Geese removing feathers from chest.

[chrism]

Are they molting or is this nesting behavior?

 

[chicklover 1998]

A picture might help I know females will do this when nesting, but if it is males too they could be molting, not saying they couldn't help the female but I haven't heard of them doing that, with the plucking too.

 

[servpolice]

Does she have a nest of eggs? If she does then it is in fact nesting behaviour and means she going to start brooding.

 

[chrism]

No eggs that I know of.
I have not supplied them with a nest of their own.
They bunk down with the hens in their shelter.
Both of the pair have just down left on their chest.
I'm not overly concerned I guess because they are both acting as healthy as always.
I'm just trying to learn their behavior.

 

[bramblefir]

No eggs that I know of.
I have not supplied them with a nest of their own.
They bunk down with the hens in their shelter.
Both of the pair have just down left on their chest.
I'm not overly concerned I guess because they are both acting as healthy as always.
I'm just trying to learn their behavior.

Both of my pair also have a round spot of missing outer feathers. I think it's from mating as the female just started laying eggs.

 

[The goose girl]

Both of my pair also have a round spot of missing outer feathers. I think it's from mating as the female just started laying eggs.

I'm pretty sure that's it. I've observed my goose loosing chest feathers and some down every spring. I originally thought it was nesting behavior, like servpolice suggests, but it always started way before the laying, and that puzzled me.

For the past few weeks, my goose regularly invites me to mate with her. She does it by grabbing my pants leg with her bill, then she squats and spreads her wings just a bit to flatten. And I think the grabbing part is some kind of fixed action pattern, because sometimes she'll grab her own chest instead, thus creating the "hole" of missing feathers in her chest. I'm guessing the grabbing would help the gander not sliding off during mating.

When I had two ganders in spring, they also had the holes. They did it to each other, though, both trying at the same time to climb on top of one another, resulting in them paddling around in circles instead.

Oh, and by the way: first goose egg today!