I think I have a weird goose Lol

[EvenLater]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I might have the first goose in history who hates his own kind! LOL

I have taken him (more than once) over to play with my friends ducklings. They adore him, he wants NOTHING to do with them. Actually turns mean, chases, snaps, hisses, etc. He actually grabbed one of them and shook it. (The duckling is ok btw). I tried a few different times and got the same reaction each time. So I thought, maybe it's because they don't look like him, or maybe because they're smaller than him, or a different color? Seems rational, right? So, I gave him a mirror.

He proceeded to quite literally FREAK out. Lunging at the reflection, puffing up, hissing, snapping. I take it away and he calms right down, sweet as can be. I put it back, and he viciously attacks it, again and again.

I spoke to a farmer friend who has goslings about his age, and a few weeks older than him, and we arranged two separate "play dates". One here at home (which almost got messy) and another at his place (because I thought maybe it was a territory thing). Both went exactly the same way.

So the only thing I can deduce is that Cas does NOT like other geese, or ducks for that matter. He gets along great with my parrot (which is also weird to me lol), the dogs, the cats...but anything that remotely resembles him, or sounds like him...he tries to go after. And NOT in a good way.

My only thinking on this can be that for whatever reason, he simply doesn't like other waterfowl. Maybe its because he was hatched by a duck or something, I have no idea. But, at least for now, I know not to get him a gosling buddy...

Anyone else ever have something like this? I just don't want this to manifest into real aggression.

 

[Carrosaur]

I think you need to be careful. It's like dogs, which you and I both have experience in! They can hate their own kind, but it can turn into aggression with other animals and people, too. You need to show him other GEESE, not ducks a lot of people have geese that hate ducks, that have been raised with humans or are around humans. Did your farmer friend raise his geese in her house or outside? Find another goose raised in a house and see if anything changes.

 

[EvenLater]

You make valid points. The geese he met were "farm" geese. Maybe he could tell a difference? Now to start looking for someone near me with a house goose! Lol

 

[Skyfire]

It sounds like Cas thinks he is human and wants to be with his *own* kind! Have you found any pet goose neighbors to hang out with? I wonder if that will make a difference.

Jupiter spent the first 12 days of her young life in the company of other geese (two days in brooder at feedstore, ten more days as a pair). I sense she knows she's a goose who has human parents. I don't know anyone in the area who has geese Jupiter and I could visit. I have no idea how she'd react. She's seen the wild ducks that visit the retention pond adjacent to our house, and looks at them with curiosity for a few moments before going back to grazing. Of all the stuffed toys she has, the one she plays with the most is her human rag doll. Maybe it would help Cas to show him a picture book of waterfowl, or Animal Planet show about geese?

 

[EvenLater]

It sounds like Cas thinks he is human and wants to be with his *own* kind! Have you found any pet goose neighbors to hang out with? I wonder if that will make a difference.

Jupiter spent the first 12 days of her young life in the company of other geese (two days in brooder at feedstore, ten more days as a pair). I sense she knows she's a goose who has human parents. I don't know anyone in the area who has geese Jupiter and I could visit. I have no idea how she'd react. She's seen the wild ducks that visit the retention pond adjacent to our house, and looks at them with curiosity for a few moments before going back to grazing. Of all the stuffed toys she has, the one she plays with the most is her human rag doll. Maybe it would help Cas to show him a picture book of waterfowl, or Animal Planet show about geese?

You and I think so much alike! I may have to wait for him to age a bit more because right now, the computer, TV and my phone are "AWESOME fun! Let's nibble on this and peck and have a gay old time so Mama can't work at all!" things to him! Lol

But, on the plus side, he's decided my hair is not nearly as fun anymore since he found electronics! Lol

None of you would probably even realize how long it takes me to reply sometimes here because the goose on my lap often types his own comments by taking over the keyboard (a WONDERFULLY fun thing for him, much happy goosey noise lol) and I have to go back and start again or you'd end up hearing mostly "fhur75nvhdysk878rjdhsj" from me! HAHA! His most recent obsession though is my 10" tablet. And I'm understanding now that he seems to have an understanding of "object permanence" because when I put the tablet away in my bag, he'll just grab my bag and run off with it and pull the tablet out and promptly lay on it to "hide" it!