African vs. Chinese Geese.

[GooseyMcGee]

We have had a few Chinese White Geese almost for a year now. They were very nice when they were gosling but when got older they got pretty mean. I still like them and all but I feel like they're not our pets anymore.

I heard African Geese are much nicer. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Suggestion: if you are hoping for nice natured geese, I suggest that you switch to Buff Americans or Sebastapols.

If you want that huge size, then go for the Dewlap Toulouse.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Incidentally, while occasionally you are unlucky and get a goose with a bad temperament, training has a lot more to do with goose behavior than breed.

 

[GooseyMcGee]

Say we raise the our Africans to be nice Geese. When they get older they're going to go out and live on the pond. The Chinese Geese live there now. Are the Africans going to hang around the Chinese and act like them?

 

[Kevin565]

They may remain friendly or pick up the bad habits of the white chinese

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I have Chinese had them since babies and they are the nicest things ever in the past my mom had an African and it was aggressive so it's how you raise them.

 

[littledear]

I have chinese and Troulouse and the females are all nice but my male acts aggressive when the females are cycling. I have to catch him once in a while to remind him that I am bigger than he is. I catch him by the neck and carry him around and he doesn't like it so he keeps his distance when he is showing off for the females. I hand raised all of mine from the incubator and handled them a lot when the were young. The females come right up to me and let me touch them.

 

[flaming007]

I haven't had a problem with my brown africans being aggressive. The only time they act up is when I am taking their eggs. If you want very calm and quite geese sebastopols would be a good choice. I raise both breeds and thier personalities are very different.

 

[AquaEyes]

I think perhaps a contributing factor is whether or not they were imprinted on people. You said they were nice as goslings, but have grown mean. It's possible that they view you as "weird-looking geese" and treat you the way they'd treat any rival/trespassing goose -- by aggressively defending their mate/territory. From what I've read, the most success with raising "friendly geese" comes from making sure they know they are geese and you are people, and from the people learning to recognize warning signs and behaviors that come just before an aggressive encounter.

If the geese are already imprinted, you'll have to assert your dominance in a way that they understand. I've seen videos of people using a broom or some other tool as an extension of their body during aggressive encounters with animals. You don't hit the animal, but you use it to sort of push-back, and it (rather than you) can become the object receiving any aggression from the goose.

Watch the geese interact amongst themselves and learn what signals they use to assert their dominance, and adapt them to your own behaviors when interacting with them. For example, if you see a goose or gander approaching you in an aggressive manner, stand firm and extend your arms out (mimicking their behavior of extending their wings to a rival/threat). If it takes a few steps forward as a threat to you, take a few strong steps forward to counter it. But make sure that you "win the battles" and the geese will learn that you are the one in charge, and they'll submit to you -- within reason. Obviously, they'll do almost anything to protect their mate and eggs from harm, but that doesn't mean you should let them own the land.

I don't have geese, but I've developed relationships with a bunch of "aggressive parrots" following the same basic idea -- make sure they know they are birds, learn their signals, and use them yourself to assert that you are the boss without causing them physical harm.

 

[arherp]

I have Africans and Chinese together.. The Africans act like Africans, and the Chinese act like Chinese. The Africans are lovely, striking, regal geese that have absolutely wonderful temperaments. Far nicer and quieter than any American breeds I have raised...