Thank you so much! I tried to do some research on the web, and every site I read said that Geese molt early summer—nothing about molting at different times or more than once a year. And yes, all these feathers, from chickens and geese, are driving me nuts!
My two ganders, Ryan and Coco, are best friends. My goose Cheerio is a sweet girl, but not so nice to Ryan during mating season. I’m sorry you had to re-home a gander. That had to be hard. Fingers crossed, my ganders stay good friends.
Molting has nothing to do with heath its just a process. "If you see patches of feathers not cumming back then you have a problem". My older geese 2 plus molt about 2 times a year one is a heavy molt one is minor. My babies are all over the place. You have the young feathers that come in when the first feather that they have to get rid of so there adult feathers can come in then you have the OMG feathers of becoming a adult. Still remember the day my son was sitting on the porch with me saying someone has a cottonwood tree around here. I replied no just goose down.
I can only imagine the amount of feathers 30 geese leave everywhere! It makes sense that loss of feathers with re-growth would just be a natural process. I’m so thankful for the years of knowledge and willingness for people to share what they know.
I just wish there was a way to blow or suck then into a collector. Wash them and enjoy all there goodness. But mostly the song birds use them in the spring.
