Buff goose keeps biting husband

[spiritbrook]

My buff goose is still young, 6 mos old. I don't know if she is a guy or a gal. As what is normal for young waterfowl - it seems especially geese - she investigates everything with her bill. Several cords, bungees, and towels have suffered. Recently I have been enforcing a no-skin rule for nibbling as she nibbles family and friends and dogs equally. I would like her to become a public goose, even a visiting goose. The problem has become that when my husband tries to pet her she abandons all that gentle nibbling to attack his arm and hand. No pinches here, but full mouth bites with twists if he doesn't get away quick enough. I'm not sure who might be the cause. Is my husband's posture (he's not really happy I have a goose) the trigger, or is it a gender issue with the goose? Help, my husband has accepted my menagerie up to now, but I don't want my goose to alienate him. My geese are my favorites, I want them to get along.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My buff goose is still young, 6 mos old. I don't know if she is a guy or a gal. As what is normal for young waterfowl - it seems especially geese - she investigates everything with her bill. Several cords, bungees, and towels have suffered. Recently I have been enforcing a no-skin rule for nibbling as she nibbles family and friends and dogs equally. I would like her to become a public goose, even a visiting goose. The problem has become that when my husband tries to pet her she abandons all that gentle nibbling to attack his arm and hand. No pinches here, but full mouth bites with twists if he doesn't get away quick enough. I'm not sure who might be the cause. Is my husband's posture (he's not really happy I have a goose) the trigger, or is it a gender issue with the goose? Help, my husband has accepted my menagerie up to now, but I don't want my goose to alienate him. My geese are my favorites, I want them to get along.

Just from my own experience with both sexes sounds like you may have a gander in this particular goose. Most geese don't like to be touched and ganders are more so than females. As they get older and get closer to breeding season . . which is usually around 9 months on ganders will get even more defensive and protective of their mates so be aware of that. My geese will bully our dogs so they cannot be around them unless we are with them because one of my dogs has been nipped in the butt too many times and will retaliate now. And Poultry having no hands try out everything with their bills but nipping and biting is not acceptable but I will say again geese are not real happy being touched and petted . Is this goose your only goose? If so she /he maybe confused as to where her place is in this family since she hasn't a goose buddy to hang out with they really do much better if there are more than 1.

 

[spiritbrook]

I have a Toulouse who is 3 weeks younger. She is a "special needs" goose who has eyesight problems and a crooked spine. She is a loner though although they were raised together and get along famously. I think she is a loner because then the naughty KC's cannot sneak up on her if she has some room around her. When she was younger the drakes were always trying to do things unmentionable to her and I was constantly rescuing her. The Buff I raised solo and then the Buff raised the Toulouse. I call them both "she" as I didn't want a gander. The Buff had been sexed by the feed store, but I have yet to find out if that meant it was for sure a gander or for sure a goose.

Another thing the Buff has been doing lately is honking nearly constantly. Well, not so "honk" as some other god-awful sound. She gets on the top step of the porch and raises a ruckus at nearly any perceived activity. If I sneeze or speak, if the neighbor starts his car, if someone is dallying as they walk down the street, if the other neighbor's hen is squawking about laying an egg. I've started bringing her in at night so that she isn't waking anyone up for no reason, although I really rather she was out to look for night predators.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Might want to take a look at this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...se-from-a-gander-in-case-anyone-is-interested

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/561849/geese-training