goose w/ hot, swollen, bare neck

[sayyadina]

I just separated them this morning. The 3 geese and 2 ducks had been together all day and all night. I have a total of 5 ducks. I have 3 in a separate section of my duck/goose house right now, since they were picking on the other 2 ducks. The 2 ducks in with the geese are the more docile of the 5. The whole flock (3 geese and 5 ducks) co-existed quite nicely last year, through the winter and into summer. Until recently, when someone(s) started picking on the 2 younger geese.

I thought it was the 3 ducks I have separated now. Things seemed to get better after they were separated. Now it looks like someone they were with (Ashley or the other 2 ducks) were harassing them.

I could be wrong on my measurements, since those were just guestimates. I can get more accurate measurements tomorrow, if that would be helpful.

The area I just moved Izzy & H2 (much quicker than Helen2) to is an old greenhouse. It has plenty of ventilation, so it doesn't get too hot inside. They have a large pool now and shade area too. Its not really suitable for winter for 3 reasons. The door isn't the greatest. Its hard to open & close now. It will be worse when there's snow and ice. Its survived a couple of winters, but I'm just a bit nervous about having live animals in it when the big snow comes. And if we have another winter like this last one, with sustained temps under 15F for months, I'm concerned they'd be too cold inside it.

If Izzy & H2 can't be ok with Ashley and the 2 ducks, then all the ducks will have to go. Then the geese can have the whole house to themselves. I don't want to do this, since the ducks are fun to have around. But the geese are more important. I handled them a lot as babies, to socialize them so they'd be kinder, gentler adults. Even though Ashley's now and adult, she still love a good cuddle. Izzy isn't quite as easy to cuddle (Ashley will beg to be picked up), but she settles down nicely once you have her. H2 is a bit more difficult, but she's always been a more dramatic girl.

I don't know if this would make any difference as far as getting attacked, but Izzy is a much sweeter, more submissive type. H2 is sweet too, but she's more likely to fight back. I wonder if this is why Izzy is in worse shape than H2.

I got all my geese from Metzers, and I specifically ordered females. Ashley lays eggs, so I'm pretty sure she's a girl. Unless there was a mistake made, I'm assuming I have 3 girls.

Its really upsetting what's going on with these two, since I spent so much time cuddling and playing with them when they were little. And I love my cuddle geese. Even if they aren't quite so cuddly anymore.

I'll get some pics of their former home and their current home tomorrow.

 

[livininbrazil]

I just separated them this morning. The 3 geese and 2 ducks had been together all day and all night. I have a total of 5 ducks. I have 3 in a separate section of my duck/goose house right now, since they were picking on the other 2 ducks. The 2 ducks in with the geese are the more docile of the 5. The whole flock (3 geese and 5 ducks) co-existed quite nicely last year, through the winter and into summer. Until recently, when someone(s) started picking on the 2 younger geese.

I thought it was the 3 ducks I have separated now. Things seemed to get better after they were separated. Now it looks like someone they were with (Ashley or the other 2 ducks) were harassing them.

I could be wrong on my measurements, since those were just guestimates. I can get more accurate measurements tomorrow, if that would be helpful.

The area I just moved Izzy & H2 (much quicker than Helen2) to is an old greenhouse. It has plenty of ventilation, so it doesn't get too hot inside. They have a large pool now and shade area too. Its not really suitable for winter for 3 reasons. The door isn't the greatest. Its hard to open & close now. It will be worse when there's snow and ice. Its survived a couple of winters, but I'm just a bit nervous about having live animals in it when the big snow comes. And if we have another winter like this last one, with sustained temps under 15F for months, I'm concerned they'd be too cold inside it.

If Izzy & H2 can't be ok with Ashley and the 2 ducks, then all the ducks will have to go. Then the geese can have the whole house to themselves. I don't want to do this, since the ducks are fun to have around. But the geese are more important. I handled them a lot as babies, to socialize them so they'd be kinder, gentler adults. Even though Ashley's now and adult, she still love a good cuddle. Izzy isn't quite as easy to cuddle (Ashley will beg to be picked up), but she settles down nicely once you have her. H2 is a bit more difficult, but she's always been a more dramatic girl.

I don't know if this would make any difference as far as getting attacked, but Izzy is a much sweeter, more submissive type. H2 is sweet too, but she's more likely to fight back. I wonder if this is why Izzy is in worse shape than H2.

I got all my geese from Metzers, and I specifically ordered females. Ashley lays eggs, so I'm pretty sure she's a girl. Unless there was a mistake made, I'm assuming I have 3 girls.

Its really upsetting what's going on with these two, since I spent so much time cuddling and playing with them when they were little. And I love my cuddle geese. Even if they aren't quite so cuddly anymore.

