Some ganders are just buttheads. But I'm pretty sure they can be "trained", with constant reinforcement and a lot of YOU working around natural goose behavior.
BTW, thanks for saving them from the pot
I know people eat geese
but it would be like eating a cat or dog to me (and plenty of people eat THOSE).
I had a Toulouse gander named Pinhead, who would eat out of my hand AND bite and attack me. He didn't know what to do first, and often did both at the same time. I had to watch my back around him b/c he would sneak up behind me and let me have it.
You have to relate to an aggressive goose like you were a BIGGER and MEANER goose yourself. There is no "taming" one that I know of, other than being bigger and badder, then he will keep a respectful distance. He can be a beautiful yard ornament, and watch out for his girls, eat your weeds, all that, but he can't be turned into a teddy bear.
Geese have few defenses, and domestic geese can't even fly away. They are prey animals. They have nothing but aggression, obnoxiousness and being "too scary to eat". With that in mind, I systematically taught Pinhead not to mess with me.
If he came up and attacked my legs, I would pick him up and hold him like a football. This is humiliating to them. Or, I would speak "gander" to him by taking him by the back of the neck and pressing his neck to the ground, forcing him to "submit" his manliness to me. Then I would put him down, or let him go, and chase him around a little bit with my arms spread wide (my wings are bigger than your wings). He would lay off me for a couple of weeks, and then I'd have to remind him again. I rehomed that flock during high breeding season, so Pinhead and I went at each other about once a week. He was much more respectful during the other months.
My current gander Petey likes me, but no one else. If a person walks up to him and shows no fear, he runs screaming like a little girl and keeps his distance, but if that person backs up, he's after them.
This probably sounds scary to a person who has never had geese before. A lot of people are afraid of geese. Even the vet techs where I take my birds were all huddled in a corner when I brought my female goose in for a leg xray. They were shocked she just ignored them and preened. A few tried to pet her but fell over themselves avoiding her bill
, like she'd take off a finger and eat it.
My advice for now is keep them penned, show them you are the Food Bringer and hang out near the pen and talk to them till they get used to their new home. The gander will be afraid of you most likely. Keep it that way. Don't back up or run from him, run toward him with your arms out. He won't hate you, he will RESPECT you.
