Biting ?

[farmgal18]

Hi, I'm a new member. I just purchased a Toulouse gosling that is around 4 - 5 weeks old. I haven't had a goose in many years but I once had an African that I got at maybe a day or two old. I don't remember her having any bad habits, but this Toulouse is a biting machine, lol. It bites everything in sight, the wire on it's cage, the cushions on my patio chairs, and me. I've heard of some birds doing this just like a baby puts everything in their mouths but this can be painful. I don't want the behavior to continue when it is a full grown goose. What can I do?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, I'm a new member. I just purchased a Toulouse gosling that is around 4 - 5 weeks old. I haven't had a goose in many years but I once had an African that I got at maybe a day or two old. I don't remember her having any bad habits, but this Toulouse is a biting machine, lol. It bites everything in sight, the wire on it's cage, the cushions on my patio chairs, and me. I've heard of some birds doing this just like a baby puts everything in their mouths but this can be painful. I don't want the behavior to continue when it is a full grown goose. What can I do?

yes geese are chewers and biters, my Toulouse is 1yr old and still chews on all kinds of things. once she found some bird netting somewhere in the yard and had it wrapped around her lower bill and tongue. Thank goodness I was able to get it off. Now biting is a whole nother ball game, most will say don't hand feed, and best to teach now that biting humans if not acceptable. I had to do this with my gander, haven't had to with my goose. I'll find you the link to training geese so you can read it for yourself. This goose could have been teased is another reason why it is biting. Although my gander was never teased and he was a biter. Hopefully since your gosling is still young you can get these habits under control while young. But giving your gosling something to chew on besdes the furniture would help a lot. I have hung heads of cabbage on a line for them to chew on, heads of Romaine lettuce also. some offer stalks of celery, although I think i'd be worried about the strings https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/561849/geese-training

also a single goose really doesn't know how to act like a goose. If you have room I'd get another goose. They really do better if there is more than one.

 

[The goose girl]

It sounds like she's not used to being in a cage.

Geese bite out of boredom, curiosity, and fright/aggression. Goslings that age are not aggressive, so either she's checking out her new surroundings, or she's bored having nothing to do, or she's feeling unsafe in her cage.

My guess would be she's frightened. Even my goose, who's generally very happy ond non-biting, will nervously gnaw anything within reach if something has scared her. Is she alone? Goslings shouldn't ever be alone, they get scared witless - especially so in an unknown place.

Adult geese don't bite like goslings do. They may inspect new stuff by chewing it for a bit. Also, if they're bored, they'll find something to exterminate. But no matter what you do or don't do, the biting will lessen considerably with time.

For now you can give her stuff to do (grazing, foraging) and toys she's allowed to play with and bite.

 

[farmgal18]

Miss Lydia - thank you so much for your reply and for the link on training. I rescued this gosling from a feed store. It's been in a chicken brooder for day old chicks since it was hatched. I don't know how many they started with but there were 4 left. They couldn't stand up straight because the brooder was too small for their growth. I doubt that they were ever teased since I don't believe they got much attention at all. As I mentioned before, I had an African many years ago. She was brought up with a male Muscovy duck and never had any bad habits until I got her another goose companion. She got so aggressive I ending up giving her to a friend. She still has her. I am leery of having another goose for that reason. Once it's a little older, she/he will have plenty of chickens for companions. Now that I know the problem, I will try to nip it in the bud asap. Thank you again...

 

[farmgal18]

Hi Goose Girl - Thank you for your input. If you read my reply to Miss Lydia, you'll understand why I don't think it is afraid of cages. This one is quite big compared to what he or she was in, but it could be because she is alone and bored. I have baby chicks in a cage near it's cage. I've been taking her out and putting her on my lawn and staying there with her each day. I was told she still needed to be in a brooder environment for at least another week or two with a light at night. In the meantime, I will try to find her a toy or two. Thanks again for your help...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia - thank you so much for your reply and for the link on training. I rescued this gosling from a feed store. It's been in a chicken brooder for day old chicks since it was hatched. I don't know how many they started with but there were 4 left. They couldn't stand up straight because the brooder was too small for their growth. I doubt that they were ever teased since I don't believe they got much attention at all. As I mentioned before, I had an African many years ago. She was brought up with a male Muscovy duck and never had any bad habits until I got her another goose companion. She got so aggressive I ending up giving her to a friend. She still has her. I am leery of having another goose for that reason. Once it's a little older, she/he will have plenty of chickens for companions. Now that I know the problem, I will try to nip it in the bud asap. Thank you again...

