I have a mixed 'flock' of geese, which currently (as of today) includes a gray goose, two white Chinese geese(female), two white Emden ganders, a white Emden goose, and a white Emden/Gray mix goose. All of my geese are at least five years old if not older, except for the mix who is a year old. I used to have 9 geese total, instead of the seven that I just mentioned. The other two female white Chinese, and I will explain what happened to them.
About a month ago, when I still had 9, two of the white Chinese had sightly bloody heads and were missing quite a few feathers in that area, so I took them out of the pen and let them roam each day and then would lock them in with the chickens each night. A couple days after I took them out I found a different white Chinese goose in the corner of the pen dead, almost decapitated. Her body wasn't torn up, just her head, and my Head Gander had blood on his head, so I know he did it.
In previously years I have never had any of the geese be this aggressive when mating, they have always been very peaceful. This certain goose that he killed had a nest too.
So about a month passes and no one is beat up or hurt or anything. So when the two White Chinese that I took out of the pen looked fully recuperated, I decided to try it again and put them back in on Thursday night. The next morning one's head and neck was completely bloodied up, and the other also looked a bit beat up. Obviously they did not want to be in there because they had gotten out themselves and where in with the chickens. I don't plan on putting them back in.
Today when I went outside the last White Chinese I had in with the rest was dead in the pool. She was in a mating position, almost decapitated.
Is my Head Gander suddenly prejudiced against the white Chinese? They seem to be only ones that he is tormenting. They will be in good condition one day, and dead the next. If they were getting beaten up and I noticed it, I would separate them, but I never even see any of the geese mate.
Currently, the gray goose, the white Emden goose, and the white Emden gander (not Head Gander) are all sitting on nests. The gander that is sitting now took over full time after Head Gander killed the mothers that were sitting there. That leaves Head Gander and my Emden/gray mix that aren't sitting on nests (not to mention the two Chinese who aren't in that pen)
So what should I do? Should I eat Head Gander? Should I throw him out and put the others back in? Why is he suddenly being so aggressive this year? I don't want him to kill any of my other girls, especially since they are on nests. The only correlations I can find are 1. He only picks on White Chinese and 2. Time of month - so far he has done this between 4th quarter moon and a new moon. Maybe I ought to just take him out when the moon is in this phase?
Any ideas?
Here is a picture of some of them from last year
About a month ago, when I still had 9, two of the white Chinese had sightly bloody heads and were missing quite a few feathers in that area, so I took them out of the pen and let them roam each day and then would lock them in with the chickens each night. A couple days after I took them out I found a different white Chinese goose in the corner of the pen dead, almost decapitated. Her body wasn't torn up, just her head, and my Head Gander had blood on his head, so I know he did it.
In previously years I have never had any of the geese be this aggressive when mating, they have always been very peaceful. This certain goose that he killed had a nest too.
So about a month passes and no one is beat up or hurt or anything. So when the two White Chinese that I took out of the pen looked fully recuperated, I decided to try it again and put them back in on Thursday night. The next morning one's head and neck was completely bloodied up, and the other also looked a bit beat up. Obviously they did not want to be in there because they had gotten out themselves and where in with the chickens. I don't plan on putting them back in.
Today when I went outside the last White Chinese I had in with the rest was dead in the pool. She was in a mating position, almost decapitated.
Is my Head Gander suddenly prejudiced against the white Chinese? They seem to be only ones that he is tormenting. They will be in good condition one day, and dead the next. If they were getting beaten up and I noticed it, I would separate them, but I never even see any of the geese mate.
Currently, the gray goose, the white Emden goose, and the white Emden gander (not Head Gander) are all sitting on nests. The gander that is sitting now took over full time after Head Gander killed the mothers that were sitting there. That leaves Head Gander and my Emden/gray mix that aren't sitting on nests (not to mention the two Chinese who aren't in that pen)
So what should I do? Should I eat Head Gander? Should I throw him out and put the others back in? Why is he suddenly being so aggressive this year? I don't want him to kill any of my other girls, especially since they are on nests. The only correlations I can find are 1. He only picks on White Chinese and 2. Time of month - so far he has done this between 4th quarter moon and a new moon. Maybe I ought to just take him out when the moon is in this phase?
Any ideas?
Here is a picture of some of them from last year
