Help! Lonely gosling?

[radishgirl]

So we rushed a little and got a 1 week-old Toulouse gosling (male) and 3 ducklings.
Goose is way too big to be with the ducks he seems so lonely. Our local feed store is out of geese until next week.

Should I find an older duck for him, or our 7 week old pullets?

He is in our spare room, in a brooder next to the ducklings.

Thank you for any advice.

 

[The goose girl]

If you're getting another gosling for him next week, I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to get him a different kind of companion until then.

Is he bullying the ducklings? If not, can't he spend the week with them?

If he likes the ducklings but is too hard on them, is there any way you can set up some kind of netting between them, so he can see them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I agree with goose girl that young of a gosling should be fine with ducklings as long as your brooder is large enough he isn't stepping all over them to get around. Usually gosling and duckling of close to the same age do fine together.

 

[radishgirl]

he stepped on a few ducklings. he is 1 week, they are only 2-3 days old.
maybe i will try to separate the brooder space?

thank you!

our goose is not for meat/eggs, just a pet/companion/guardian. should we get him a female or male companion?

 

[The goose girl]

Get him a female. Males will fight in Spring, sometimes viciously. If you don't want them to breed, just remove the eggs (they're yummy!) and break down the nest if the goose goes broody.

Goslings (and geese) step on everything, especially to get to food. But it seems unlikely he'll hurt the ducklings by accidentally stepping on them. He still only weighs 10-11 oz., and it's not like he's poking them with those flat feet

.

 

[radishgirl]

thank you all for your help. He/"Al" is in with our ducklings and they are all fine!

 

[Miss Lydia]

thank you all for your help. He/"Al" is in with our ducklings and they are all fine!

great news are you going to get him a goose friend.?

 

[radishgirl]

no, we decided not to. maybe later but we need to get the waterfowl pond set-up going first

 

[Miss Lydia]

no, we decided not to. maybe later but we need to get the waterfowl pond set-up going first

He'll be happy with the ducks but I can speak from experience he'll be much happier when he gets a goose to run around with. Be sure to post pics when you get it set up always nice to give other ideas about ponds and such. Thanks