Bad Gander?

[rainplace]

Okay this is ridiculous. I now have another duck who is squatting and quacking at Rommy.

Earlier the first duck that was doing it did it to one of my silky drakes and Rommy pulled at his feathers.

I'm seriously at a loss here. Why are the hens into my gander. I have three drakes two of which could if they were interested.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Why not? He sounds like a big old handsome Hunk, the kind that could kick sand in the face of your drakes. Don't ask me why females choose the way they do because I really don't know.
What about the original issue, is Rommy still trying to drown the females that flirt with him? I suggest seperate pens if you want to keep both ducks and geese. Once Rommy has paired off with his goose she will probably handle the duck flirts.

 

[rainplace]

Another one of my ducks has become of age, and now the three of them are mostly making googly eyes at each other, putting Rommy off the hook. I'll be keeping close tabs on them today so that I can make a decision about what to do tomorrow when I head back to work.

There's been no more "drowning" so far, and my runner drake is starting to show signs of interest... he'd be coming of age about now too.

Since these new developments, Rommy seems mostly uninterested in what's going on, unless they are making too much noise. During last nights observation, when the ruckus started, Rommy would make a lot of noise back at them then get out of the pond and start preening.

I will separate the geese out if I have to, but I'd rather not if at all possible. Ranaya would make quite a fuss to be away from her brood sisters, and they of course would cry back at her. And the logistics... sheesh, I'd have a lot of work to do. I'm willing to do it, but I thought I'd have till late winter before everything had to be done for breeding separation.

 

[goosedragon]

The thing that I found truly funny with my mixed duck-geese flock was the fact that the geese would break up the mating attempts of the ducks! They would literally tear a pair apart. I finally built the ducks a 'honeymoon pool' away from the common flock area, sheltered by plantings and with an entrance only a duck could fit thru. They would do their flirting and displays in the common area and then slip off to the honeymoon pool to do the deed. The ducks couldn't care less about the geese mating, and I never did figure out why it upset the geese so.

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
Oh, I really like the idea of the honeymoon pool! I could totally do that too. I've had my eye to craigslist looking for more pond stuff so that when breeding season comes around, each house and pen could have their own little pond. How did the ducks find it? My little flock seems to never be more than a few feet away from everyone else...

 

[DiVon80]

This is really funny honeymoon pond!

My pair of geese are just 4 mths old and I just love them. My ducks are like a lil mob that runs around causing trouble. It makes for an exciting yard. I have 3 pools- 2 large and 1 small. The geese seem to like the sm. one they grew up w. The ducks love them all but, the geese will run them out of the small pool. I let the geese out first to eat their breakfast, then the rest of the group-ducks and chickens. We have such a fun day. I really have to watch my old min pin, the gander seems to want to eat her. She is almost blind and 13 years old. Actually my geese do not want anything around me-just them. I love my geese.

 

[rainplace]

I really like the idea of letting the geese out first to eat... they are the pigs and really hate anyone interfering with their food. What I have going on right now are different feeding stations around the yard, so that no one individual can prevent another from getting food. It hasn't quite worked out that way though because rarely will anyone move far away enough from the flock to get to the other "station" maybe I need to put them closer together, or just feed the geese first since they are the ones that have food issues.

I love my geese too. A lot. I like that they seem to have a more complex personality. I've always loved toddlers... and they appear to be just like many of the toddlers I've been around.

 

[rainplace]

Update:

goosedragon, you were right about the mating thing.

All the duck gals love Rommy and he has had his pick of any he chose, which is first thing in the morning after eating. I did worry some when he and one of my sq black runners would have at it, but after careful observation I decided that he wasn't a real threat. He only goes at them on the pond and the girls have figured out how to keep their heads near the shallow end when they are with him.

The last few days I have noticed that he has noticed his Ranaya the goose girl of the flock, and she's been noticing him. She has started somewhat chasing off the googley eyed ducks... somewhat half hearted, but I see the romance finally beginning to bloom.

Hopefully soon the ducks gals will just be a faint memory for him

 

[MotherGoose 777]

Merry Christmas, everyone

Just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading this little soap opera. I had somewhat mixed flock too, of chickens, ducks, geese -- though really they kept separate in their own little flocks. Fortunately I never had breeding issues -- the ducks were grown and well into it before I started with geese.

The feeding rings a bell though. I used to have lots of little feeding stations too, and I had to feed them in the right order with most "aggressive" ones first and so on ... the geese actually ate from the 3rd feeding though -- I guess mine were not that worried about it. My poor little silky hen was the very last, in a far-off corner, behind brush, protected from everyone, or else she would have starved for sure. It was pretty cool though -- I called each group as I went to feed them and, as a result, they learned to come when I called them. I could call chickens to me, ducks, geese, all separately (though there were usually a few nosy individuals of another group who showed up to see what was going on -- the chickens were especially afraid someone else might get food and they miss it!).

I'm glad things are working out int he Rommy saga.

LOVE the idea of a "honeymoon pond" too -- I'll have to remember that one!

 

[Sasa]

I have heard of a Gander who was in love with a duck, unfortunately he drowned her trying to mate with her. They seem to be a little short on common sense.