- Nov 16, 2015
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I rescue ducks, but I rescued my first goose in Feb this year.
I had intended to get Goosey a mate in spring (which is now, where I am in the sth hemisphere) once I knew Gooseys gender.
Goosey is a white goose and appers to be embden. Unlike what I have heard about geese, Goosey was a big softey, and never showed any agression during winter...
I had decided to wait to spring before getting a mate for Goosey as I wanted Goosey to become a flock guard for the ducks so hoped they would bond a little before I got a goose or gander. Plus I figured it would be easiest if I waited to spring rather than attempting to vent sex Goosey myself (after all we barely knew each other!)
However, in late winter, one of my white ducks managed to get a sneaky nest underway and by the time I found it there were ducklings growing, so I let her carry on. She had too many eggs so I took some into my incubator and she hatched some.
After my white duck hatched her ducklings and they were ready to leave the nest, I moved them all into a run, so I could keep the ducklings warm and dry.
This was the first time Goosey had seen the ducklings. Within minutes of them being out in the run, and mummy duck parading them out in the outdoor part of the area, Goosey was outside the run...making noises I had never heard Goosey make before....
Until now my first ever goose had made a combination of "Goose goose goose" noises which seemed to be a general sort of 'how are you, I'm just fossicking about here" noise, and a loud Goosey alarm noise.
Now I was hearing what sounded like a goose attempting to coo... A low, quiet, and distinctly loving noise.
For the next 6 weeks Goosey basically lived by that run (not where he hung out before this). i have a security camera, and when I was going though the pictures it took in that period, Goosey was always by that run, night or day...
Over the first few days, I had to take his feed to him there as he wouldn't leave the spot even at dinner time.
When I brought the ducklings I had hatched in the incubator outside, Goosey cooed at them too, and would follow them around, but always at a shy diatance...
I figured Goosey was just a real broody...
Then at 6 weeks I started letting mummy duck and her ducklings out in the day, and it soon became clear that Goosey wasnt just broody...Goosey was in LOOOVE..
The ducklings are now going on 8 weeks, and Goosey is always reasonably close and keeping an eye on them. If I am late feeding them Goose follows me about making a racket till I do, but stands back and watches them, eat (so he's not just hungry himself)
However while Goosey is a great parent to the ducklings, its nothing compared to his absolute attachment to their mum!
Where she goes, he goes. If she opens her mouth to greet me or the other ducks, he opens his mouth and calls out alongside her.
He's also been trying to impress her and gotten a bit cocky to me, running at me and clearly trying to show miss duck what a great and powerful mate he is. At first his running at me was from a great distance and very cautious on his part, but increased to the point where he actually nipped me (and he got held down on the ground by me to let him know that wasnt acceptable as a result)
After the holding down, and me making sure I greeted him every time I went near, plus my attempts at cooing at him, Goosey toned down the male posturing and was actually a very useful helper to me in getting the ducklings in their run at night, and intervening when a couple of drakes were getting too agressive with a female. (not his female, but another duck who I pointed at the drakes chasing her, and goosey marched over with his wings out and started nipping at the drake who was trying to mount the female duck against her will)
Anyway in the last two days, Gooseys Miss duck has started to spend some time socialising with the flock a bit more as she's I think, decided her ducklings are pretty much good to go and dont need her...and I wonder if this has made Goosey a little insecure, as hes started doing the funniest things.
Today he actually tried his level best to imitate a duck call.
He let rip what I can only describe as the sound a goose would make if he had been carefully listening to duck greeting calls and wanted to try and speak their language
he did a fairly impressive mimic of a duck greeting actually. (It sounded utterly non goose like). hes also been rushing about with his wings out, flapping them in what i assume is an attempt to appear manly and impressive, expecially if any drake walks anywhere near her (none of the drakes, despite it being spring, a silly enough to even think about courting her or trying to mate her, they like being alive i guess lol).
In the last two days Goosey has also been even louder than usual, and again quite cocky towards me, I had to hold him down again today.
So I Am wondering if anyone else has ever had a goose (well i am pretty sure goosey might be a gander) form a relationship with a duck...and how it went?
Is miss duck going to break Gooseys heart?
Will Goosey attempt to consumate their relationship now the ducklings are older, (maybe hes thinking its time to father some more?)
