Helping a goose and gander bond

[MollyHSmith]

Hi all, I have a goose bonding question.

I have a Brown Chinese goose (Lucy) who’s a little over two months old who I’ve raised alongside my ducks. I tried to be really intentional about hand-raising her so that she wouldn’t be afraid of people, but I think she integrated with the duck flock & adopted their mannerisms pretty quickly. They were a khaki flock, so SUPER skittish (now I have Welsh Harlequins and Buffs). I recently got a Sebastopol gander (Desi) who’s a month older than Lucy, and he was raised with other geese & around a family with lots of kids.

They’re still feeling each other out. Lucy still thinks she’s a duck— more skittish, verryyyy dramatic, but a sweetheart who jabbers happily with me and still consents to cuddle when I manage to pick her up. Desi is a SWEETHEART; he seems to prefer humans over the ducks (and Lucy) and will walk right up and sit in your lap.

I want Desi’s manners to rub off on Lucy, and not the other way around. Do y’all have any advice on how I might go about helping them bond? And helping Lucy remember she’s a goose, not a duck, and has a goose friend who she can go eat grass with in a different part of the yard? They do share a coop at night, but otherwise it’s just been Desi following Lucy & the ducks around trying to be included.

I’m also curious to hear all of your geese’s favorite treats. So far these two LOVE dandelion greens, lettuce, and Swiss chard. I haven’t found anything else they really like yet.

Thanks!

 

[MollyHSmith]

Hi all, I have a goose bonding question.

I have a Brown Chinese goose (Lucy) who’s a little over two months old who I’ve raised alongside my ducks. I tried to be really intentional about hand-raising her so that she wouldn’t be afraid of people, but I think she integrated with the duck flock & adopted their mannerisms pretty quickly. They were a khaki flock, so SUPER skittish (now I have Welsh Harlequins and Buffs). I recently got a Sebastopol gander (Desi) who’s a month older than Lucy, and he was raised with other geese & around a family with lots of kids.

They’re still feeling each other out. Lucy still thinks she’s a duck— more skittish, verryyyy dramatic, but a sweetheart who jabbers happily with me and still consents to cuddle when I manage to pick her up. Desi is a SWEETHEART; he seems to prefer humans over the ducks (and Lucy) and will walk right up and sit in your lap.

I want Desi’s manners to rub off on Lucy, and not the other way around. Do y’all have any advice on how I might go about helping them bond? And helping Lucy remember she’s a goose, not a duck, and has a goose friend who she can go eat grass with in a different part of the yard? They do share a coop at night, but otherwise it’s just been Desi following Lucy & the ducks around trying to be included.

I’m also curious to hear all of your geese’s favorite treats. So far these two LOVE dandelion greens, lettuce, and Swiss chard. I haven’t found anything else they really like yet.

Thanks!

 

[McChooky]

Until you remove the 1st goose from the ducks you aren't going to be able to make a pet out of it.

 

[Goosebaby]

You just have to keep doing what you’re doing and give it time. She‘s still a baby and she’s learning a lot. As she gets older she’ll get more used to the gander and learn to be a goose. She‘s fine so far.
You could also try including her and your gander in activities just between the two of them, like tossing Treats into a baby pool for them both to fish out or feeding them together.

As for treats, geese are picky. Sometimes it can take awhile for them to get used to something or be willing to try it. If they see you fiddling with something or eating it they’re more likely to want to try it too, this also goes for things you don’t want them to touch also, so if you have flowers or objects you don’t want them chewing on its best to avoid touching it in front of them or act like it tastes disgusting after you do.

Some things geese can eat are: grapes, peas, corn, lettuce, cabbage, bok choy, banana, tomatoes “not the leaves,” peaches, apples, plums, pears, jujubes, grapefruit, oranges, melons, turnips and their leaves, carrots, cherries, broccoli, pumkin “leaves, fruit, and seeds” sunflower seeds, meal worms, soldier fly larva, blueberries, and blackberries.

They can also eat foods like spinach and kale but in moderation.

 

[ElGoose]

View attachment 3580637

Does your Sebastopol love to eat hair too mine can’t get enough of it!