Last year I had to admit defeat and agree I had 2 ganders. This spring I got 2 African goslings, and raised them with love. They were Messy ( originally named Mesi, an African name meaning Water Woman, but she was a he), a gander, and Bem (unisex African name meaning Peace), who developed into a beautiful goose.
They had been successfully introduced to my remaining gander (one of them, Thunder, had turned up missing a month ago - I was so upset over that!) Everything was going fine! Bem had fallen in love with the older gander, Lightning, and followed him around everywhere.
Messy followed, too, a bit less enthusiastically, but not wanting to be left behind. I was hunting for another goose or two, to even out the genders, but hadn't yet been successful. I knew everyone would be happier that way! Still, Bem was the sweetest little lady! She would come "talk" to me every time she saw me. ❤ Such a darling!
Well... here's the hard part to talk about. I hadn't even written about this except a brief post on Facebook, which was painful enough, with people that weren't goose-oriented or even featherbaby oriented.
November 7th, my adult son went out to check everyone's water and such, and... he found Bem dead, floating in the pond we've made for them. The males standing nearby. I couldn't do it, but my husband went out and helped check her over, for some possible explanation... no injuries visible, no reason for her to get trapped there, nothing!!
The only reason for death I can think of is that the ganders had been fighting over her in the water. Either that or a freak heart attack or stroke, and how possible would that be?!
I've been crushed. Just crushed! Good grief, in less than a year I've lost my mother (devastated me - I still am not over that), my dear cat Puff that I'd had her whole 16 years, a favorite Banty Cochin hen, all of my Light Brahma hens (those from *expletives* raccoons), my gander Thunder that I'd handraised, and my dear, beloved LGD Buddy (from aggressive metastatic bone cancer)... and now my sweet Bem?!? I am terrified to ask what next!
Anyway, I thought maybe you could suggest any other thing that could have killed her, or let me know if you think I'm correct. And advise me on whether I should separate the males, get rid of at least the eldest - which would almost certainly have been the main aggressor - or any other suggestions.
I've been depressed lately and hardly been online, but I will try to check this regularly. Seriously, if I dont answer right away, please don't think I've abandoned the post!
Thank you in advance.
They had been successfully introduced to my remaining gander (one of them, Thunder, had turned up missing a month ago - I was so upset over that!) Everything was going fine! Bem had fallen in love with the older gander, Lightning, and followed him around everywhere.
Messy followed, too, a bit less enthusiastically, but not wanting to be left behind. I was hunting for another goose or two, to even out the genders, but hadn't yet been successful. I knew everyone would be happier that way! Still, Bem was the sweetest little lady! She would come "talk" to me every time she saw me. ❤ Such a darling!
Well... here's the hard part to talk about. I hadn't even written about this except a brief post on Facebook, which was painful enough, with people that weren't goose-oriented or even featherbaby oriented.
November 7th, my adult son went out to check everyone's water and such, and... he found Bem dead, floating in the pond we've made for them. The males standing nearby. I couldn't do it, but my husband went out and helped check her over, for some possible explanation... no injuries visible, no reason for her to get trapped there, nothing!!
The only reason for death I can think of is that the ganders had been fighting over her in the water. Either that or a freak heart attack or stroke, and how possible would that be?!
I've been crushed. Just crushed! Good grief, in less than a year I've lost my mother (devastated me - I still am not over that), my dear cat Puff that I'd had her whole 16 years, a favorite Banty Cochin hen, all of my Light Brahma hens (those from *expletives* raccoons), my gander Thunder that I'd handraised, and my dear, beloved LGD Buddy (from aggressive metastatic bone cancer)... and now my sweet Bem?!? I am terrified to ask what next!
Anyway, I thought maybe you could suggest any other thing that could have killed her, or let me know if you think I'm correct. And advise me on whether I should separate the males, get rid of at least the eldest - which would almost certainly have been the main aggressor - or any other suggestions.
I've been depressed lately and hardly been online, but I will try to check this regularly. Seriously, if I dont answer right away, please don't think I've abandoned the post!
Thank you in advance.