You have to look where she came from now, she was probably terrified living in that condition, and only knows to bite as a way of protecting herself. Poor thing I would use a lot of constraint on teaching her because she has had trauma from day 1, totally different than my gander who was hatched and raised here with all the benefits of a wonderful life from the start but just needed to learn he wasn't going to get away with biting. Lots of Love along with training on how to behave is the way to go with your gosling. Sounds like she is biting out of fear and uncertainty since everything is probably new to her living like she did for so long. All the best with this one.

I have given my goose one of those dog Kongs large size, she love to bite on it and if I put it in her pool she pushes it all around.

 

[farmgal18]

Thank you again. I seem to have had some success already! I'm amazed. I took her/him out on the lawn again. This time I sat down with her. The first time she bit, I tapped her beak just hard enough that she would know that I didn't appreciate what she had done. When I did I also said "no". When she was behaving I petted her. We probably went back and forth for about 15 minutes. The next time I took her out, it was about 5 minutes before she bit (a big improvement), I tapped and said "no" and that was the last bite. Today I took her for a long walk (she follows me) out to the second yard where the chickens are. I hadn't let them out of their night pens yet so we walked around to each one. The chickens seemed afraid of her, but she pretty much seemed ok. I have an empty horse stall in my barn that is right next to where most of the chickens are. I was thinking of putting her in there for awhile so she and the chickens can get used to each other before they are actually allowed to be together. The stall has a 12' x 12' enclosed area that can be closed up at night and an attached 12 x 12 area that has welded wire around it. I would appreciate your opinion on this. You have been so helpful...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you again. I seem to have had some success already! I'm amazed. I took her/him out on the lawn again. This time I sat down with her. The first time she bit, I tapped her beak just hard enough that she would know that I didn't appreciate what she had done. When I did I also said "no". When she was behaving I petted her. We probably went back and forth for about 15 minutes. The next time I took her out, it was about 5 minutes before she bit (a big improvement), I tapped and said "no" and that was the last bite. Today I took her for a long walk (she follows me) out to the second yard where the chickens are. I hadn't let them out of their night pens yet so we walked around to each one. The chickens seemed afraid of her, but she pretty much seemed ok. I have an empty horse stall in my barn that is right next to where most of the chickens are. I was thinking of putting her in there for awhile so she and the chickens can get used to each other before they are actually allowed to be together. The stall has a 12' x 12' enclosed area that can be closed up at night and an attached 12 x 12 area that has welded wire around it. I would appreciate your opinion on this. You have been so helpful...

Anything other than hardware cloth a pred will be able to reach in an grab. Just talked to someone a couple days ago that had his month old goslings head pulled off, most likely a raccoon that stuck his hand through the woven fence and grab the neck but couldn't pull the gosling through the fence but pulled it's head through. So always recc that hardware cloth be attached at least 3'up around bottom of pen area. also climbing preds if there a way in they will find it. If the stall can be closed up at night is completely enclosed it may work. During the daylight hours my flock is inside a fenced in large 1/2 acre with horse fencing all around but at night they are inside house locked up. [their house not mine] you never know how many or what kind of preds are out there till you being in the food. as you well know since you have chickens.

So glad to hear she is learning to respect you so quickly. I think she will be a wonderful addition to your flock.

 

[farmgal18]

Yes, unfortunately, I have learned what predators can do over the years. She would be locked up in the enclosed area at night and I also close up the entire barn to keep my dog from destroying my hay by sleeping in it in the winter, lol She has turned entire bales of hay into just a pile of loose hay overnight

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, unfortunately, I have learned what predators can do over the years. She would be locked up in the enclosed area at night and I also close up the entire barn to keep my dog from destroying my hay by sleeping in it in the winter, lol She has turned entire bales of hay into just a pile of loose hay overnight

I figured you'd know about preds and how easy they will go after our animals if not protected properly, I'm sure you'll make sure all is right before putting her inside the barn. Keep us updated on how she is doing please. I bet my dogs would do the same knowing how much they like to mess up a blanket.