Goose/gosling behavior question?

[Twizzlebee]

We have a gosling, he's probably 16 weeks old that is extremely social. I just love him to death, he follows me everywhere, is always underneath my feet. But recently when I squat by him he will rub his beak all up and down me, and sometimes will kind of 'nibble' on my legs. I can hardly feel it, but I can see him open his mouth and such. What should i do to correct it? and why does he do it? I've never hand fed them, even though occasionally when I'm scooping out food I let him eat out of the scoop for a few seconds. Is this a sign of aggression?

Also, since I'm already making a post, when can I start free ranging my 4 new geese? Their not all that social, wont even come to me for food, but they do go in the coop on their own every night. I've had them for about a week now.

 

[gm21255]

My goslings like to nibble on everything, including me. That's how they explore their environment. The way your gosling is acting sounds like he's showing you affection. As long as he's gentle about the nibbling, it shouldn't be a problem. I think it's good for them to practice nibbling gently. When I get on the ground with my geese they like to tug on my clothes and bite on my shoes and climb in my lap. If they get too carried away with their nibbling, I just end the social session.

It sounds like your new geese have made a connection to their coop for safety at night. You could experiment by letting them out of their coop and keeping an eye on them at first to see how far they wander...but I'm guessing they will gravitate back to their coop as home base and gradually expand how far they explore each day. If they have food and water in their coop, that will give them a reason to return to it.