Geese - understanding humans

[clmschke]

Tonight I had my ipod touch on me so I tried out some music on them. Buddy, our Toulouse was very interested in the noise. He/She bullied to the front to hear. I played some classic rock; Journey and Phil Collins. I don't want to corrupt young Goose minds with something more than that.

 

[Iain Utah]

Interesting thread. I believe geese are smart, sensitive and capable of learning many things. They understand humans better than many would give them credit for. However, as much as my geese know different sounds/tones of my voice, I don't think they know any specific words. However, they know routines, make associations with people and objects, and can read body language very well. They are always surprising me with little things that show their intelligence and capacity for having emotions.

Clm, not sure if you told me you had a partially blind goose before, but that is very cool. I adore my blind goose. Also, I think your avatar is very cute.

 

[clmschke]

Sissy is one of our hatched geese. We hatched out three and she remains. She was a difficult hatch; didn't want to come out and was attached by a strong filament to the shell. Thankfully we read the goose hatching 101 forum post and did things just the way they said. I clamped it (just in case, but it was not necessary) and clipped it. She was touch and go for the first day, but she's caught up. After about a week we realized she is blind or near blind in the left eye.
as you see it did not form completely, but there is an iris in there, so we assume she can see large movement.

She's a sweetie: loves to chew on Dave's beard and ears. Right now, she is our only confirmed female. We expect DNA results on Buddy soon, but that leaves 4 males vying for her attention. This afternoon she was lying on this folded-up lawn chair seducing Ron. Poor Ron has not figured it out yet, but he's getting closer.

 

[Iain Utah]

 

[clmschke]

I've been reading up on Spirit who is just the cutest goosie around! He certainly must have that laid back, easy-going Toulouse personality to get through all that and just go on with Goose Life. Such a cutie!

 

[Tivona]

My geese know several words and commands but my main gander is definitely the smart one. Bedtime is the command to go to their pen. The word "toy" and the word "No!" they understand. The term "move on" means for them to move out of the way a few steps. The gander understands "be nice" which is really handy during breeding season and he gets all grumpy with some of the other birds. He knows his name (River), and also the term "isn't that a nice ducky" which turns River from making the duck leave.

Actually that one had a funny result of him falling in love with a duck. He was still bonded with Snow but he got the idea that the "isn't that a nice ducky" meant that he should like them and when one started to flirt, well pretty soon he was mating with the nice ducky. The call of "goose, goose, goose" will get them coming to me.

The one I am still working on is "quiet", two of them River and his mate Snow understand and will stop making loud honks but the urge to make noise is a hard one for them to hold in it seems. The other two I have only had for a short time but they have already learned ones like "be nice" and "bedtime" and are starting to get some of the other terms. My ducks know pretty much the same stuff minus the "be nice" which isn't necessary for them.

All four of my geese are fairly friendly but my female Snow is extra sweet although she can be a pest. She likes to tug on my pant leg as I get the food ready, and she loves to be petted. She will crawl right into my lap if I sit down on the ground. The others will come close but prefer not to be touched although I do touch all of them at least once or twice a week. They can understand that when I want them to move a certain way or leave someone or thing alone. It makes it nice when they understand when I need them to do something or move or be quiet. It seems they pick up words pretty quick as long as I use them consistently for a few weeks. Some like the "be quiet" are fighting their own nature and are harder for them and I am not sure will ever be a complete success as a command but they still understand.

 

[Iain Utah]

I've been reading up on Spirit who is just the cutest goosie around! He certainly must have that laid back, easy-going Toulouse personality to get through all that and just go on with Goose Life. Such a cutie!

Thank you!!!

 

[Gyburc]

When I bought my geese as week-old goslings, I drove them back from the breeder's. It was a four-hour drive, so to keep them entertained (and myself sane) I talked and sang to them all the way. They are still quite intrigued by me singing in the garden, 18 months or so later.

My geese definitely recognise different tones of voice, but I'm not so sure about different words, although I think my gander does understand the word 'no', he just doesn't seem to get that it applies to him...

 

[Miss Lydia]

When I bought my geese as week-old goslings, I drove them back from the breeder's. It was a four-hour drive, so to keep them entertained (and myself sane) I talked and sang to them all the way. They are still quite intrigued by me singing in the garden, 18 months or so later.

My geese definitely recognise different tones of voice, but I'm not so sure about different words, although I think my gander does understand the word 'no', he just doesn't seem to get that it applies to him...

i have one of those too.

 

[Marty1876]

My geese don't all know their names (we can't even remember them all) but a few do. The goose I've been handling a lot every day during a healing process knows she's "Baby Girl". She has become very responsive to me, like I'm a goose. (I was her hatcher too) They all respond to "gooose goose goose" and if they see me pick up the buckets, everyone gets in line behind me and follows me to the garage and watches me mix up their grains. They are very loud then.

I find it very interesting how each breed is so differnt in their vocalizatioins, even though they mostly hang out as a flock (but I did have to seperate my Africans). The Africans are the loudest and most vocal by far. They sound quite differnt from the others, maybe due to that large head knob. The toulouse and sebastopol are both modest speakers, and reasonable calm and quiet. The sebbies do have differnt "speech" patterns than the toulouse though. I wonder if they understand each other perfectly. The Africans are the bossy ones, with one gray sebbie being without a doubt the biggest busybody of the whole gaggle. He is into everything, all the time. If anyone keeps the ducks in a row, its him. One of the buffs is turning into a bit of a bully, as it's become the largest goose. S/he is just getting so big, I'm tempted to weight it. I think its a she, she and the turkeys are ever at odds, since they want to bully everyone, and she's against that. LOL NIce big buff. Wondering about the presumed gender though.