Can you have a 'Beta' gander??

[Gyburc]

Hi all,

I posted a couple of weeks ago about my young Toulouse gander who is getting hissy and snappy - thanks for the advice! He is still hissyfitting from time to time, but no further biting so far.

We have three other geese, two of whom seem to be girls, and we're not really sure about the third, although we think he is also a gander. He is small compared to the others, but only because he has a twisted beak. He screams like the gander, and has pulled out feathers on his chest as well. However, he is not showing any other signs of gander behaviour - no hissing, no posturing, and in fact he is the friendliest of the bunch.

Could this be because he is so definitely the 'beta' gander? Or is he actually a she?

Thanks!

G

 

[Olive Hill]

Only way to know his gender for sure is to vent sex.

That said, yes, of course he could be the beta gander if he is, in fact, a gander. Every flock with more than one gander has a beta. No, his temperament, regardless of his position in the flock or gander, isn't just a function of that position. Temperament is highly individual to each goose.

 

[Gyburc]

Hi Olive,

Thanks! So, he could be a gander, and just completely laid back? He really doesn't appear to be having any hormonal swings or any desire to mate with the girls...

Perhaps he's like Gonzo - a Whatever.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
A goose removing feathers from its breast (chest) is what some females do just before (24 hours) before they start brooding (setting) the nest. All my females did so and used the removed feathers to line their nest. I have never heard of a gander doing so. Reports from other goose people said that their females did not do so. your 2nd gander may be the zed goose the lowest on the pecking order and being plucked by all the geese above it. He may never get to mate unless the others pair off and the spare goose thinks he is better than nothing. that is just flock politics.