Breeding behavior in very young geese?

[jajeanpierre]

I'm new to geese. I found my first two when I found them in a feed store in Texas the end of July, so they are almost 3.5 months old. I think I have a pair of White Chinese.

A few weeks ago, the one I believe to be the male started biting at the back feathers of the other when in the little pond. The one I think is female would complain and quickly leave the pond. This kind of behavior only happened when the "female" was in the pond and it bothered her enough that it kept her out of the pond. (They only go to the pond when I take them.)

Yesterday and today, things changed. The "male" actually grabbed the feathers quite hard and climbed up on top, albeit, facing the wrong way. After, he stood up high and trumpeted in a ritualistic way with his tail held very upright and wings in a cocked, rigid way. He did this several times. The "female" didn't seem to mind, even though she was forced under water. In fact, she intertwined her neck with his for a moment or two several times, and she stayed in the water. I think he was trying to breed.

These babies were mostly raised in Texas (Houston) and moved to Wyoming for a few weeks and then back to Texas for 2 weeks and are now back in Wyoming. I wonder if the change in day length between Texas and Wyoming might have simulated them to believe they had a very short winter. Plus they are housed in my garage at night and the lights are on well into the night so I wonder if I have artificially triggered early spring fertility. (That's how we get horses to ovulate in the winter--put them under lights starting in the fall.)

Questions:
If this is male breeding behavior, does this prove I have at least one male?
Does the acceptance of the male breeding behavior indicate I have a female?
If I have a pair and they are both beginning to breed, will the female lay eggs? How soon after she starts breeding?

Thanks for all your help.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

The female will lay eggs without a male. Sounds like it is a male but she will begin laying in spring. Yup sounds like you have a male but they often mature faster than females so her eggs probably aren't fertile.

 

[JRies]

Questions: my thoughts.
If this is male breeding behavior, does this prove I have at least one male?

Girls will mount girls, boys will mount boys when there young there just figuring out there dominance in the flock. Yes both groups will tilt the tail, But if your watching them in the pond you may get a little glimpse of a penis if you have a boy. It takes them a few min to get it back in and usually they do it while flapping there wings and squalling there I did it bugle. Usually when my girls are doing the deed the winner just stands up and flaps her wings.

Does the acceptance of the male breeding behavior indicate I have a female?

2 boys will breed each other but usually ends in a chest bump and a try again till one backs down. Then the other one usually dose quite a I am the king dance

If I have a pair and they are both beginning to breed, will the female lay eggs? How soon after she starts breeding?

They may not be breeding yet just setting dominance in the flock. Eggs have so many dependence. Weather, conditioning, age, Breed, Light (geese like 11-12 hours of sunlight to lay unlike ducks and chickens who are more light more eggs) . Last year I got allot of early eggs but I really think it was because they got more barn time and less light). Geese usually lay in the spring.

Chinese do mature a little earlier than other breeds and lay more eggs but they are late season babies so i would look for spring eggs.

I had 3 DNA feather tested this year always a thought if you really want to know.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Questions: my thoughts.
If this is male breeding behavior, does this prove I have at least one male?

Girls will mount girls, boys will mount boys when there young there just figuring out there dominance in the flock. Yes both groups will tilt the tail, But if your watching them in the pond you may get a little glimpse of a penis if you have a boy. It takes them a few min to get it back in and usually they do it while flapping there wings and squalling there I did it bugle. Usually when my girls are doing the deed the winner just stands up and flaps her wings.

Does the acceptance of the male breeding behavior indicate I have a female?

2 boys will breed each other but usually ends in a chest bump and a try again till one backs down. Then the other one usually dose quite a I am the king dance

If I have a pair and they are both beginning to breed, will the female lay eggs? How soon after she starts breeding?

They may not be breeding yet just setting dominance in the flock. Eggs have so many dependence. Weather, conditioning, age, Breed, Light (geese like 11-12 hours of sunlight to lay unlike ducks and chickens who are more light more eggs) . Last year I got allot of early eggs but I really think it was because they got more barn time and less light). Geese usually lay in the spring.

Chinese do mature a little earlier than other breeds and lay more eggs but they are late season babies so i would look for spring eggs.

I had 3 DNA feather tested this year always a thought if you really want to know.

Thank you for your comments. Where did you get your birds DNA sexed? Can I do feather DNA sexing or do I have to pull blood?

Since they were unsexed and unspecified breeds from the hatchery (Ideal Poultry I believe), I expect they would be predominantly a group of males since I would think that most people would order females and the left over goslings at the hatchery would be mostly males. When I looked at them as babies, I tried to sex them as I would sex a chick and hope for the best. The gosling that had the biggest legs and stockiest head seems to be male with the more upright posture and is higher on the leg, seems to have a longer neck, bigger knob and head. "He" seems to have a different voice than the other who tends to "oink." The other is more horizontal and smaller. But, I've never been intimately involved with geese before so I haven't a clue!

 

[JRies]

Feather testing is easy you

Thank you for your comments. Where did you get your birds DNA sexed? Can I do feather DNA sexing or do I have to pull blood?

Since they were unsexed and unspecified breeds from the hatchery (Ideal Poultry I believe), I expect they would be predominantly a group of males since I would think that most people would order females and the left over goslings at the hatchery would be mostly males. When I looked at them as babies, I tried to sex them as I would sex a chick and hope for the best. The gosling that had the biggest legs and stockiest head seems to be male with the more upright posture and is higher on the leg, seems to have a longer neck, bigger knob and head. "He" seems to have a different voice than the other who tends to "oink." The other is more horizontal and smaller. But, I've never been intimately involved with geese before so I haven't a clue!

Feather testing is easy I used IQ Bird testing you pre pay they send you a form you pull a few feathers from around the vent tape them to the form and send them off. Vent sexing only works well in the first few days and after they have fully matured. Sometimes you can get the boys to show you around 6-8 months. Oink is a good sign for a girl and a high pitched squeal for a boy but its kinda funny how the opisit gender can take the roll when the other sex is not present. Thinker longer neck is a good sign for a boy and a proud walk with head up.
It got very confusing for me this year I received 3 Africans from one of the best breeders in the country 3 girls and 1 boy. but as time went on it looked more like 2 boys after feather testing I had 2 pair. The other group were 3 pair from a different breeder which turned out to be 4 boys and 2 girls. Day old vent sexing is not always perfect when you do it and find a boy you know you have a boy but the girls well...
here is the link
https://iqbirdtesting.com/

 

[jajeanpierre]

Feather testing is easy you

Feather testing is easy I used IQ Bird testing you pre pay they send you a form you pull a few feathers from around the vent tape them to the form and send them off. Vent sexing only works well in the first few days and after they have fully matured. Sometimes you can get the boys to show you around 6-8 months. Oink is a good sign for a girl and a high pitched squeal for a boy but its kinda funny how the opisit gender can take the roll when the other sex is not present. Thinker longer neck is a good sign for a boy and a proud walk with head up.
It got very confusing for me this year I received 3 Africans from one of the best breeders in the country 3 girls and 1 boy. but as time went on it looked more like 2 boys after feather testing I had 2 pair. The other group were 3 pair from a different breeder which turned out to be 4 boys and 2 girls. Day old vent sexing is not always perfect when you do it and find a boy you know you have a boy but the girls well...
here is the link
https://iqbirdtesting.com/

Thank you!