How to keep gander from Pulling gooses neck feathers out

[kperki]

Hi,
We have 6 Sebastopols, 2 are ganders. One of the ganders is leaving two of the girls he mated necks raw where the feathers have been pulled out and they actually have bled. This is my first time owning geese. I see him mate and he is not being mean or attacking them. I think maybe since they are young and new to this maybe the female is leaving or he is falling off and doesn't let go I am not sure. I just put that black tar salve ichomol or whatever it's called that someone told me to put on her neck. I can only treat the one we hand raised. The other one is more scared and was recently given to us. She goes crazy when I have tried to get her and has hurt herself in the pen so for now I can't treat it, it's not as bad as the other ones neck.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep him from doing that. I was wondering if spraying bitter apple or something on their necks (not at the sore) would taste bad to him and deter him. Please do not say to kill him. I seperated him one day, he screamed and screamed in the other pasture. I have an Airbnb rental so I can't have him screaming like that or I won't have any guests. I know I can't but anything on her neck either or she could get hurt.

Also is this seasonal mating or is this like chickens and is continuous?

Please help as I am new to geese and worried about my girls!

Thanks!

 

[eggbert420]

Are they mating on dry land or in a pond?

 

[kperki]

We have a swimming pool for them and they mate in there and dry land. We have been having a lot of rain so they have been mating in mud puddles. Is there anything I can do to better the situation? Thanks

 

[eggbert420]

One male can handle 6 females. you could cull one male or get some more females.

 

[Percheron chick]

Are they all together or are they set up as trios? How much room do they have? Being young definitely doesn't help. You should expect him to scream if "his" girls wander off. He's protecting what he sees as his the only was he can. Breeding is seasonal and is usually finished in June.

 

[kperki]

We have one female (Daisy)that is not really paired. She was raised with us and our dog as we got her as a day old and her partner died in transit. She is more independent and indifferent to going with either group. We finally found two more so she would have a flock when she was about a month old. The two we now know are females and two months older than her. In Dec. the person we got those two from asked if we could take 3 more as she had a predator problem and was worried about them. In that groups we found out we have two mails and a female. One of the Males (Paiyso the feather puller)has paired with one of our older females (Isabelle). They are a definite pair and sleep in a separate pen at night. In the beginning they all slept together fine but when the mating started they needed to be seperated as the other male (Gonzo) became more aggressive and is the dominant male. He had our other older female (LoukieLou) and the one that came with him (Spotty) in his group. Daisy would go in whatever pen she felt like at night but it seemed like the dominant male Gonzo had claimed her as he was the one that first mated her. She goes around during the day with both groups at different times and alone. They can run around on a couple acres. They are ourbpetscabd I did not want to seperate the one male as he was upset but I was concerned as his girl Isabelle had a raw spot on her neck and then one day she was sitting on the nest so he hung out with Daisy and the same think happened to her neck and has gotten worse. He is not a mean boy and I can tell is crazy for Isabelle. The other male has not done that. At first they were dropping eggs anywhere then they made one nest and it seems they have taken turns layingbonbit. Of the trio when Loukielou is sitting on the nest at night Spotty does not want to sleep in there. There are two side by side pens each at 6x8 butted up against each other. When Daisy neck got bad a couple nights ago I put her by herself with just a divider between her and Paisovand Isabelle's pen because it was easier to set up in that pen. Last night Spotty went in with her as LL was on the nest. She didn't seem very at ease with Daisy. I think tomorrow I will make her pen where it can accommodate a seperate in divider so she can be in the same pen as her group but seperate enough if they get nasty about nesting.

I am sorry this is long and detailed but I am hoping someone can help me with their situation incase I also do not have their sleeping situations set up the best. As I said I am new to this and they are pets so I am not culling anyone and I can not get more females. I want them to be happy and healthy.

Thanks

 

[Percheron chick]

I'm confused.

I think things would settle down faster if you just leave him and Isabelle locked up together. Build them a small run complete with their own swimming pool. He has to reestablish his position with her after being with the others every night. He is ampted up and needs to figure it out that she is not going to be stolen from him. If she's sitting it's best for her to have the least amount of drama that the others contribute to. A good gander will sit by his mate until the eggs hatch patiently waiting. It should take his energy down just hanging out. If things don't get better you can give him the goslings to raise or punt. You're just going to have to figure things out on the fly. Next year, I would add Daisy to P and I early in the year giving them a chance to bond prior to the breeding season.
6 geese (2+4) in my opinion is the perfect #. Gives you some genetic diversity to work with and you can make enough money selling fertile eggs or goslings to pay for the upkeep of the flock.

Breeding season will be over before you know it and they will go back to one big happy family.

 

[kperki]

Sorry for the confusion. P and I sleep together. I only tried separating him to another pasture once for an hour when I was sitting on the nest and he was following and mating Daisy and her neck was bleeding. They for some reason have made one nest and take turns sitting on it sometimes. I tried making nests in both pens for everyone to have their own but they wouldn't do it they just went to one. They free range so there are no separate runs. When I is not on the nest she and P are together he doesn't stay in next area with her. I think they are so young.
I will try adding another pool in more the area they hang out.

I will have to look into selling the fertilized eggs. Someone bought some to eat but it's too cheap that way it will never help with their food!

Thanks

 

[Percheron chick]

You should be asking $5-10 each for fertile Sebastopol eggs and $25-75 for goslings if you have decent quality birds.

Join the 2 Sebastopol FB groups. You might find someone close looking for eggs or goslings. Confirm fertility first. It can be spotty with young ganders.

 

[kperki]

Thank you for the info. I will check out the sites!