Where is this Goose-Duck love affair likely to go? Can anyone tell me? Lol
I had intended to get Goosey a mate in spring (which is now, where I am in the sth hemisphere) once I knew Gooseys gender.
Goosey is a white goose and appers to be embden. Unlike what I have heard about geese, Goosey was a big softey, and never showed any agression during winter...
I had decided to wait to spring before getting a mate for Goosey as I wanted Goosey to become a flock guard for the ducks so hoped they would bond a little before I got a goose or gander. Plus I figured it would be easiest if I waited to spring rather than attempting to vent sex Goosey myself (after all we barely knew each other!)
However, in late winter, one of my white ducks managed to get a sneaky nest underway and by the time I found it there were ducklings growing, so I let her carry on. She had too many eggs so I took some into my incubator and she hatched some.
After my white duck hatched her ducklings and they were ready to leave the nest, I moved them all into a run, so I could keep the ducklings warm and dry.
This was the first time Goosey had seen the ducklings. Within minutes of them being out in the run, and mummy duck parading them out in the outdoor part of the area, Goosey was outside the run...making noises I had never heard Goosey make before....
Until now my first ever goose had made a combination of "Goose goose goose" noises which seemed to be a general sort of 'how are you, I'm just fossicking about here" noise, and a loud Goosey alarm noise.
Now I was hearing what sounded like a goose attempting to coo... A low, quiet, and distinctly loving noise.
For the next 6 weeks Goosey basically lived by that run (not where he hung out before this). i have a security camera, and when I was going though the pictures it took in that period, Goosey was always by that run, night or day...
Over the first few days, I had to take his feed to him there as he wouldn't leave the spot even at dinner time.
When I brought the ducklings I had hatched in the incubator outside, Goosey cooed at them too, and would follow them around, but always at a shy diatance...
I figured Goosey was just a real broody...
Then at 6 weeks I started letting mummy duck and her ducklings out in the day, and it soon became clear that Goosey wasnt just broody...Goosey was in LOOOVE..
The ducklings are now going on 8 weeks, and Goosey is always reasonably close and keeping an eye on them. If I am late feeding them Goose follows me about making a racket till I do, but stands back and watches them, eat (so he's not just hungry himself)
However while Goosey is a great parent to the ducklings, its nothing compared to his absolute attachment to their mum!
Where she goes, he goes. If she opens her mouth to greet me or the other ducks, he opens his mouth and calls out alongside her.
He's also been trying to impress her and gotten a bit cocky to me, running at me and clearly trying to show miss duck what a great and powerful mate he is. At first his running at me was from a great distance and very cautious on his part, but increased to the point where he actually nipped me (and he got held down on the ground by me to let him know that wasnt acceptable as a result)
After the holding down, and me making sure I greeted him every time I went near, plus my attempts at cooing at him, Goosey toned down the male posturing and was actually a very useful helper to me in getting the ducklings in their run at night, and intervening when a couple of drakes were getting too agressive with a female. (not his female, but another duck who I pointed at the drakes chasing her, and goosey marched over with his wings out and started nipping at the drake who was trying to mount the female duck against her will)
Anyway in the last two days, Gooseys Miss duck has started to spend some time socialising with the flock a bit more as she's I think, decided her ducklings are pretty much good to go and dont need her...and I wonder if this has made Goosey a little insecure, as hes started doing the funniest things.
Today he actually tried his level best to imitate a duck call.
He let rip what I can only describe as the sound a goose would make if he had been carefully listening to duck greeting calls and wanted to try and speak their language
he did a fairly impressive mimic of a duck greeting actually. (It sounded utterly non goose like). hes also been rushing about with his wings out, flapping them in what i assume is an attempt to appear manly and impressive, expecially if any drake walks anywhere near her (none of the drakes, despite it being spring, a silly enough to even think about courting her or trying to mate her, they like being alive i guess lol).
In the last two days Goosey has also been even louder than usual, and again quite cocky towards me, I had to hold him down again today.
So I Am wondering if anyone else has ever had a goose (well i am pretty sure goosey might be a gander) form a relationship with a duck...and how it went?
Is miss duck going to break Gooseys heart?
Will Goosey attempt to consumate their relationship now the ducklings are older, (maybe hes thinking its time to father some more?)
Where is this Goose-Duck love affair likely to go? Can anyone tell me? Lol
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