Blended goose families

[lina500]

We are moving countries and because we live in an avian flu area, we cannot bring our flock (1 goose, 1 gander, 1 drake, and 1 duck) with us. We've found a new home for them with a friend who also has a goose and a gander. All of the geese and ducks are about 4 years old.

Our gander is very non-aggressive (doesn't mate with our female and when we had a Muscovy drake he let the Muscovy be in charge) so we thought it would be easy to integrate them with our friends' more aggressive gander and friendly female.

We dropped them off the other day and our friend's female goose went straight for our flock and has been hanging out with them every since, all five of them are spending all their time together. But our friend's gander is not happy and has been wandering around the garden alone and seems very left out.

Is this likely to change? Our friend is worried that his gander is going to be unhappy forever, but it's only been two days.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The best way to have introduced would have to have put the newbies[yours] in a see not touch area so all including the gander could have met with out mingling that way all would have had a chance to get to know each other for a short time before being all let out together. It still may work out but as long as the gander keeps himself away the longer it will be for him to integrate with the rest.

 

[lina500]

Thanks, @Miss Lydia. Is there anything we can do at this point? We are still here a few more days and can intervene if necessary. I really want them all to be happy.

I thought we'd bring them over, the old gander would beat our gander up a bit and establish the pecking order, and it would be fine. But he hasn't even tried.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I really don't understand why he's being so stand offish poor fellow. Maybe separate them out, yours and theirs for a few days and see if that helps at all it should. What country are you moving to? will you be able to have birds where your going?

 

[lina500]

We are moving to the UK, but I think we will not have birds there. It is absolutely heartbreaking to leave our little flock and I don't know how long we will stay in our next place.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I bet it is. So sorry. Hope you can get updates and pics so you can stay up to date on them.. Not the same but better than nothing