are khaki campbells and they have a separate sleeping area in the duck house. All three lay one egg a day.
I guess when I was hugging him yesterday, I should've pinned him down and waited. You can only read so much and follow others with geese, but having one on your own and not understanding the reactions, is extremely confusing. One day he loves me and the next day he wants to kill me. My husband and I are taking a mini trip in a week and my niece will be taking care of the flock, but after what happened yesterday, I'm fearful for her.

 

[JRies]

Yes, we have 3 females and 1 male runner duck in the same pen. Sulley is always herding the male runner and sometimes he tries to have relations with the female pekin, but she runs from him.
The female pekin sleeps in our house and is taken to the pen every morning. The other 2 are khaki campbells and they have a separate sleeping area in the duck house. All three lay one egg a day.
I guess when I was hugging him yesterday, I should've pinned him down and waited. You can only read so much and follow others with geese, but having one on your own and not understanding the reactions, is extremely confusing. One day he loves me and the next day he wants to kill me. My husband and I are taking a mini trip in a week and my niece will be taking care of the flock, but after what happened yesterday, I'm fearful for her.

I only know from what I have learned and read and read. the best post I ever read was on this sight. I have spent time looking for it and I found it. My first gander was a mess he had 6 girls and acted allot like yours. I took Olive Hills advice and it has worked well for me.
When my ganders have a summer tumble with each other I find the victor back him up make him retreat and do my happy victory dance. My ganders all live with the flock together at night and all get along when its not breading season. During Breeding season they can stay together but none of the girls get bred there to bizzy showing off. So I separate.
Here is the post turns out it's pined in the goose section. I hope this helps but I hate to say it the best thing you can do for him is get him a girl of his own. Geese are so family flock oriented everything else to them just confuses them. Even though Ducks are waterfowl they have a whole different way of life.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/geese-training.561849/

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