Goose targeting rooster?

tiredMutt98

In the Brooder
Oct 16, 2023
4
27
36
My goose keeps ripping out my rooster's feathers(tail and saddle), she* seems to be mostly targeting him but she's de-tailed a couple hens as well. I'm mostly concerned that this might be a behavioral issue as we got her as a predator deterrent. I don't want to cull or re-home her but as we're getting into winter I Really don't want semi naked chickens when it's freezing out. Any advice?

*we're pretty sure the goose is a female pomeranian but we have no confirmation of this
 
Keep the goose seperated. I had a gander eat the comb off one rooster, continually get in fights with my other rooster, pinned my hen against a fence while plucking her on multiple occasions, and nearly killed a couple of other hens. If your goose is showing aggression towards any of your chickens, separate it before she kills one when you're not around to intervene. The goose will not stop, and is likely to get worst come breeding season.
 
The only way she’ll deter predators from your flock is distracting them from the flock by serving up her own life to them. Geese have no ability or instinct to protect others besides their own goslings from predators, and they have no defense from even small predators like skunks or mink. Their defense is to fly away, if they can.

Chinese geese can make great alarm geese and will honk when they see someone approaching, other breeds of geese vary. Mostly they will alert the flock to danger by quietly huffing and then scurrying to safety.

Geese can bond with other birds but they do better with their own. I suggest getting her a companion goose or rehoming her to someone who already has geese.
 

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