How to get your geese to come to you?

[Amanda39]

Lately, after being outside, when I try to get my geese together and pick them up to bring inside, they run from me. It's so frustrating that I have to chase them. Can anyone recommend a good way to get them to come? When I'm walking and call them, they stay right with me. If I offer food in my hand, they will come running. But I don't want to trick them with food to get them to stop running from me. They are 3 weeks old.

Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Carrosaur]

I got mine a few days ago, I make a certain sound whenever I give them good or when I'm near then. If we are out in the yard and they don't follow me I make that sound and they run to me!

 

[Amanda39]

They run to me when I call them, but if I reach for them, they run!

 

[Carrosaur]

Hmmmm.....

 

[Tivona]

Personally I use one word command (bedtime) to go the the pen to be locked up at night. Once they are in they get a treat with me saying the command over and over again the whole time. I don't pick them up because they don't like it but instead make sure they understand when they are to be locked up and to getting them go to the pen themselves.

I use a long bamboo pole while training them. I use it as an extension of my arms, guiding them with it. At times I have found using two bamboo poles, one in each arm, allows for better control. I keep the poles behind them and away from the direction I want them to go. They move away naturally from the long poles. If they stop I sometimes have to bump them gently with the pole to get them moving again. They don't act scared just leery of the poles. At the end of the process they get the treat.


Making it as easy to go the way I want them to as I can , making it hard to go another way, giving treats when in the pen, and using a consistent verbal command has worked very well for me. The whole thing should not be scary for them. It usually only takes a week for mine before they start waiting for the command in the evening because they know a treat is at the end.

 

[The goose girl]

If I offer food in my hand, they will come running.

You already know a good way to get them to come - why not use it?

Geese have no natural instincts for wanting to be picked up or chased. On the contrary, you actually have to habituate them to overcome their innate fear of getting caught.

Right now they're scared of your hands when you reach out for them. When you chase them, you're reinforcing that fear and making it stronger. If you keep chasing them, they'll eventually be wary of all of you, not just your hands.

If you want them to feel more comfortable around your hands, you need to stop chasing them entirely. Always make them come to you. Food is a great incentive - use it!

When I started diapering my gosling, I gave her a treat to get her up close. After I'd put on the diaper, she got another treat. Within a few days, she'd come running as soon as she saw the diaper, making happy noises. And even though she's only diapered once every week or two now, it still works.

 

[livininbrazil]

Lately, after being outside, when I try to get my geese together and pick them up to bring inside, they run from me. It's so frustrating that I have to chase them. Can anyone recommend a good way to get them to come? When I'm walking and call them, they stay right with me. If I offer food in my hand, they will come running. But I don't want to trick them with food to get them to stop running from me. They are 3 weeks old.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Just as goosegirl said. Don´t chase them! You´re giving them good reason to run from you, as their instinct tells them to run from danger. I move most of my geese by using treats. A nice green lettuce hardly ever fails. As for your babies, don´t grab from above..try to slide your hand under their bellies to get them. Why not let them follow you inside?

 

[Amanda39]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. The reason I didn't want to use food to catch them is because I didn't want them to associate treats with getting picked up or in a negative way. But I will use this now!

I can't let them follow me in the house because I have to go up stairs and I don't want them pooping on my living room carpet!


I will use their favorite lettuce today and see if that works! Their diapers should be here next week, I'll use treats for putting those on as well!

Thank you all!

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. The reason I didn't want to use food to catch them is because I didn't want them to associate treats with getting picked up or in a negative way. But I will use this now!

I can't let them follow me in the house because I have to go up stairs and I don't want them pooping on my living room carpet!


I will use their favorite lettuce today and see if that works! Their diapers should be here next week, I'll use treats for putting those on as well!

Thank you all!

Then get them to follow you into a very small area so you can pick them up without them running about and getting panicky. The other thing is, they´re not dogs. Give them treats just for the joy of it, and leave them. Do it again, leave them. You´re right, if you pick them up every time you offer them treats, they´ll get more wary. And if you can get them used to going into the small area to eat treats, but not catch them, then it´ll be easier to get them in there when you do need to do it. Make sense?

 

[Bettyz]

Lately, after being outside, when I try to get my geese together and pick them up to bring inside, they run from me. It's so frustrating that I have to chase them. Can anyone recommend a good way to get them to come? When I'm walking and call them, they stay right with me. If I offer food in my hand, they will come running. But I don't want to trick them with food to get them to stop running from me. They are 3 weeks old.

Any suggestions are welcome!