I'd like to know how you all handle geese parents with goslings !!

[Tacswa3]

Lawwwd! My buff has hatched I think 5 so far as of yesterday. Other than just peaking from a few feet away, all I got was hissing from the parents. Tried the same thing today and the gander attacked and bit me on the leg, drawing blood. I ran into a couple issues trying to be to "nosey" so it caused me to be around the nest longer than I had planned. But regardless, if I wanted to remove the goslings to brood them myself. how in the world when I even get them? These geese aren't playing when it comes to the babies.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Welcome to parenthood! Mine are a little better behaved this year than last year, but the ganders certainly don't play around when it comes to babies. I have no suggestions for stealing them. Mine would let me be near the goslings last year, but no touchy.

Word of caution. Keep an eye on anything with water. Mine let the kids play in a feed bowl with water and they got chilled and one drowned before I could get them out. It was a bit like the scene from the Lost World with the baby tyrannosaur.

 

[Goosebaby]

Lawwwd! My buff has hatched I think 5 so far as of yesterday. Other than just peaking from a few feet away, all I got was hissing from the parents. Tried the same thing today and the gander attacked and bit me on the leg, drawing blood. I ran into a couple issues trying to be to "nosey" so it caused me to be around the nest longer than I had planned. But regardless, if I wanted to remove the goslings to brood them myself. how in the world when I even get them? These geese aren't playing when it comes to the babies.

Well it’s not going to be easy if they’re not friendly. Basically you’re going to have to drag them out, then grab the babies. You can distract the female with an oven mitt, when she grabs it grab her by the head and pull her out.
You can do the same with the gander, or skip the oven mit and just grab him by the head and with your other arm scoop him up around the torso. Relocate both parents to somewhere temporarily out of the way.

 

[Goosebaby]

Also the faster you do this the better, you want the female out of the nest ASAP before she starts flailing and accidentally hurts the goslings.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Also the faster you do this the better, you want the female out of the nest ASAP before she starts flailing and accidentally hurts the goslings.

Last year my gander regularly mowed over the goslings on a regular basis rushing at one thing or another to defend the babies. Half the time he'd be standing on their feet or neck, pinning them to the ground while he ruffled his wings and screamed, completely oblivious to the peeping kid he was standing on.

 

[The goose girl]

I second relocating the parents. But I'm curious - why would you want to brood the goslings yourself?

I was really lucky when my goose had goslings. She let me coparent. It was during a heatwave, so the goslings very much enjoyed the shadow I cast, and the goose could enjoy a bath and a good preening without having to keep an eye on the little ones.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I was really lucky when my goose had goslings.

What in the world is she doing? lol That pose is something else. lol

 

[Goosebaby]

Last year my gander regularly mowed over the goslings on a regular basis rushing at one thing or another to defend the babies. Half the time he'd be standing on their feet or neck, pinning them to the ground while he ruffled his wings and screamed, completely oblivious to the peeping kid he was standing on.

Ganders

 

[Goosebaby]

I second relocating the parents. But I'm curious - why would you want to brood the goslings yourself?

I was really lucky when my goose had goslings. She let me coparent. It was during a heatwave, so the goslings very much enjoyed the shadow I cast, and the goose could enjoy a bath and a good preening without having to keep an eye on the little ones.
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My girls Apricot and Delphi let me parent their babies last year too, it makes more well mannered geese I think, they grow up not being told “People are BAD” by their parents. so far the babies from last year are sweetpeas!

 

[Tacswa3]

I second relocating the parents. But I'm curious - why would you want to brood the goslings yourself?

I was really lucky when my goose had goslings. She let me coparent. It was during a heatwave, so the goslings very much enjoyed the shadow I cast, and the goose could enjoy a bath and a good preening without having to keep an eye on the little ones.
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Not sure I’ll do it but I like having a hands on approach to raising my birds in an effort to make them that more social. Plus I know exactly the nutrition they are getting and it’s easier to supplement vitamins