TwistedTayy
Songster
So a dog got into my pen about 4 days ago and had a great time terrorizing my birds (I have a separate post with the story) now that the shock has worn off the ducks are back out free ranging and I’ve gotten a better chance to see how the dynamics have changed.
There were originally 3 separate flocks who were housed in separate coops but they all went in the same yard during the day and each kept to themselves. The “meat” bird flock consisted of 3 Jumbo Pekins and a white layer (who was supposed to be a JP). 2 drakes and 2 hens who were going through their first molt and I was preparing to process them. They were the oldest. Then there are two pilgrim geese (m&f) which I hatched about 5 days after the pekins arrived from metzer and are 8 weeks old as of tomorrow. Then we have a flock of 15 Welsh harlequins (I think 6 hens 9 drakes) who are about 6 weeks old. Like I said each flock kept to themselves and the geese ruled the yard.
The dog killed the 3 Jumbo Pekins and the lead drake of the WH flock. 4 WH drakes had to be separated to heal (the dog bit their bums pretty good, took out feathers and three of these had punctures going into the muscle) it could have been much much worse for sure. They were having trouble walking but they are now up and moving around in their small pen. My white layer didn’t have a scratch on her but it looks like her wing joint is dislocated at her pinion and she refuses to either allow me to wrap it or allow the wrap to stay on (I think the geese are accomplices).
When I came home after/during the attack, the male pilgrim had all the welsh harlequins in their coop and was standing in the doorway and the female pilgrim was guarding my white layer in a stand of trees.
Now to the new dynamics… the geese are VERY protective of the babies. They’re not at all aggressive with me but the female doesnt like being More than 15-20ft from the welshies. But they are TERRIFIED of her and her large majestic goose-ness. Lol it’s actually kind of funny but I feel bad for them. Pinkie, the white layer, has become friends with the geese but has joined the WH flock so she’s kind of like a go-between. even though she has trouble keeping up with them (I’m thinking of getting some more heavy weight birds for her to be friends with… open to suggestions).
Do you guys think that the WH will ever calm down about the geese? They don’t like being within 5 ft of them but whenever they forage too far away the geese have a full goose meltdown and run after them squawking and flapping… then they stop and start eating grass when they’re close enough but it scares the crap out of the babies.
I have a couple ideas but I’d be open to thoughts and anecdotes from yall about flock dynamics after an attack.
There were originally 3 separate flocks who were housed in separate coops but they all went in the same yard during the day and each kept to themselves. The “meat” bird flock consisted of 3 Jumbo Pekins and a white layer (who was supposed to be a JP). 2 drakes and 2 hens who were going through their first molt and I was preparing to process them. They were the oldest. Then there are two pilgrim geese (m&f) which I hatched about 5 days after the pekins arrived from metzer and are 8 weeks old as of tomorrow. Then we have a flock of 15 Welsh harlequins (I think 6 hens 9 drakes) who are about 6 weeks old. Like I said each flock kept to themselves and the geese ruled the yard.
The dog killed the 3 Jumbo Pekins and the lead drake of the WH flock. 4 WH drakes had to be separated to heal (the dog bit their bums pretty good, took out feathers and three of these had punctures going into the muscle) it could have been much much worse for sure. They were having trouble walking but they are now up and moving around in their small pen. My white layer didn’t have a scratch on her but it looks like her wing joint is dislocated at her pinion and she refuses to either allow me to wrap it or allow the wrap to stay on (I think the geese are accomplices).
When I came home after/during the attack, the male pilgrim had all the welsh harlequins in their coop and was standing in the doorway and the female pilgrim was guarding my white layer in a stand of trees.
Now to the new dynamics… the geese are VERY protective of the babies. They’re not at all aggressive with me but the female doesnt like being More than 15-20ft from the welshies. But they are TERRIFIED of her and her large majestic goose-ness. Lol it’s actually kind of funny but I feel bad for them. Pinkie, the white layer, has become friends with the geese but has joined the WH flock so she’s kind of like a go-between. even though she has trouble keeping up with them (I’m thinking of getting some more heavy weight birds for her to be friends with… open to suggestions).
Do you guys think that the WH will ever calm down about the geese? They don’t like being within 5 ft of them but whenever they forage too far away the geese have a full goose meltdown and run after them squawking and flapping… then they stop and start eating grass when they’re close enough but it scares the crap out of the babies.
I have a couple ideas but I’d be open to thoughts and anecdotes from yall about flock dynamics after an attack.