I'll get some pics of their former home and their current home tomorrow.

Well, sometimes the hatcheries do get the sexes wrong, but if one´s laying eggs, then they must have got that one right!

Since it´s only July, you have 4 more months yet before you have to worry about the winter being cold, so why not just see how it goes and leave these two together to heal up, and have a re-think later on in the year when they´re better?
A lot of times folks find that geese and ducks just don´t combine, especially in smaller spaces.
Was last year your first year with them? It could be that they got on a lot better as they were still youngsters.
Hope things calm down for you now, and see how it pans pout later on...

 

[jtn42248]

I have ducks (24 male and female), geese ( 3 Toulouse 1 male 2 females), and chickens (23 1 rooster and 22 hens). The chickens came first and they get along with everyone. I think that is because they have always had their own space and have not had to share anything except the free range which is large.

The ducks started out as 2 males and 4 females and I added 18 ducklings recently. The geese were purchased at 4 weeks of age so that they would be the same age as the first flock of ducks since they would have to share the same coop and run.

Everything went well for about a month. Then as the ducks and geese started growing one of the Khaki Campbell female ducks began to get really aggressive toward everyone (ducks and geese) so I divided the coop into two areas where they could be with their own at night but continue to share the run. Then at about 8-10 weeks of age the geese began to get aggressive with everyone, including the chickens, in the free range.

Our solution...we built the geese their own coop with its own run and provided them with a really large free range of their own. One that they can actually fly around in. The ducks now have the old shared duck/goose coop and run to themselves and have access to the old free range all the time during the daylight hours. The chickens stay in their coop and run and have supervised access to the free range they share with the ducks. Our next project is to divide the shared duck/chicken free range in half where they will each have about 1/2 acre of free range they do not have to share since the ducks are now becoming aggressive toward the chickens.

I know that many if not most people have no problem with mixed flocks and I really do envy them. However, in the interest of peace among the flocks I have found that allowing them to have their own space works best here.

 

[sayyadina]

I actually measured the house, and it's actually 9'x 20.5' total. I had a mixed flock of 2 geese and about 10 ducks for a few years with no problem. I rehomed one of the original geese and most of the original ducks. Now I'm at 3 geese and 5 ducks, I'm having problems.

The 3 ducks are now by themselves. They have a 9'x5.5' part of the duck house for just them at night. Then I had the 3 geese and 2 ducks in the remaining 9'x14' space at night.

This is where I have Izzy and H2 right now

This is the duck/goose house and pasture where the rest of the flock live. The duck/goose house is under the solar panels in the first pic. Pic 2 is of the second part of the pasture. Pic 3 is inside the duck/goose house.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I actually measured the house, and it's actually 9'x 20.5' total. I had a mixed flock of 2 geese and about 10 ducks for a few years with no problem. I rehomed one of the original geese and most of the original ducks. Now I'm at 3 geese and 5 ducks, I'm having problems.

The 3 ducks are now by themselves. They have a 9'x5.5' part of the duck house for just them at night. Then I had the 3 geese and 2 ducks in the remaining 9'x14' space at night.

This is where I have Izzy and H2 right now


This is the duck/goose house and pasture where the rest of the flock live. The duck/goose house is under the solar panels in the first pic. Pic 2 is of the second part of the pasture. Pic 3 is inside the duck/goose house.

Nice place, look at all they flat lush grass.

 

[livininbrazil]

I have ducks (24 male and female), geese ( 3 Toulouse 1 male 2 females), and chickens (23 1 rooster and 22 hens). The chickens came first and they get along with everyone. I think that is because they have always had their own space and have not had to share anything except the free range which is large.

The ducks started out as 2 males and 4 females and I added 18 ducklings recently. The geese were purchased at 4 weeks of age so that they would be the same age as the first flock of ducks since they would have to share the same coop and run.

Everything went well for about a month. Then as the ducks and geese started growing one of the Khaki Campbell female ducks began to get really aggressive toward everyone (ducks and geese) so I divided the coop into two areas where they could be with their own at night but continue to share the run. Then at about 8-10 weeks of age the geese began to get aggressive with everyone, including the chickens, in the free range.

Our solution...we built the geese their own coop with its own run and provided them with a really large free range of their own. One that they can actually fly around in. The ducks now have the old shared duck/goose coop and run to themselves and have access to the old free range all the time during the daylight hours. The chickens stay in their coop and run and have supervised access to the free range they share with the ducks. Our next project is to divide the shared duck/chicken free range in half where they will each have about 1/2 acre of free range they do not have to share since the ducks are now becoming aggressive toward the chickens.

I know that many if not most people have no problem with mixed flocks and I really do envy them. However, in the interest of peace among the flocks I have found that allowing them to have their own space works best here.

