HELP - honking at planes!

Allears

Songster
8 Years
Jul 4, 2015
420
50
176
South Africa
My flock consists of an embden goose, mallard x muscovy duck, two hens and 14 goslings and a wild duckling. The goose has adopted the role of mother to everyone. This is endearing, but she has become over-protective and shouts at anything bigger than a sparrow that flies over the property and we are in a flight path from the airport..... The first flight out leaves at 04:25. I put them all in the garage at night now, but Goose calls to come out at about 05:00. The neighbours aren't greeting anymore.

The garage has no door, only a gate. If I cover the gate with shade cloth, will it help to keep Goose quiet until I let her out? The gosling (Egyptian geese wildings) are due for release at the end of the month and are starting to test their wings. "Mother" goose runs up and down the garden with them shouting encouragement. The neighbours aren't greeting anymore.

Any ideas, other than rehome?
 
My flock consists of an embden goose, mallard x muscovy duck, two hens and 14 goslings and a wild duckling. The goose has adopted the role of mother to everyone. This is endearing, but she has become over-protective and shouts at anything bigger than a sparrow that flies over the property and we are in a flight path from the airport..... The first flight out leaves at 04:25. I put them all in the garage at night now, but Goose calls to come out at about 05:00. The neighbours aren't greeting anymore.

The garage has no door, only a gate. If I cover the gate with shade cloth, will it help to keep Goose quiet until I let her out? The gosling (Egyptian geese wildings) are due for release at the end of the month and are starting to test their wings. "Mother" goose runs up and down the garden with them shouting encouragement. The neighbours aren't greeting anymore.

Any ideas, other than rehome?
I hope you don't have to re home her. Hang in there till end of the month is it noise or sight that gets her going mine can't hear the planes going over but see them and they all cock their heads to watch but they don't make any noise.

I'd try the shade cloth and see if it helps if it's the noise I don't know what to do other than sound proofing your garage somehow.
 
She's a keeper
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(I've sent along a PM, but, in brief...) Sing to her. Make the soothing sounds. A 2nd-hand baby monitor could help--mount it in an accessible part of the garage where she can get in/out and see everything around her easily, yet is cozy enough that it could be like a "tranquility garden" for her. With the monitor, you could hear when she's stressing out and she could hear you come through to calm her down. It might be a little weird for her at first to hear a disembodied voice, just gradually work it in, but in time it really should soothe her and be a comfort to the rest of the flock as well. Learn their soothing sounds and speak or sing in similar sounds.

Singing a song that seems to click w/ your Mother Goose a few times over is very peaceful for a goose. It's like a meditation chant. In essence, it tells her (you could actually say this to her, too), "I understand your fear, you're right, but it's o.k., I'm here and I'm watching over you, I'll keep you safe from even the things that fly over. Let me help you worry a little less. Let me guard you and tell you it's alright. I'm not stressed out about your alarm calls. I'm proud you know how to protect so well. I thank you for them and I thank you for teaching me how to be a guard goose so well."

If you're able to stay at home during the day, she'll take so much comfort in just being able to hear you talk to her--even through the baby monitor--throughout the day. She'll feel included and reassured that you're nearby. It'll let her know where you are (more or less) and that'll lower her stress, too.

Hope this helps
 
I hope you don't have to re home her. Hang in there till end of the month is it noise or sight that gets her going mine can't hear the planes going over but see them and they all cock their heads to watch but they don't make any noise.

I'd try the shade cloth and see if it helps if it's the noise I don't know what to do other than sound proofing your garage somehow.
Thanks Miss Lydia, you know she and I have been on a journey together. My heart aches thinking that she may have to be rehomed, she has such a cushy life here and won't be as appreciated by anyone else like she is here. There is so much stock theft on the small holdings.
 
