I really don't want my geese to hate me

[Carrosaur]

 

[Starfire669]

Thank you! I actually read that goose fighting post before I got my three geese! I loved it, I'm prepared for when the one gander gets a little fiesty. Yesterday all the goslings climbed into my lap and slept for a good hour! Gonna miss that I guess.

I admit, I was disappointed Whe the geese stopped climbing in my lap for snuggles. But I do still have a good relationship with them. They talk to me, let me scratch their chests, and sometimes they will lay down close to me for a nap. I treasure the nap times, they don't touch me when the lay down, but do lay close enough for me to stroke them. I do make it a habit to hand feed new treats, the first time I offered grapes the geese didn't know what to make of it and the chickens and ducks stole them all. The next time I broke the grapes skin and squeeze a little out, then offered it to the geese. After the first goose bit into it and like it all the others were more enthusiastic about it and I threw the rest of the grapes out for them. I learned a lesson, always reveal the juicy goodness of first time offerings to geese, lol. Once they know it, they don't forget. I don't hand feed a lot, and my geese have never attacked me for food. They will follow me around when I have their food bucket, or come running when I have treats. But they don't try to threaten or intimidate me in any way. When tossing treats I toss a lot out and scatter it around so everyone can get some. This also helps keep the geese from hogging it all, they can and would guard a pile of treats from the chickens and ducks, and even each other if allowed to do so,

I also love watching geese play in the pool. They are so silly when they dive and zoom under water, and when they nap on the water they look so peaceful. Goose watching is a new favorite past time of mine. Lol. I am glad you read that post, it is very insiteful. Animals just don't understand hitting/spanking, whatever you want to call it. Much better by far to emulate their natural behavior, they quickly understand, and life is good.

 

[Carrosaur]

I will settle for them just being near me then! Thank you!

 

[Starfire669]

Your darlings are beautiful. Enjoy snuggling them now while you can, and then enjoy their grace a beauty when they are grown. Handling them a lot now will make them bond to you and help when you have to treat injuries or check nests when they are grown. I take any affection my geese willingly give me, and don't try to force more from them.

Good luck with those adorable babies!

 

[Carrosaur]

Thank you for the great advice!

 

[Carrosaur]

My geese will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday and I think they are starting to not like me. I have to pick them up to clean their brooder and take them outside and bathe them, and they're starting to become scared of me. They will not accept fruit as treats. They'll only eat grass and crumble. Any advice?

 

[EeyoreD]

My geese will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday and I think they are starting to not like me. I have to pick them up to clean their brooder and take them outside and bathe them, and they're starting to become scared of me. They will not accept fruit as treats. They'll only eat grass and crumble. Any advice?

I don't cuddle my geese so I can't give you advice about that; but I can say that every single one of my geese (American Buff) go NUTS over celery. Tops or stalks, doesn't matter. They also like tomatoes but I do too so they don't get those so often. But, at least with my flock, celery seems to be Goose Crack. (blueberries or peas are duck crack, the turkeys would just rather hunt snakes and frogs, the chickens eat anything and everything with relish.)

Oh and this might be a little late but, while I agree completely with Satrfire669's post about aggression, you can usually nip it before it gets to the point where you have to pin them. It may depend on the breed, but I would bet generally you don't need to let it get that far as long as you don't mind looking like an idiot. (I had to do this once while someone was working on some wiring in my house. I forgot he was there until I "gained dominance" and looked up to see this guy watching me like ***?)

The stages are right. If your geese start to hiss at you charge them and hiss back, extend your arms like wings and be proud! (this is what the wiring guy caught me doing). If they back down, great!. If they back down but come back at you or don't really back down at all, simulate the goose chest bump by, well, not exactly kicking them. But firmly move your foot so it connects and shoves them back a foot or two. You're not kicking at all so it's not a sharp movement, but you want a firm thump on their chest and follow through so they get lifted on your foot and set back. I don't know of a better way to explain this, but I do want to be clear, it's not an actual kick. Maybe more like a shove/lift with your foot?

And again, look like an idiot and spread your arms and tell them how you're the man! (woman, whatever). Talk bunch of smack. It can be in english, it doesn't have to be in goose, just express your pride. It sounds stupid but it's important. It signals to not only your nemesis but the rest of the flock that YOU are the winner.

Usually the arms spread and hiss is as far as you need to go. Sometimes you need to do the chest-punt. If they're still feisty after that, then totally pin them. I usually only have to pin in mid summer because I allow them to be protective and angry while raising young and when the goslings are old enough I have to retrain the adults. But while there are young around, I totally want those geese and ganders to feel like and be the royalty of the yard.

 

[Carrosaur]

They haven't started hissing yet, but they are becoming fearful which can lead to aggression, I don't want to have to pick them up and make them scared of me but it has to be done. I totally understand the chest bump, thank you!

 

[livininbrazil]

My geese will be 2 weeks old on Wednesday and I think they are starting to not like me. I have to pick them up to clean their brooder and take them outside and bathe them, and they're starting to become scared of me. They will not accept fruit as treats. They'll only eat grass and crumble. Any advice?

Carrosaur, at 2 weeks they´re still tiny yet, and can be won over to a degree. For instance, I took a young gosling of 2 weeks of age from its parents as the other 2 had died, and I didn´t want this one to die as well. At 2 weeks old, not being used to me handling it at all, it was very quick to get used to me. Didn´t want to be handled particularly, but def not frightened. I had it in a very small space so it couldn´t run away, not by design, it was all I had at the time. It got very tame, and two weeks later, I had another little one needing help, so the two stayed in together for a while. They´re inseparable now, at 10 months old.
I don´t really understand why yours are so frightened of you. How old were they when you had them? Maybe you gave them too much space to panic in? Do they come toward the pot when you go to put the crumble in? Mine know the look of the pot from a great distance and get very excited and come running! Have you tried lettuce? Mine are crazier for lettuce than the crumble. It´d be good to have them somewhere that you can avoid picking them up for a week, to get them over the panic of being picked up.
Do you bathe them, or do they bathe themselves?
Also, I only use a brooder for a week. By the time they´re two weeks old, they sleep in a cardboard box (warmth). You could lay one on its side so you don´t have to pick them up, then when they go inside, just cover the front over to avoid picking them up. If I have ones to rear myself, they go in a run at this age, and sleep in the box at night. You could do this without touching them, they´d get used to going into their box to sleep. use lettuce. Tear a bit off, chuck it toward them at first, then slowly they should relax with you giving it to them. Really don´t worry about any aggression yet. They´re still so young. And the fact that they´re frightened of you won´t lead to aggression necessarily. They should respect you. the aggression tends to come more from the overly-familiar ganders.

Just my thoughts on it all.

 

[Carrosaur]

I can't figure if out either. By bathing them I meant picking them up and putting them into the water. I would keep them in the run right now but a day after we got them some animal got my pet duck, so we are still trying to make sure nothing can be taken. The "brooder" they stay in is just a tub with wood shavings and food and water, it is small but not too small. Q
When I reach in to pick them up they kind of duck, don't run but they're cautious, when I have them in my hands they scream and kick like crazy for about ten seconds. They still follow me in the yard, but it's starting to become "please don't try to pick me up or I'll run" and that is what I'm totally scared of. I will try your way about not having to pick them up much.