Gosling with Separation Anxiety to Humans

[3xhhheather]

Right, makes a lot of sense. I think it could have helped had she been like a hatchling in with the chicks and grew up from the start. But I think she definitely needs a friend! I found someone with Roman Tufteds about the same age, but it's a 5-hour drive from here. So I need to convince my BF that it's worth the trip, lol. I'm also concerned about how they'd do in that long of a car ride. Do you (or anyone else) have experience in road travel with geese? I also found someone on here who sells hatchlings, which could work, too. I just feel bad that it'd be so much younger than her, and she'd be alone for a while. But maybe we can just get another type of goose around the same age for now? Might be easier to find.

The lil one will do totally fine in the car ride home, just bring some water with maple syrup or honey mixed in for them to drink. Ours fell asleep in their tote after about 20 minutes into a 3hr drive. Any kind of gosling around the same age will work out great, and then you can see what sex you have once they're a bit older.

 

[The Dim Side]

I live in the UK in Leeds, I got my goslings from Grantham which is about 80 miles away, a 160 mile round trip; When they were 5 days old, they were absolutely fine in a large dog crate for example while I transported them home, now they've grown, I still take them to the park regularly but have to have them stand in the boot with no crate as they simply wouldn't fit - Initially, i had them in the backseat but soon discovered that flapping birds jumping to the front of the car while I was driving was a terrible idea. If you have someone with you, like your BF for example, he could sit with them and hold onto them to keep them calm while you travel. Mine were nervous about being in the car at first but they soon got used to it.

That's good to know, thanks!! And I know you said yours are brothers, but do you know if two unrelated males can get along? We're looking to get another Roman Tufted, and it's a male. And we think ours might be a female but don't know for sure. I just want to make sure that two males can still get along and not fight, lol.

 

[The Dim Side]

The lil one will do totally fine in the car ride home, just bring some water with maple syrup or honey mixed in for them to drink. Ours fell asleep in their tote after about 20 minutes into a 3hr drive. Any kind of gosling around the same age will work out great, and then you can see what sex you have once they're a bit older.

Ah, good! I had just asked Leader Bee if he knew whether two unrelated males can get along, too, but if any goose around the same age can work out, that makes me feel better, haha. I wasn't sure if two males might get aggressive to one another when older, in the event ours turns out to be a boy as well. Ours is almost 5 weeks old, and this new one we might get is the same breed but 2 weeks younger.

 

[Leader Bee]

Im pretty sure that theyll learn to bond with each other...i have heard stories of "mated" pairs of ganders

 

[3xhhheather]

Ah, good! I had just asked Leader Bee if he knew whether two unrelated males can get along, too, but if any goose around the same age can work out, that makes me feel better, haha. I wasn't sure if two males might get aggressive to one another when older, in the event ours turns out to be a boy as well. Ours is almost 5 weeks old, and this new one we might get is the same breed but 2 weeks younger.

I know someone that only has a bachelor flock of like 15 or so ganders. Occasionally there are issues, but for the most part, her flock has established its leader and everyone gets along.

 

[The Dim Side]

Im pretty sure that theyll learn to bond with each other...i have heard stories of "mated" pairs of ganders

Good to hear!


And as an update to all, we did just get our second gosling today! But can I get recommendations on how to get them together? I have them in two separate crates right now where they can see each other. The new one is about 2 weeks younger. The younger one really wants to be with the older one, but the older one bit him on the face when they initially got close to one another. My older one bites the chicks, too. I thought she would like having a goose companion, but she hurt his eye. So I could definitely use advice on how to get her used to him!

 

[The Dim Side]

Just wanted to do another update! All seems to be well now (so far)! Both of them are getting along swimmingly (pun intended).

The younger one still occasionally has the stuffy nose sounds, but it occurred to me that the panting was unrelated and that he might just be overheated occasionally from not knowing how to regulate temperature well (my older one was doing it a lot a couple weeks ago, too). Their heat lamp is just off now, which seems to be helping. I think he just doesn't always bother to get up and get a drink when he's hot, too, lol.

And the older one isn't so lonely anymore, which makes both of us very happy! At first, the younger one ONLY wanted to be with the older one and didn't care about people (we had them separate when she bit him in the face at first). But the younger one now cries when we leave the room and follows us around more closely than the older one (she's getting a little more independent). But since they have each other to keep company, the crying only lasts for a few seconds usually.

In case anyone is curious of names, we had also named them after cartoon characters from Adventure Time. The older one looked like Lemongrab with her yellow color and tufted head and loud yelling. And coincidentally, much like the Earl of Lemongrab on the show who got lonely and got a clone of himself to have a friend, our lonely Lemongrab also got a friend. So officially we named him after the clone, Lemongrab 2, hahaha, but we call him Tooey.

 

[3xhhheather]

Happy to hear that it's all working out! I went through a similar thing with panting/stuffy noses and yeah, they're bad at regulating at that age, as they got older it all worked out <3

 

[The Dim Side]

Thank you! And yeah, I still don't know what the stuffy nose thing is, but I'm glad it finally hit me that he might just be too hot. I was too busy thinking he was sick and having trouble breathing from the stuffy nose. But I'm sure he was miserable during that time. And I was certainly panicking the first night I noticed his heavy breathing and stuffy nose. XD But he loves being in water, so that helps him cool off, too, I'm sure!

I'm also still not sure what breed he is. He was supposed to be a Roman Tufted as well, but he's got dark feathers and non-blue eyes. I saw a photo of both his parents though (very white Roman Tufteds), so I'm wondering if maybe an egg got mixed up from other goose breeds there or something?

 

[3xhhheather]

Thank you! And yeah, I still don't know what the stuffy nose thing is, but I'm glad it finally hit me that he might just be too hot. I was too busy thinking he was sick and having trouble breathing from the stuffy nose. But I'm sure he was miserable during that time. And I was certainly panicking the first night I noticed his heavy breathing and stuffy nose. XD But he loves being in water, so that helps him cool off, too, I'm sure!

I'm also still not sure what breed he is. He was supposed to be a Roman Tufted as well, but he's got dark feathers and non-blue eyes. I saw a photo of both his parents though (very white Roman Tufteds), so I'm wondering if maybe an egg got mixed up from other goose breeds there or something?

It's the goose on the left in the pic above? Looks just like my French Toulouse goslings, but could be a different breed because their beaks were turning a bit yellow by this stage.