My adolescent goose is moody and lonely

[Goddessmother]

My American Buff goose will be 2 years old on July 4, 2023. She has been housed with a Chinese gander for a year. Lately, she acts like she hates him and won't go in the same cage as him. I got him a separate cage which made him happy, but she only got temporary relief. Now I see her hanging around the duck house where they keep their nests. She even went into the duck house the other night, and then the ducks wouldn't go in. When I opened the service door, she was so fat, she could barely squeeze out of the duck door.

Being a School Nurse, I assume her hormones are waking up and she is emotional and confused about feelings she can't understand. All adolescents act emotionally disturbed by nature. I also assume, being a flock animal, that she wishes to have some female friends, not ducks. My farm is small and I am reluctant to get another goose. I would get another female goose to keep her company but I don't want to risk gestating online goose eggs and getting another gander.

What do you suggest I do to make my beautiful goose happy?

 

[Goosebaby]

Sounds like she’s trying to lay. It isn’t adolescent behavior, more likely it’s seasonal breeding hormones and she needs somewhere to lay/ nest.

The gander may have been to rough with her and that’s why she’s avoiding him, that will resolve itself usually.

 

[Goosebaby]

Another idea. Does she avoid the gander while out and about? Or is it just going into the same cage with him? Will she go into the cage without him there? Maybe it’s something about the cage and not him?

 

[Goddessmother]

Another idea. Does she avoid the gander while out and about? Or is it just going into the same cage with him? Will she go into the cage without him there? Maybe it’s something about the cage and not him?

I never see them together. They do parallel activities. Amerigo goes into the cage fine, but maybe it isn't private enough for her. Perhaps I need to cover the walls to give her privacy.

If she wants to nest, what does she need for that? My ducks just need a safe corner with a lot of straw. What does a goose need to feel comfortable nesting?

 

[Goosebaby]

I never see them together. They do parallel activities. Amerigo goes into the cage fine, but maybe it isn't private enough for her. Perhaps I need to cover the walls to giver her privacy.

If she wants to nest, what does she need for that? My ducks just need a safe corner with a lot of straw. What does a goose need to feel comfortable nesting?

It can depend on the goose, usually a corner is just fine, sometimes they like a little cave, a dog travel crate makes a prety good goose nest.

Have you ever seen the gander attack her?

 

[Goddessmother]

It can depend on the goose, usually a corner is just fine, sometimes they like a little cave, a dog travel crate makes a prety good goose nest.

Have you ever seen the gander attack her?

No. Guiseppi, the gander, has never attacked her. I have seen him attempt to mount her only once a few months ago. She didn't like it. In fact, every time a drake mounts a duck, Amerigo the Goose shrieks and attacks the drake, trying to knock him off the duck's back. She seems to want to protect the females from the males. She has been doing that since she was a little gosling.

I don't think she understands that the ducks WANT attention from the drakes. My ducks really want to be mothers/grandmothers. Like humans, the ducklings are the family treasures. No one can tell me that ducks don't LOVE their children.

 

[Goosebaby]

No. Guiseppi, the gander, has never attacked her. I have seen him attempt to mount her only once a few months ago. She didn't like it. In fact, every time a drake mounts a duck, Amerigo the Goose shrieks and attacks the drake, trying to knock him off the duck's back. She seems to want to protect the females from the males. She has been doing that since she was a little gosling.

I don't think she understands that the ducks WANT attention from the drakes. My ducks really want to be mothers/grandmothers. Like humans, the ducklings are the family treasures. No one can tell me that ducks don't LOVE their children.

It sounds like the issue may be that she’s bonded with the ducks and not the gander. That can be changed but it may take time.

 

[Goddessmother]

It seems she's bonded with the females. After sleeping in the same cage with the gander for a year, how much more time will it take? Of course, she was preadolescent during that time. Now she is nearly an adult.

How do I get her to bond with the gander? Maybe she is prejudiced because he's not the same species as her.

I plan to cover the walls of her cage and perhaps put a curtain across the doorway to make it seem more like a cave.

 

[Goosebaby]

It seems she's bonded with the females. After sleeping in the same cage with the gander for a year, how much more time will it take? Of course, she was preadolescent during that time. Now she is nearly an adult.

How do I get her to bond with the gander? Maybe she is prejudiced because he's not the same species as her.

I plan to cover the walls of her cage and perhaps put a curtain across the doorway to make it seem more like a cave.

Well she is the same species as your gander, Anser anser and Anser cygnoides are only subspecies and will readily cross breed with each other, so that isnt an issue, some geese don’t necesarily get along but that’s generally to do with personality.
All I can say is to give them time, you could make them stay in the same shed, that could help, but ultimately they’ll figure it out.

 

[Goddessmother]

Thanks for your help.