No telling...I have 20 geese, a dozen or so muscovies and about a dozen chickens free-ranging in about an acre and a half, no probs...must be an individual thing.

I actually measured the house, and it's actually 9'x 20.5' total. I had a mixed flock of 2 geese and about 10 ducks for a few years with no problem. I rehomed one of the original geese and most of the original ducks. Now I'm at 3 geese and 5 ducks, I'm having problems.

The 3 ducks are now by themselves. They have a 9'x5.5' part of the duck house for just them at night. Then I had the 3 geese and 2 ducks in the remaining 9'x14' space at night.

This is where I have Izzy and H2 right now


This is the duck/goose house and pasture where the rest of the flock live. The duck/goose house is under the solar panels in the first pic. Pic 2 is of the second part of the pasture. Pic 3 is inside the duck/goose house.

They have lots of space, then...I like the set-up in the greenhouse. Is it safetly glass in case they hit it with their wings? Is it well ventilated in there? They certainly have space.....
I can only imagine, then, that it´s the personalities of the birds at any given time. Maybe the previous ducks were just milder......

 

[jtn42248]

Well livininbrazil, maybe your birds have that laid back south of the equator thing going. I would not be surprised to find that mine have a West Texas conservative keep to yourself attitude.

All kidding aside...I think it really is the personality of the birds themselves. I know my dogs have individual personalities and so do my birds. Even among the chickens there are differences that I can spot. That and the fact that I tend to pay more attention and spend more time with the chickens and geese than I do with the ducks so, in their own ways they might think they are special and have special privileges. Thereby conflict between the "children" due to a "daddy always liked you best" thing.

I know that I tend to anthromophise my animals more than I should and while that is both a good and a bad thing I suspect it has something to do with their behavior. And, if I did not do this, I could have a much fuller freezer than I do.

 

[sayyadina]

I have all the roof vents open. The top side vent is broken and won't open. The bottom side vent is at goose level, and they're too much chance of them getting their necks stuck if I open it. One of the doors can be converted to a half door, which is how I have it during the day. At night, I completely close the door, but all the roof vents are open. H2 was a bit warm and panting when I got out there this morning, but she cooled down once I got the half door open.

We're working on fencing in a pasture area for them around the greenhouse, so they can be out to graze during the day. They seem fairly ok during the day, with outside temps in the 70s-80s. I'm not sure how they'll be if it gets into the 90s here.

The walls are polycarbonate plastic with metal bracing, and polycarbonate is quite strong from what I know. It survived the blizzard that dumped 4ft of snow on us 2 years ago.

I think I might ultimately wind up putting the 3 bad ducks in the freezer, move the 2 ducks to the 9X5.5 side of the house, and leave the 9X14 side to the geese.

 

[livininbrazil]

Well livininbrazil, maybe your birds have that laid back south of the equator thing going. I would not be surprised to find that mine have a West Texas conservative keep to yourself attitude.

All kidding aside...I think it really is the personality of the birds themselves. I know my dogs have individual personalities and so do my birds. Even among the chickens there are differences that I can spot. That and the fact that I tend to pay more attention and spend more time with the chickens and geese than I do with the ducks so, in their own ways they might think they are special and have special privileges. Thereby conflict between the "children" due to a "daddy always liked you best" thing.

I know that I tend to anthromophise my animals more than I should and while that is both a good and a bad thing I suspect it has something to do with their behavior. And, if I did not do this, I could have a much fuller freezer than I do.

 

[livininbrazil]

I have all the roof vents open. The top side vent is broken and won't open. The bottom side vent is at goose level, and they're too much chance of them getting their necks stuck if I open it. One of the doors can be converted to a half door, which is how I have it during the day. At night, I completely close the door, but all the roof vents are open. H2 was a bit warm and panting when I got out there this morning, but she cooled down once I got the half door open.

We're working on fencing in a pasture area for them around the greenhouse, so they can be out to graze during the day. They seem fairly ok during the day, with outside temps in the 70s-80s. I'm not sure how they'll be if it gets into the 90s here.

The walls are polycarbonate plastic with metal bracing, and polycarbonate is quite strong from what I know. It survived the blizzard that dumped 4ft of snow on us 2 years ago.

I think I might ultimately wind up putting the 3 bad ducks in the freezer, move the 2 ducks to the 9X5.5 side of the house, and leave the 9X14 side to the geese.

Well that sounds nice and secure, just wondering if you can paint the roof of the greenhouse with that shading paint, or even put sacking over the top...that´d help to keep the temperature better in the winter, too.
But, actually your last idea seems to solve it all.
Don´t forget pics when they´re beautiful again!