Is she lonely? Broody?

erthymom2

Songster
11 Years
May 23, 2008
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I have a 5 month old Tolouse goose named "Gus" (we thought she was a he until she started getting the poofy pouch under her belly between her legs) who just yesterday started craving more attention and people-time. She doesn't appear sickly and takes feed and water w/no problem.
Gus never comes up the people steps before yesterday - now she comes up, down and hangs out at the screen door wanting to come in. She loves to be hugged and sung to, and today was setting on an old dog bed by the back poarch door. She's not always up on the porch - she'll go wander and eat with the rest of the gang (chickens & ducks - she's the only goose) but sometimes justs wants to be by herself I guess.
I'm new this year to geese and have no clue what this new behaviour means?
 
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Well gus is a young adult now and its instincts are telling it that it should be looking for a mate! If it was imprinted on humans after hatch s/he may be looking for a human mate! At best it is lonely at worst.....If it is a female (and it sounds like she is) she may lay eggs in that old dog bed and go broody on eggs that will never hatch....How sad can it get? This is one of the reasons I always recommend at least two geese. Sometimes they will accept other poultry as companions, gus has choosen you. I wish I had a good solution, but I just don't know of one....
 
I have a chance to get some goslings this weekend from
a nieghbor friend, they are african greys and were hatched on sunday.
I was going to get 2-3 and see if Gus would gradually accept them.
they will be separated by screening while in the brooder so Gus can see and talk to the baby's,
and supervisoed at arms length by me when the little ones get outside time around Gus.
Should I get Gus a gander -boyfriend?
is it too late for her to be a couple with
a gander so she's not so lonely?
I'd like her to feel better and happier.
 
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She might not know she's a goose.. did you hatch her, or was she hatched and imprinted by another human?
 
A pouch on the belly does not mean the goose is female. They are called lobes - there are usually two in larger breeds, sometimes one in smaller, and wild geese do not have them. However, both genders get them.
 
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She might not know she's a goose.. did you hatch her, or was she hatched and imprinted by another human?

I incubated a few goose eggs together. two hatched but the other gosling did not thrive and died w/in days of hatching out. that left Gus, whom i brooded with some cochin chicks that hatched at the same time. I was the only adult Gus had while she was hatching and growing in the brooder and then outside.
 
When my Bella is in laying mode, she acts just like that.

She lets me pick her up and she preens my hair and follows me around.

When she is off season, I can give her treats, but she doesn't want to be touched.
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That's funny, when my goose was laying and broody she didn't like me at all
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She is back to "kissing" me when I hold her now instead of paddling and screaming.
 

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