goose questions UPDATED w/ PHOTOS!

[Eggs4Sale]

Is there an easy way to tell if a goose is a male or female?

My SIL had two little geese crammed in a little cage. We felt really awful and worked on her till she let us take them over here where they get a 40 by 50 foot enclosure in the yard with 4 drakes, two kiddie pools and mud puddles. Not perfect, but at least we don't lose sleep over them any longer! These are our first geese. We don't know anything about them, except that we've had them since April. They were fuzzy with wing feathers then, and now they're just gigantic. They're still friendly, but the ducks have flown the coop, apparently not wanting to be with them any more. We were disappointed to discover the drakes were male when their tail feathers curled all in the same week. If these geese are boys, too, I'm going to scream!!!

 

[RooptyDoo]

I have been wondering if there is a way to tell for sure also. I have 3 geese and have never had them before. Went to a sale and there was a man there with a cardboard box full of baby geese just tall enough to peep over the top, I was hooked and came home with 3 of them. They are about 4 months old now, when do they become mature? They look mature now but I know that they are still babies.

I think I have 1 male and 2 females. One is honking quite loudly and will hiss at our chickens. It also has a thicker neck and is heaviier than the other two and has slightly different coloring. The 2 that I think are females still make their baby noises and are much more timid and while they are not much visibly smaller, when you hold them they feel lighter than the one that I think is a male.

The one that I think is a male is definantly a lot bolder and friendlier and will happily munch bread out of my hand while the "girls" are standoffish and prefer their bread to be thrown to them. Anybody else got a clue on how to sex a goose?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Great, then I probably have two boys! Mine are the loudest, foul-mouthed honkers. When they see me across the yard, that's all I hear. ACK.

 

[RooptyDoo]

Well, if it's any consolation, our one that I think is a male has twice the personality of the other two. He honks loudly at me when I go outside and comes running hoping for a snack. He also keeps track of his flock which consists of the other 2 geese and 6 ducks. He pinches the dogs and the chickens if they get too close but is sweet to me and all other humans (so far). I make it a point to hold all three of the geese every day hoping that they stay sweet. I don't know if it will work but once I catch them they settle down and seem to enjoy (endure) the attention!

 

[Windchyme]

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I think you got yours as covered as you can until you get eggs.

 

[Windchyme]

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From far away is different. My girls honk at me from far away as if to say "we're coming, we're coming, hold the treats until we get there" Males snake out their necks and come forward towards a threat, females stay back. It is also said that the voices of males is higher pitched then females though I havn't testedt that in my own flock.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Quote:
From far away is different. My girls honk at me from far away as if to say "we're coming, we're coming, hold the treats until we get there" Males snake out their necks and come forward towards a threat, females stay back. It is also said that the voices of males is higher pitched then females though I havn't testedt that in my own flock.

Haven't had a threat yet. But they won't let me hold them. They will come up to me slowly, necks outstretched and honking. One hangs back more, though. The plain white one. The one that my SIL says is maybe a Canada Goose is the one always to take the lead. One day, they did this slow approach/honking thing, and the lead goose eventually put it's neck alongside me, just like as if it was going to hug me. I tried to hug it and that was the end of that! If I can't hold them, will they still stay nice?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

What do you give them for treats?

 

[adrian]

Males do have higher voices than females. Their vocalizations are also different; they make a different call. Males make these little twittery noises that are quite bizarre. Females mostly mutter lowly, unless they are greeting you.

 

[Windchyme]

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Some of them like cut up apples, some like cut up cucumber. Try any fresh fruit or veggie. Oh and they ALL love fresh watermelon rinds.