Have I created a monster?

[LLCoyote]

Alright, I have two questions. One, my female goose is really gaga about me. I mean she loved to be held, petted, sung to, talked to, and if we're outside grazing she enjoys cuddling up to my leg and nibbling on the grass around us. Problem is, the older she gets, the more upset she becomes when I leave a room. She just screams and screams like she's absolutely terrified. I don't go to her when she does this, I'm not sure if that helps just the horse trainer in me saying that would feed the behavior, but it takes her a good ten to twenty minutes before she tires out and if she hears my voice at all during that time she increases her efforts ten fold.

I'm really glad they like me, I want them to be social with me, but eventually they're going to be over 20 lbs. and they will have to go outside and stay in the barn and spend their days grazing. I thought the older they got, the more independant they would become. This is true for my gander, but not for my girl. My question is (and it pains me to ask this) do I need to stop handling them? I won't lie, they're very spoiled. Mother leaves music on for them in the brooder room from the time she goes to work to when I get up an hour or so later. Then I clean their pen, talk to them, get them some more grass and leave them be for a few hours. Over all between the twice daily full cleans, the spot cleaning, grazing time, and bath time, they get handled very very frequently. I've tried to cut back, but maybe I need to be hands off all together? I will admit they've been my prime source of entertainment since my foot surgery but if it will make their transition outside easier (I don't want them to hurt themselves or the ducks) then I'll do what ever it takes aside from being mean to them.

Also, my male gosling has a weird thing happening to his wing. Happening is the wrong word, he's been like this since I got him. His wing just sort of, hangs a little, more so than the girl's. I didn't think they could get angel wing that young, but the older they get the more I worry. What does it look like to you guys?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/38/0727150111.jpg/ for some reason the BYC image thing isn't working on my computer today.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

How old are they?

 

[coffeekittie]

Are these guys living in your home or in an outbuilding? If in your home, maybe it's time to move them to more permanent quarters in their own "home" with some of the same amenities like music playing and familiar things around them. The change might distract your girl from her dependance on you and help you "wean" her off you, sort of like a mother goose - no pun intended!

Parker

 

[LLCoyote]

I appreciate the feed back, they aren't even three weeks old yet. So I'm kind of afraid to put them outside yet...

 

[Trefoil]

I don't think its going to be a problem. If you want your geese to be friendly you need to keep interacting with them because as they get older and are able to go outside you want to be able to catch and handle them if/when necessary. Once they are older and outside they will become much more independant and you'll wish they were still your babies.enjoy it while it lasts.