- Jul 10, 2014
- 68
- 23
- 106
HELP HELP HELP HELP!
I am new to this ‘house goose’ thing and have a zillion questions. Though this post is long, I would LOVE to hear from you.
The two main issues revolve around diapering and behavior.
The diapers we are using have all come from the Goose Mother. I like them OK, but more often than not the poop shoots out the back of the diaper. I would love to try other options and would welcome the names and contact info of other diaper makers. I did find Nettie at ETSY but have not contacted her yet.
Someone mentioned that increased pooping is related to insecure geese.
I am home with goose all day however when I need to leave the house (which is rarely) or do certain jobs around the place I put the goose in a little yard we built to keep him/her out of trouble. He/she hates solitude but I’m not sure what else I can do (painting and paint remover is very bad for geese). It is a fenced yard with a kiddie pool and plenty of grass and plants. But he/she does not like to be alone and sometimes she is in there for several hours (though I am in and out several times to say “hi” and give her a slice of watermelon or apricot). Is this causing her insecurity?
At night Goosey comes inside and sleeps in its box which is beside my bed.
Someone also mentioned the fact that constant pooping follows constant access to food. At what point can I limit access to food? Since this goose is only 8 weeks old and still growing, is it necessary for food to be available all throughout the day when he/she is inside with me?
Behavior Questions:
What is the best way to correct / discipline a goose?
1. Biting:
Picking at clothing sometimes leads to painful skin pinching. My goose has a thing about my garden gloves. When we are weeding together he/she will not leave my gloved hands alone and bites at the glove which hurts. He/she also bites at shoes, flip-flops, socks, shirts, shirt collars, buttons etc.
..… Can a goose be taught the subtle distinction between clothes and skin or should it be corrected when it first begins picking at the clothes, before it ever gets to the skin?
Sometimes it will bite skin directly.
Since I have no experience I don’t know how to correct a goose or how much force to apply. I don’t want to create a mean goose with harshness but something has to be done. With my dogs, I reward them when they are good. But goose doesn’t seem to understand the whole reward thing.
2. Will my goose stop running away from me? I hatched this goose so it has been with me from minute one. Although I have never been unkind it is skittish and doesn’t like to be touched. Once it is being held it is fine but you would think I tortured it daily the way it runs away.
It wants to be around me; does not like to be alone but when I go toward it to pet it, or change its diaper it runs away.
For the first two and a half weeks it had 4 other hatchlings to hang with. Then for another week it had only one other gosling. Now it just has us. Will it adapt to being a solitary house goose even though it had early access to other geese?
Other Questions:
1. Should I be worming my goose? It forages around the yard when not in the house.
2. I read somewhere that you aren’t supposed to feed geese from your hand because it makes them feel dominant. Is this true? I feed my goose by hand when I give him/her treats. Am I creating problems?
I am new to this ‘house goose’ thing and have a zillion questions. Though this post is long, I would LOVE to hear from you.
The two main issues revolve around diapering and behavior.
The diapers we are using have all come from the Goose Mother. I like them OK, but more often than not the poop shoots out the back of the diaper. I would love to try other options and would welcome the names and contact info of other diaper makers. I did find Nettie at ETSY but have not contacted her yet.
Someone mentioned that increased pooping is related to insecure geese.
I am home with goose all day however when I need to leave the house (which is rarely) or do certain jobs around the place I put the goose in a little yard we built to keep him/her out of trouble. He/she hates solitude but I’m not sure what else I can do (painting and paint remover is very bad for geese). It is a fenced yard with a kiddie pool and plenty of grass and plants. But he/she does not like to be alone and sometimes she is in there for several hours (though I am in and out several times to say “hi” and give her a slice of watermelon or apricot). Is this causing her insecurity?
At night Goosey comes inside and sleeps in its box which is beside my bed.
Someone also mentioned the fact that constant pooping follows constant access to food. At what point can I limit access to food? Since this goose is only 8 weeks old and still growing, is it necessary for food to be available all throughout the day when he/she is inside with me?
Behavior Questions:
What is the best way to correct / discipline a goose?
1. Biting:
Picking at clothing sometimes leads to painful skin pinching. My goose has a thing about my garden gloves. When we are weeding together he/she will not leave my gloved hands alone and bites at the glove which hurts. He/she also bites at shoes, flip-flops, socks, shirts, shirt collars, buttons etc.
..… Can a goose be taught the subtle distinction between clothes and skin or should it be corrected when it first begins picking at the clothes, before it ever gets to the skin?
Sometimes it will bite skin directly.
Since I have no experience I don’t know how to correct a goose or how much force to apply. I don’t want to create a mean goose with harshness but something has to be done. With my dogs, I reward them when they are good. But goose doesn’t seem to understand the whole reward thing.
2. Will my goose stop running away from me? I hatched this goose so it has been with me from minute one. Although I have never been unkind it is skittish and doesn’t like to be touched. Once it is being held it is fine but you would think I tortured it daily the way it runs away.
It wants to be around me; does not like to be alone but when I go toward it to pet it, or change its diaper it runs away.
For the first two and a half weeks it had 4 other hatchlings to hang with. Then for another week it had only one other gosling. Now it just has us. Will it adapt to being a solitary house goose even though it had early access to other geese?
Other Questions:
1. Should I be worming my goose? It forages around the yard when not in the house.
2. I read somewhere that you aren’t supposed to feed geese from your hand because it makes them feel dominant. Is this true? I feed my goose by hand when I give him/her treats. Am I creating problems?
