My Mother Always Told Me Never to Get Between Fighting Dogs...

[Olive Hill]

... but she failed to warn me about fighting ganders. And now I'm bruised.

Though most certainly not as bruised as the ganders.

I figure with a gaggle of 13 scuffles are bound to happen. And they do every once in a while. And usually someone is very proud of themselves and someone else is sulky and has a bruised ego for a few hours. But this morning, for reasons unbeknownst to me, two of my ganders decided to kick it up a notch. I usually subscribe to the "let nature take its course" approach to these things but these boys appeared rather intent on fighting to the death and after watching them for several minutes in a dead lock (after I presume they'd been fighting for some time before I went to check out what all the honking was about) just beating each other I thought it was probably time to step in since one of the ganders is supposed to be going to a new home in the next couple of weeks -- that buyer would probably appreciate a live gander, I'm sure.

And I'm here to tell you this is what does not work if you ever have to break up two ganders intent to fighting to the death:

- Prying them apart with your foot
- Kicking one off the other
- Throwing a purple soccer ball at them
- Yelling "That's ENOUGH!"

Here's what DOES work:

Grabbing them both by the neck and turning them away from one another and then quickly pushing one away with your foot while simultaneously scooping the other up in your arms. HINT: The one you booted away will be back and quick, watch the backs of your knees and be ready to chase him off while holding the other.

I recommend charging passersby for the entertainment all of this provides.

I've got the one I scooped up in lockup in a dog crate in the yard for now. Ganders! Ugh! It's a good thing they make wonderful sausage.

 

[StevenW.]

geese r so funny and what breed of geese were fighting??

(purple soccer ball)

 

[bock]

I'm loving it! Good luck with those bruises!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Oh my! Maybe you should try a pink ball next time? Or perhaps red?

 

[justbugged]

Geese are some of the only animals that truly scare me.

 

[chicksbestfriend]

Quote:

My tummy is so sore from laughing, must of been that popcorn with the entertainment too! I am going to keep my eyes open for your advice column; thanks for tipping us off on the purple soccer ball, who would of guessed!

 

[tdgill]

 

[The goose girl]

Quote:
Wow, this opens up for a whole new field of scientific research!

Instead of throwing, you can try: chucking, hurling, lobbing, thrusting... And if the color purple is wrong, there are many other colors available. It may be that geese are not afraid of soccer balls, but have you tried tennis balls, baseballs, basketballs, or ping pong balls? Or, if it's the whole ball concept that keeps them from breaking up the fight (their instincts might prevent them from perceiving vaguely egg-shaped objects as threats), you have a household full of stuff to try out.

This is How Important Scientific Research is born!

 

[Olive Hill]

OMG you guys I am laughing so hard. I think next time I will try hurling a red pillow at them.

It was an American Blue and an American Buff. I left the blue in lockup for about 30 minutes and they've been fine since. Who knows what got into them. My guess is that the blue tried mating with the buff's mate because later in the day I did see the buff herding his mate away from the blue, the blue chasing along trying to get to the mate and the two of them hissing up a storm at one another.

But here's the real kicker if the mate is, in fact, what started the fight. That particular buff's "mate" is another gander. They're the most bonded pair I have out here, but they're both male.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
Life is all about learning!