Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[Starfire669]

 

[Starfire669]

 

[Starfire669]

I need opinions on the 3 Africans in these photos. They are not nearly as friendly as the Chinese, who I was able to get individual pictures of. One of my Africans is so aggressive that she (purchased her as sexed female but she acts like a gander) attacks everyone, even me, all the time.

 

[Starfire669]

This is the same gosling from the first picture. As I took pics of the others she/he came over, got in my face and cursed me out goose style.

 

[Starfire669]

This is Snow, my gander. He was injured in his hip 5 days ago after my son ran around a corner and spooked him. Snow has been getting so much TLC from me, that he looks for me and honks to get me to come pick him up and carry him where he wants to go, lol. He is improving, but it is going to be a while before he can run again. I can feel the damage to his hip with my fingers even through all the feathers. You can see how he is holding his leg out of the water. I have him supplements to speed healing, swim therapy, and I carry him to his feed at feeding time, or when he gets left behind by the other geese and gets upset. Whenever I pick him up the other geese come running to defend him. Since his injury though, 1 African and 1 Chinese has started acting differently, more aggressive and protective of the rest of the geese (the Chinese is still fine with me, but the African was a handful before and now is downright viscous). Is this because my son spooked the geese, and they think we will hurt them? Or is it that a younger gander is trying to take over protection duties since Snow is unable? Maybe a combination?

 

[8GeeseALaying]

These two...Ganders!!

And Hello everyone long time no see!

 

[Starfire669]

These two...Ganders!!

And Hello everyone long time no see!

Hello! Welcome back!

If the goose in the top photo is a gander I am going to have to change its name from Jasmine back to Jasper! Lol. The bottom photo is of Snow with his head up, Jasmine/Jasper with head in the water. They are extremely protective of each other, the are the last 2 of the original 6 geese we got. So their bond could just be from being together since hatch. But I was hoping to have a gander/goose pair there. These 2 are my friendliest, sweetest of all my geese. Jas still climbs in my lap for snuggles, Snow will lean on me for pets and scratches. I can pet the other 2 Chinese, but they won't get that close to me. But since Snow was injured Jas has been more bossy and protective of Snow. I touch him and she is running to me in a flash, wings spread, neck stretched, and yelling for all she/he is worth, and she/he won't stop until I put Snow down and she/he has checked him to make sure he isn't injured.

I thought I had 7 of 8 goose genders figured out. Now I am wondering if I have some submissive ganders that are now trying to step up with Snow injured. So I need help figuring this out.

 

[8GeeseALaying]

So those two are the same age? Are they also older than the others? What are the ages of these two? Im still saying ganders due to knob size already.
From what ive noticed in mine, the white chinese tend to get bigger knobs and faster than my browns. My orignal trio of white chinese and my original pair of browns are the same age but my whites knobs are much larger.

 

[Iain Utah]

Hey 8, how is everything going?

 

[Starfire669]

Snow and Jas are 21 weeks old and are the oldest geese. Next in age is a pair of Africans who are 15 weeks old, then a pair of white Chinese who are 14 weeks old, then the last pair of Africans who are 11 weeks old.

I believed that 1 of the 15 week Africans was a male due to behavior, but it is starting to act more girlie. I am fairly sure that 1 of the 14 week old white Chinese is a gander, it's size and behavior has been gander like from the start and with Snow being injured this guy is trying to take over protection duties. But my youngest Africans are causing the biggest problems. The gosling that had bad legs and needed so much extra care is no highly aggressive. In all other ways this African gosling acts like a goose, except that she attacks everyone! This gosling has attacked my mom repeadley, myself, and is starting to be outcast from the flock because she is such a bully. I don't know what to do with Gertrude, her attitude and aggression is simplynot OK. I may have to put her down if she doesn't shape up soon. She is getting too big and strong to allow this to continue for much longer.

P.S. the youngest Africans are in a bad molt and so look mangy right now.