GOOSE BREEDING THREAD - for breeding, incubating, hatching and rearing.

[livininbrazil]

They are so precious, I love the way mamas get all excited when the goslings start swimming around, Missy will join right in with the fun here. I'm sure yours do too. Thanks for sharing pics.

The ganders don´t seem to bother...they like to be on the watch!

 

[seminolewind]

Do not know what happened. I have a pair of 3 year olds and 2 pair of 6 month olds and lately the oldest male has been being nasty to one of the 6 month old girls. She was limping this morning and like dazed. She seemed fine the rest of the day, but we have put the older couple in a separate pen.

Any reason why this is happening?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do not know what happened. I have a pair of 3 year olds and 2 pair of 6 month olds and lately the oldest male has been being nasty to one of the 6 month old girls. She was limping this morning and like dazed. She seemed fine the rest of the day, but we have put the older couple in a separate pen.

Any reason why this is happening?

I don't know but sure am sorry, flock dynamics can be so hard to understand. Maybe he is trying to drive her away, I know they can be pretty partial to 1 or 2 can ignore or try to drive off any others. Very good ides to separate.

 

[seminolewind]

Thankyou Miss Lydia. She looked very frightened this morning and out of sorts. The night before she was reluctant to follow everyone into the shed.

They'll be out during the day together, the yard is big. But separate at night. She (Sophie) is the sweetest one we have.

 

[chickenflicker]

Poor girl, she has such a sweet face!!!

 

[mightymax]

Hey Seminolewind, in that picture of Sophie, she's 6 months old? I'm just asking because my Buffs won't be 6 months old until November 5th and they (especially the gander) appear to be quite a bit larger than your beautiful Sophie, and I'm wondering if I just happened to get some 'buff' Buffs (lol !!!), or perhaps I'm overfeeding them and they're just 'fuller figured' geese?
Also, my gander, Gus, who has grow up and free ranged will chickens since he was a few days old, has just started doing the neck lowering and the rapid fire chattering thing when the chickens get on 'his' porch. Now I understand all about dominance and showing a territorial presence, etc. but in this particular case, he's only coming into physical contact with the white splash or the all white chickens...??? He may tell the others off in his own way, but he has never connected with any of them (and he most certainly could if he really wanted to). All my chickens, except for one spaztic EE, are silkies, and it's ONLY the white/all white ones he tries to actually snap at. Anybody know why this is and if geese can even differentiate between colors or just lights and darks? I'm worried now that I have baby chicks that he'll start snapping at the white ones of those. He's already exhibiting behavior that suggests to everyone around that they (the white baby chicks) should just stay their distance and not move in too close to him or Gabi (his bride), the porch (his domain), the red bowl (his feed) or the blue pool (his pond), so I'm wondering now what type of goose daddy he's going to make ?!? I don't want him to hurt any babies, but especially his own, because that would just be soooo sad!
Any thoughts ???
Thanks !!!
-kim-

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thankyou Miss Lydia. She looked very frightened this morning and out of sorts. The night before she was reluctant to follow everyone into the shed.

They'll be out during the day together, the yard is big. But separate at night. She (Sophie) is the sweetest one we have.

She looks sweet. He maybe keeping her from eating to, keep an eye on that also.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey Seminolewind, in that picture of Sophie, she's 6 months old? I'm just asking because my Buffs won't be 6 months old until November 5th and they (especially the gander) appear to be quite a bit larger than your beautiful Sophie, and I'm wondering if I just happened to get some 'buff' Buffs (lol !!!), or perhaps I'm overfeeding them and they're just 'fuller figured' geese?
Also, my gander, Gus, who has grow up and free ranged will chickens since he was a few days old, has just started doing the neck lowering and the rapid fire chattering thing when the chickens get on 'his' porch. Now I understand all about dominance and showing a territorial presence, etc. but in this particular case, he's only coming into physical contact with the white splash or the all white chickens...??? He may tell the others off in his own way, but he has never connected with any of them (and he most certainly could if he really wanted to). All my chickens, except for one spaztic EE, are silkies, and it's ONLY the white/all white ones he tries to actually snap at. Anybody know why this is and if geese can even differentiate between colors or just lights and darks? I'm worried now that I have baby chicks that he'll start snapping at the white ones of those. He's already exhibiting behavior that suggests to everyone around that they (the white baby chicks) should just stay their distance and not move in too close to him or Gabi (his bride), the porch (his domain), the red bowl (his feed) or the blue pool (his pond), so I'm wondering now what type of goose daddy he's going to make ?!? I don't want him to hurt any babies, but especially his own, because that would just be soooo sad!
Any thoughts ???
Thanks !!!
-kim-

They are beautiful and well proportioned as well. I need to get some new pics of my Buff girl she will be 5 months end of next week. But i can tell you Gus is acting very normal. he is becoming a gander lol My gander grew up with ducks and chickens till he was over 5 yrs old never had any problems till I added his mate then he got very protective of her but I still never saw him hurt anyone. Then this year we added 2 goslings the Buff and Toulouse and my goodness all H broke loose, If a chicken gets close they will surround her and thank goodness I haven't seen them actually hurt one when they do this but on their own they will grab a chicken and not let go they will also do this to a duck if one happens to get in their space which is pretty wide area, but I would not let mama and babies whether it be chicks or ducklings be in the same area as the geese, they can and probably would kill them, Now for their own babies, you couldn't want better parents. The gander will protect with his life and will be a very devoted papa, Mama too. My gander took on the role of papa goose to many a Muscovy duckling before I added more geese and he figured out what he was. I do worry about my chickens though but so far they have managed to keep away from the geese. Those that have been caught seem much more aware of how close they are too. It's funny because if someone starts to get close the looks those 2 gosling who are almost 5 months old give to the chickens or ducks well if looks could kill they'd all be dead. lol They have gone from the gruesome twosome to the 4 crazed bullies. If I see them acting ugly I now bend at the waist and open my arms and act like i am going to pick them up, breaks their mind set for the moment since they are scrambling to getaway from me. lol

 

[seminolewind]

Thanks for reminding me about the food! I will keep a watch. I wonder if it's just the camera that shows her unchunky. I'll have to get more pictures. I don't know what to look for in a healthy weight. Or feel for.

 

[seminolewind]

Kim my Buffs are bigger than my Toulouse (Sophie). I thought it would be the other way around. But my Buffs are really big.

Sophie:




Sophie and Ronald (Buff)





This is Sophie and Ronald . Both 6 months. He is the biggest of the 4. He's going to be a giant.