Experienced help please...adding goslings to a goose.

[Birdydeb]

Okay, they are a month old tomorrow and they have been outside loose in the pen with her for several days....no snuggling on her part, she still studiously ignores them. Unbelievably, I think she is afraid of them. The little gander chases her and she runs away. Will this change? I still carry them in at night but into a crate in the duck house where they can be safe. The ducks don't care. I am just not comfortable yet locking them up with her. They have been outside loose with her for the past 3-4 days from morning until lockup at night.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just like kids if they feel they have the upper hand they will use it and if she has run from the lil gander he'll keep chasing her .lol It's hilarious to watch adult ducks run away from ducklings. Just keep doing what your doing hopefully as the goslings mature they will form a bond.

 

[Birdydeb]

Thank you! I'll just keep doing what I am doing.

 

[Birdydeb]

@Miss Lydia

They are not snuggling ....yet....but really close. They laid along the fence line yesterday with the two goslings laying together and my goose only about a foot away....just chilling and pulling grass out of the fence line. The gander quit chasing my goose and now the three of them just kinda hang out. I am still carrying the goslings in and out to sleep in the duck house at night. But my goose(still in her pen) is getting pretty vocal about it. How will I know when it is safe to let them sleep with her? She doesn't have a walk-in house like the ducks. It is a small house made from 42" pallets and almost 4' feet high. She doesn't go in it except to sleep at night or lay an egg. I lock her in at night because we have tons of raccoons. This is also why I have been carrying the goslings into the duck house at night where it is safe. Also....any suggestions on what all three should be eating because they eat out of both pans I put out in the pen. She was on layer and they were on starter(with Brewers Yeast)....I have been mixing it half and half because I was concerned about the calcium intake for the goslings and too much protein for her. Suggestions? Thank you so much for all your help..

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have to do the same with my feed since this time of year I have young and adults I mix it 50/50. So far I've not had any problems doing this. I still give my adults Nutritional yeast on their feed so all my birds are eating it too.
You might need to think about making your goose house larger I am not sure 3 adult geese would fit in their comfortably. Where do your other geese sleep at night? Geese don't snuggle unless newly hatched but sounds like they are really making progress so I'd try putting them all together one evening then checking on them a few times to make sure it's going good. How old are the goslings now?

 

[Birdydeb]

These are my only geese. Their new house that we just finished yesterday is 3'x6' and stands 4 1/2' tall. I have my new ducklings over there for now. But it was built for the geese. I swear her big square house looks roomier to me than the new house. She is the last one to go up at night. My main duck house is walk-in and is 8x10. It only has my WH flock of 6 in it right now, including Harley, my drake that was terrorizing my goose. Eventually the plan is for the 3 geese to free range my fenced in backyard. And to integrate all the baby ducklings(that I don't sell) into the duck flock. But when everything settles...they will have the new 3'x6' house. will continue to do feed half and half. Thanks again.

@Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay the reason I was thinking you had more geese is you said your gander instead of drake.

You sound like me we have 5 birds houses right off our home a friend said it looked like shanty town. [Southern slang] but anyway sounds like you have it all covered.

 

[Birdydeb]

Yep...I need to get a pic. Beginning to look like shanty town here too! sorry didn't mean to confuse you. Serena, my goose thinks she is a duck from being raised with them and so I guess I get confused too. LOL

I am in southern WV.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So your in the south too.

 

[Birdydeb]

Well.....last night I decided would be the night. When I shut everyone up for the night I was running the goslings into the house with my goose and she had a FIT! She hissed and hissed and lowered her neck to run them right out. So I backed off. This was with them still in her temporary pen because I haven't shuffled everyone around yet. Hubby seems to think if I move all three to the new pen and new house that she will be okay as it will be new to all three of them. A lot of animals are like that...are geese? They are 6 weeks old now and almost as big as she is. During the day they graze together and do almost everything together with no problems. I really need them to stay in this pen for awhile longer because it has access to a large fenced grassy area....and I am actually growing out some ducklings in their new pen. So I guess I will just leave them alone for now and let them sleep how they want. And I guess my question is...when I am ready to move them to the new pen will I have problems? Or since they are all three content with each other in this pen should it be fine when I have to move them? Keeping so many ducklings to grow out has really complicated my life. LOL My geese are the only ones not giving me headaches right now so I am thinking I just need to leave them alone for now and continue to let them bond even more....and sleep how they want.

@Miss Lydia