Gander Protecting Duck Eggs?

[Colleen Ray]

So my ducks have started laying eggs and we had to separate the drakes from the rest of the flock at night because my sweet gander has decided that duck mating is naughty. He spends all his time keeping the drakes away from the females. At first, it was fine, the boys would sneak off in corners and skulk away where he couldn't see them but then they started getting aggressive with him. Now we keep them apart at night. He gets some much-needed sleep and the ducks get some rest as well. But now he's becoming a bit defensive of the pen. He loves us and cuddles us every day but he nips at our boots when we come in and trembles all over.

Is he trying to protect the nest? Would it be best to separate him from the ducks altogether while they're laying? I know ganders are good papas and may even choose to sit on a nest themselves. I'd thought since his mate isn't laying yet (I'd heard they won't start that up until age three) he wouldn't get too excited about the eggs. The ducks certainly don't seem broody.

Wasn't he a cute little thing?

Any thoughts?

 

[Percheron chick]

I would keep the ducks together and separate the geese. You don't want the gander believing the ducks are his.
The goose will lay as a yearling. Most geese are seasonal spring and summer layers. Mine typically start laying early Feb and continue until July. The first month's eggs are usually not fertile so gather them and start baking.

 

[Sara S]

So my ducks have started laying eggs and we had to separate the drakes from the rest of the flock at night because my sweet gander has decided that duck mating is naughty. He spends all his time keeping the drakes away from the females. At first, it was fine, the boys would sneak off in corners and skulk away where he couldn't see them but then they started getting aggressive with him. Now we keep them apart at night. He gets some much-needed sleep and the ducks get some rest as well. But now he's becoming a bit defensive of the pen. He loves us and cuddles us every day but he nips at our boots when we come in and trembles all over.

Is he trying to protect the nest? Would it be best to separate him from the ducks altogether while they're laying? I know ganders are good papas and may even choose to sit on a nest themselves. I'd thought since his mate isn't laying yet (I'd heard they won't start that up until age three) he wouldn't get too excited about the eggs. The ducks certainly don't seem broody.

Wasn't he a cute little thing?

Any thoughts?View attachment 2944251

Awwwww he is cute. I know Next to nothing about ducks, but good luck with him and ur babies!!

 

[Goosebaby]

He’s doing his thing, they get more protective and territorial when they get hormonal in the colder months, the pen is his kingdom and he will protect who and what he views as his.

If he’s kind to the ducks there isn’t much of an issue, but relationships between ducks and geese can easily turn violent so you might need to keep a close watch and remove them if the relationship starts to sour.

Geese usually start breeding and laying their first winter/spring, I don’t really consider them to be adults though until they’re two years old when they’ve reached their true size and they've figured out the world around them mostly, but they can breed at only a year old.