Help identifying geese!

[mbearrentine]

I bought these guys for a very good price today. I was told they were a breeding pair of pilgrim, but I didn’t realize male pilgrims were white. (I’m not mad, they’re for pets and if they’re both girls that’s even better!) I’ve only ever had Chinese. They haven’t made much noise, but one hisses every time we get close. These pictures were some posted by the owner, but I’ve since brought them home to begin warming up. How can I get them to trust me and be comfortable?

 

[Goosebaby]

I bought these guys for a very good price today. I was told they were a breeding pair of pilgrim, but I didn’t realize male pilgrims were white. (I’m not mad, they’re for pets and if they’re both girls that’s even better!) I’ve only ever had Chinese. They haven’t made much noise, but one hisses every time we get close. These pictures were some posted by the owner, but I’ve since brought them home to begin warming up. How can I get them to trust me and be comfortable?

They could be two pilgrim girls or possible mixes, they could be production Toulouse also, though pretty much any unidentified grey goose falls into that last category.

If whoever sold him to you knew the breed they wouldn’t have sold them as a breeding pair of pilgrims as they would know that males are white and they would know that’s an easy thing to look up, so my guess is the breeder isn’t very knowledgeable and hasn’t been a goose owner long.

They both kinda look female but that’s a hard thing to tell based on looks alone, sometimes behavior can give clues but not alsways if they’re both the same sex. Ganders tend to have longer necks in proportion to their bodies, girls tend to be squatter. Ganders will instinctively get between you and their partner, but if you have two ganders the more dominant male will defend his friend from you in the same way.

The best way to make friends with geese is to sit with them often and offer treats. Geese are routine oriented and have long memories so it can take a little while to earn their trust. Geese will bond with whoever they’re around most and can view others that they recognize but who don’t spend as much time with as a nuisance.