Bad news, good news

[Country Parson]

Bad news: My sweet Pilgrim gander has turned into a hissing one-goose army. At first he was just irritable with visitors, then with my wife/kids, and now this horrid little beast comes nipping at me whenever I'm outside. For the first time since I've had him I have to carry a stick with me when I enter their large pen (16x75ft). When free-ranging, if he sees someone he come running/hissing clear across my 3 acre property. Several times he has even chased my car down the road as I've left for work. I still like him, but Spring has turned him into a rather nasty 1-yr old.

Good news: I just found my first goose egg yesterday! Woot!

 

[artsyrobin]

i have heard this is normal behavior- maybe make a temporary fence until spring behavior settles down???

 

[mommagoose]

I have raised geese for sometime. The males can be difficult this time of year. Here is a trick that works for me. When your hormonal baby boy tries to attack, grab him gently but firmly by the neck and force his head down to the ground and hold it there until he backs up. He will know for sure you are stronger and the leader of the flock. Repeat as necessary. It will not hurt him but it will remind him who is boss. I tell all children who come to the yard not to turn their back on the geese or the roosters this itme of year. Never show fear or back down or they think they can control you

Linda

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I have to second Mommagoose. We have white chinese - when the boys are feeling rough and tough, deciding I can be nipped, bitten or wing beaten - I grab them right around the neck, just behind their head. I do not squeeze, I just hold the neck. Once the gander calms, I release him.

I have had a gander go after me with his wings when I had him in this hold. With my other hand I grabbed the wing closest to me and held the wing also - angling the body of the gander so the "free" wing could not make contact with me. Once he calmed, I released.


Do NOT let them intimidate you - once they have, the human body language that the geese are so good at reading - tells them that they have the upper hand and they are now in charge.

 

[cracking up]

I'm so glad you posted this. I was thinking I had the meanest white Chinese ever. Yesterday I got too close to the girls nest and the gander grabbed tight to the back of my jeans and beat me with his wing. He's never done anything like that before - and I'm keeping my distance.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I swoop mine right up into my arms pinning their wings against me and immediately that behavior stops. Then again, I have Sebastopols, and they're not wicked. LOL

I sometimes have 4 or 5 ganders running at me at the same time. I grab the Alpha leader, Peter, and lift him up and the rest back right down. I sit down in one of the chairs I have in the goose pen and the rest immediately calm down. Peter will snake his head and neck around my neck and make little cooing noises to me.

That works for me every time.

Laurie

 

[Country Parson]

Quote:
I had heard of people doing that, but was afraid he would turn and peck me in the face if I picked him up (that is one loooooooonnnnnng neck! LOL

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I had heard of people doing that, but was afraid he would turn and peck me in the face if I picked him up (that is one loooooooonnnnnng neck! LOL

I tried that with a hormonal embden last year and had a nice 2" bruise in the center of my chest to show for it...But at least it matched the humongous welt he gave me on my knuckle...

 

[Gyburc]

I'm with mommagoose on this one. When my Toulouse gander tries to bite me, I grab him by the neck, pull him firmly forward and press on his back, between the bases of his wings. This makes him lie down. I then hold him there for a few minutes (telling him off sternly!), before letting him back up.

It has really worked. I was having huge trouble - he wouldn't let me herd him or the other geese into their shed at night without attacking me - and now all I have to do is speak sternly and walk towards him and he backs down almost straight away. I still get a bit of hissing, but I can cope with that!

(I have to admit I don't know how well he would do with strangers, but he would probably be too scared of them to try anything!)

 

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:
Peter is saying...ok guys lets go in for the kill...I want my daily snuggles