Help with geese

[jbiancotheplace]

“I have two female geese, a buff and an embden. The bouff is about a year and the embden is about six months. They just started laying eggs last week. For a while I’ve realized that when they go into the pool we have for them, they get on too of each other on and off, I believe to show dominance. Recently I have noticed that when the buff mounts the embden, she plucks the feathers off the back of the embden’s neck. I dont know what this means and I dont know what to do. She’s starting to get a bald spot and I’m worried. Any suggestions?”

 

[Evadig]

Hi and !

Are you sure both geese are laying? Otherwise you might have a male and a female, in which case you would need more female geese .

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes without a gander females will pair up, and mock mate. When males and females mate often the female will get a bare neck, so it's the same with a female pair. It's why I like to have 2-3 females to male ratio in my geese to lessen the feather loss. The feathers will grow back during the molt when the breeding season is done. The only way to maybe help the situation is to add more geese. Otherwise they are fine.

 

[jbiancotheplace]

I’m almost certain they are both female, i’m not a hundred percent but close to it.

 

[jbiancotheplace]

i have another question, i give them feed and oats everyday, lettuce here and there,…should i be adding in a certain amount of greens during the winter ?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine eat some hay that I feed to the goats. Otherwise I probably wouldn't add anything, but I have thought about that myself. This would be a good question to post to a new thread and see what others do or think.

 

[Le stylo]

“I have two female geese, a buff and an embden. The bouff is about a year and the embden is about six months. They just started laying eggs last week. For a while I’ve realized that when they go into the pool we have for them, they get on too of each other on and off, I believe to show dominance. Recently I have noticed that when the buff mounts the embden, she plucks the feathers off the back of the embden’s neck. I dont know what this means and I dont know what to do. She’s starting to get a bald spot and I’m worried. Any suggestions?”

I'm not an expert so maybe research this, but I would (if you can) watch them closely and correct the buff, or separate them with a make-shift fence. (Basically make sure they can see but not touch each other) then put them back together and stay close and watch them and if he does it again just correct him and separate them again. Keep trying.
Or you can just correct him if you see it and just let them figure it out. If the Embden is a soft spirit and timid then it might be a little harder because she's not defending herself.

 

[JRies]

So simple your girls want to think there eggs are fertile. Its hormonal and each will take there turn to get there. Yep no boy but its part of the process. There hormones are producing a egg and they need it fertilized again hormonal so they can produce it.

It dose get complicated when you have 2 girls that want the same boy but there is no boy in your situation.

One dominate girl wanting all the attention with the boy. She will breed the other girl so her reproductive hormones are covered and then the boy is all hers.

Fun thing is there a flock even if its 2 girls there a flock goal for geese is BABY'S... Honestly don't think humans have a clue to what geese feel about there offspring and need to love them in egg or hatched or even stolen. To them raising a gosling is everything.

Yes I steel all there eggs and hatch them in a incubator but when I do that at the end of the season traid back goslings. They are all loved when I do that and the only time of the year I get hissed at.

So simple your girls want to think there eggs are fertile.

 

[AGeese]

Sometimes without a gander females will pair up, and mock mate. When males and females mate often the female will get a bare neck, so it's the same with a female pair. It's why I like to have 2-3 females to male ratio in my geese to lesson the feather loss. The feathers will grow back during the molt when the breeding season is done. The only way to maybe help the situation is to add more geese. Otherwise they are fine.

My neighbors went through this with their female pair. I'm not sure if it's still a thing, but initially it was. I'll have to ask them.

 

[sue4rescue]

“I have two female geese, a buff and an embden. The bouff is about a year and the embden is about six months. They just started laying eggs last week. For a while I’ve realized that when they go into the pool we have for them, they get on too of each other on and off, I believe to show dominance. Recently I have noticed that when the buff mounts the embden, she plucks the feathers off the back of the embden’s neck. I dont know what this means and I dont know what to do. She’s starting to get a bald spot and I’m worried. Any suggestions?”

I don't have an answer but I've just ordered the exact 2 goslings, are they generally quiet? Would you reccomend this combo?