Thanks Miss Lydia, you know she and I have been on a journey together. My heart aches thinking that she may have to be rehomed, she has such a cushy life here and won't be as appreciated by anyone else like she is here. There is so much stock theft on the small holdings.
Try some of the things lovedbygeese mentioned too my geese do like the sound of my voice or play a radio with nice soft music for her it doesn't have to be loud just soft and sweet. She has been so well cared for by you It would be very sad if she had to go where she wasn't cared for as good. She'd be heartbroken too. as I am sure you would be.
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You're the epitome of a "good egg" and so is your little goose <3

Is there any chance your Mother Goose could become a house goose and maybe just have a few rooms (or even just one) to herself (esp if your kitten wouldn't want to share the whole house with her)? A house would definitely dampen the sound (both from the airplanes and from her.) She could wear a goose diaper around the house during the day (a lot of them are pretty and other friends w/ large birds say their birds are comfortable), then she could get used to going in and out like a house dog would when you're home, just like a pup whose parents work. Besides, I've heard that a goose will snuggle up to you on the couch or cozy up to you in bed if you invite them to :)

Henholster brand makes a nice model where no actual diapers are used (at least not as we'd think of them for humans), They're leak-proof, vinyl pouches that fit into the diaper harness (which does double duty by allowing a leash to comfortably be attached.) They come in 2 models, standard and bikini even have an instructional video: http://www.hensaver.com/Hen-Holster.html

http://www.thegoosesmother.com/id72.html uses disposable baby diapers and relies more on buckles for adjustments/fit. This brand also had accessories available, like collars and skirts as well as offering a book on getting used to having a goose in the house and covers topics such as potty training: http://www.flightquarters.com/bird-diapers/product/Duck-Theres-a-Goose-in-the-Hous.html

Truly, if I had the good fortune and health to be able to do it, having house geese would supplant almost every other happiness (there'd, of course, also have to be a Shiba Inu...maybe if they were raised from puppy/gosling-hood it could work...; ) )
 
You're the epitome of a "good egg" and so is your little goose <3

Is there any chance your Mother Goose could become a house goose and maybe just have a few rooms (or even just one) to herself (esp if your kitten wouldn't want to share the whole house with her)? A house would definitely dampen the sound (both from the airplanes and from her.) She could wear a goose diaper around the house during the day (a lot of them are pretty and other friends w/ large birds say their birds are comfortable), then she could get used to going in and out like a house dog would when you're home, just like a pup whose parents work. Besides, I've heard that a goose will snuggle up to you on the couch or cozy up to you in bed if you invite them to :)

Henholster brand makes a nice model where no actual diapers are used (at least not as we'd think of them for humans), They're leak-proof, vinyl pouches that fit into the diaper harness (which does double duty by allowing a leash to comfortably be attached.) They come in 2 models, standard and bikini even have an instructional video: http://www.hensaver.com/Hen-Holster.html

http://www.thegoosesmother.com/id72.html uses disposable baby diapers and relies more on buckles for adjustments/fit. This brand also had accessories available, like collars and skirts as well as offering a book on getting used to having a goose in the house and covers topics such as potty training: http://www.flightquarters.com/bird-diapers/product/Duck-Theres-a-Goose-in-the-Hous.html

Truly, if I had the good fortune and health to be able to do it, having house geese would supplant almost every other happiness (there'd, of course, also have to be a Shiba Inu...maybe if they were raised from puppy/gosling-hood it could work...; ) )

Try some of the things lovedbygeese mentioned too my geese do like the sound of my voice or play a radio with nice soft music for her it doesn't have to be loud just soft and sweet. She has been so well cared for by you It would be very sad if she had to go where she wasn't cared for as good. She'd be heartbroken too. as I am sure you would be.
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Thank you both so much for your encouragement and ideas
hugs.gif
 
My precious goose girl has really come into her own as a Mommy. She didn't want anything to do with the goslings when they arrived, but she has become so protective over not only them, but the chickens and duck too! They all stay within close proximity of her, until she starts dishing out discipline!

I put up the shade cloth over the garage gate and put them all to bed in the garage last night. We slept until 05:00, what bliss, an extra half hours sleep. Then Goose started calling and I realised that she was upset because the chickens were calling to get out their coop. The more the chickens called, the more panicky Goose got. Tonight the chickens coop door stays open. With any luck the chickens will enjoy the company and space and will not perform to get out of the garage before 06:00, at least. Here's hoping. Will let you know.
 
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I'm so happy for all of you!!
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Now let's see about getting you a sweet automatic chicken door: http://ladiesfirstchickendoor.com/...Have you entered the 1,000,000 threads contest yet? There are 994,592 threads already.

Here's the contest link (even if you don't win the coop door, 2nd is a $50 girt certificate to the backyardchickens store and 3rd prize is being an honorary goldenfeather for a year: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...t-guess-day-time-win-free-automatic-coop-door

People seem to be aggregating around mid to late December (who knows why...)
 

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