Getting rid of birds, adding others.

[Goosebaby]

It really depends on personality but if your present flock is already getting along great that’s a good start for the new geese to integrate into. They can learn a lot from your present geese about how to get along with the ducks.

I’ve had serious problems in the past with goose/ duck violence but it was instigated by specific individuals of my duck flock every time, otherwise my geese are generally neutral towards the ducks.
They usually leave the ducks alone unless they invade their personal space at which point they‘ll just chase them away.
At one time I had a really positive relationship between my ducks and geese early on but that ended when the Duck shenanigans/bullying of certain geese began.

So I suggest just keeping an eye out for bullying either way. It’s easy to assume the larger bird would be the instigator but often with ducks it’s usually the ducks that like to start drama…they are divas…. The issue is that when a goose finally does stand up for itself it can end quickly for the duck.

 

[Goosebaby]

Ganders depending on personality will pair with 1 to 3 females, sometimes more. Typically he’ll have a favorite and the others will be side pieces or ignored.

Geese do get hormonal in breeding season, ganders will get more sensitive and easy to anger. They will become much more protective of their mate(s) “or Anyone they’ve bonded with” and territory and will defend them from perceived rivals and threats. It’s especially important to ensure that they are in a big enough enclosure that the other bird can get away should a fight start. Usually scuffles are short lived but if they're in small space and hormones are involved unfortunately the fight doesn’t end and will continue until one is severely injured or dead.

Ganders can seem very intimidating because of their size but in my opinion they are MUCH easier to deal with than a hormonal drake as they aren’t as obsessive and they are still capable of being reasoned with. So far out of the 9 ganders I’ve had, none of them, “not even the two I call murder birds” have equalled the levels of intensity and rage that my various drakes have had, and been chipping away at my patience and sanity like as my current drake has been.

So don’t be afraid to give a gander a chance, they often get a bad rap but I don’t think that’s fair, you just need to be patient and know how to deal with them, and best of all they can be wonderful loving goofballs.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Ganders depending on personality will pair with 1 to 3 females, sometimes more. Typically he’ll have a favorite and the others will be side pieces or ignored.

Geese do get hormonal in breeding season, ganders will get more sensitive and easy to anger. They will become much more protective of their mate(s) “or Anyone they’ve bonded with” and territory and will defend them from perceived rivals and threats. It’s especially important to ensure that they are in a big enough enclosure that the other bird can get away should a fight start. Usually scuffles are short lived but if they're in small space and hormones are involved unfortunately the fight doesn’t end and will continue until one is severely injured or dead.

Ganders can seem very intimidating because of their size but in my opinion they are MUCH easier to deal with than a hormonal drake as they aren’t as obsessive and they are still capable of being reasoned with. So far out of the 9 ganders I’ve had, none of them, “not even the two I call murder birds” have equalled the levels of intensity and rage that my various drakes have had, and been chipping away at my patience and sanity like as my current drake has been.

So don’t be afraid to give a gander a chance, they often get a bad rap but I don’t think that’s fair, you just need to be patient and know how to deal with them, and best of all they can be wonderful loving goofballs.

""capable of being reasoned with." just hits my funny bone !
But yes they are and I very love my gander !

 

[GMoose]

Thank you all for your answers. I will be picking a gander from an existing flock with a friend, I am looking for the largest most intimidating aggressive one as I have a lot of trouble with young children visiting my farm and chasing around the geese, I think one hiss from a gander will send them running (Not counting on them actually defending against children instead of running ha). How should I introduce a gander to three bonded geese? and I will be housing the two female runner ducks by themselves, if I choose the get them some female friends, how should I introduce those? Thanks.

 

[Goosebaby]

Thank you all for your answers. I will be picking a gander from an existing flock with a friend, I am looking for the largest most intimidating aggressive one as I have a lot of trouble with young children visiting my farm and chasing around the geese, I think one hiss from a gander will send them running (Not counting on them actually defending against children instead of running ha). How should I introduce a gander to three bonded geese? and I will be housing the two female runner ducks by themselves, if I choose the get them some female friends, how should I introduce those? Thanks.

I would start by keeping him in a dog kennel or pen where they can see each other then have supervised outings together for a few days to a week while everyone adjusts to each other and so he can learn that this is his new home.

As for the ducks, probably do the same and hope it works out. Ducks are hard to predict, they’re all kinda weirdos to varying extents.

 

[GMoose]

Sorry for all the added questions, am I hurting the gander by taking him out of an existing flock or will he get over it? also, what breed do you guys recommend? I'm thinking super African if I can find one, I'm looking for large.

 

[Bolfreak]

Sorry for all the added questions, am I hurting the gander by taking him out of an existing flock or will he get over it? also, what breed do you guys recommend? I'm thinking super African if I can find one, I'm looking for large.

On hurting the gander…I think you are intentional and researching, and that’s always going to be better than “well it was cute at Tractor Supply”.
If you want a large one, I suggest you look around at your local lake for dumps. There’s an African dumped at our lake that’s beautiful but out of place with all of the Canadians
I’m new to geese this year to protect my ducks. I got a pair of Pilgrims, never had to teach them to chase, they will attempt chasing anything that turns its back, including my seven year old and my husband even though they were handled and heard them both while young (brooder was in hubby’s office). They hiss, too. They chase the cat and my turkeys except for one turkey that was little at the same time (they used to pick on her but now the tables have turned).
All of my birds free range during the day and are locked in a barn at night (we have craptons of nighttime predators), geese/ducks in a stall and the turkeys roost wherever they please.
I found this thread searching for duck/goose breeding and nesting dynamics. I have the pair of Pilgrims and one Cayuga drake, two ducks. My drake is always with the geese, sometimes the girls will be off a bit. The ducks are laying eggs but it looks like he’s only mating one, the other’s are infertile. My goose does zero mating behavior, but in the pool the gander will try to mate the drake ? So far he latches onto feathers and they swim in dizzying circles. Hopefully it won’t get more aggressive or will be focused on girl goose once she’s amenable

 

[Goosebaby]

Sorry for all the added questions, am I hurting the gander by taking him out of an existing flock or will he get over it? also, what breed do you guys recommend? I'm thinking super African if I can find one, I'm looking for large.

I’m sorry I didn’t see your reply, only now just became aware of it.

How is your flock?

 

[Bolfreak]

I’m sorry I didn’t see your reply, only now just became aware of it.

How is your flock?

They are good, they are intelligent and entertaining (the ducks less intelligent but cute and entertaining). The geese are loud, especially when let out in the morning. And they fly! despite what the interwebs said, I’ve had to clip wings on my geese and drake to keep my investment on my property. They poop constantly-we affectionately call them goose logs, those are easy to sweep away. The duck skidmarks are another story. They prefer to nap on the back porch and poop there instead of fertilizing the pasture
They also chew EVERYthing: hay strings, pallets, feed bags, my boots (why??), plants (the ducks don’t damage plants the way geese can with their serrated bills), doormats, hoses, vehicles, fencing, tarps/towels, yard/porch decorations, small children…

 

[GMoose]

This is not the best picture as the (White) he/her is lower on a hill so looks small, but he/her (I think he) is much bigger than the other geese, taller that is. The geese didn't accept him as easily as they've accepted other geese I've added. He's got that upright posture so I'm thinking Gander. He hates the two runners! He's so confused by them when they get up on him. But he's learning they aren't a threat from the other geese. I guess I'll have to wait until mating season to know if he's male for sure? He's really white, so naturally, I named him Big red