My new geese hate me, help!

[mrskraynak2005]

I bought a pair of full grown Pomeranian geese this past weekend. They were so pretty and seemed to be friendly while in their cage, however, once we got home, everything changed (except that they are still pretty). I put them in my backyard with 2 call ducks, 11 hens, 2 rooster and 4 goats. They get along well with the rest of the animals, but when I go back there, they hiss, flap their wings and come at me. Tonight I had the feed bucket between me and them..it was a good thing I did because I think the male hit it with his beak (I'm not sure because I was petrified). I have read many articles that I need to make myself appear bigger and that seems to work for a second or two but they still come at me when I put my arms down or stop hissing. I managed to feed tonight and fill up the pool but not without accidentally breaking the egg I had just gotten out of the hen house when I tried to close the shed door (while they were hissing and coming at me). My husband seems to think they will get better with time as I go out there more and they figure out that I am the keeper of the food. I, on the other hand, am not so sure. I really am scared of them when they come at me like this, it might not be so bad if it was only 1 but they both participate in this behavior and BOTH come at me as a team. I am willing to try pretty much anything as they are loose on an acre of property and I have no idea how I would even catch them to get rid of them. I've learned my lesson about impulse buying (LOL) but now I have to figure out how to deal with this. All suggestions that won't get me bit are GREATLY appreciated!!!

 

[buffbeauty]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=561849&p=1

Try reading this thread. And stick to it. Sounds like you have already let them get their bluff in on you..... No pro here by any means but reading this thread helped me see the importance of "assertiveness"

 

[mrskraynak2005]

THANK YOU!!! Tonight, I went out there prepared. I was wearing my overalls with a pair of jeans underneath, a pair of gloves and a large towel around my shoulders. When I went into the back yard, the geese came toward me honking but they weren't hissing, I thought this was a good thing. I opened up my towel "wings", stomped my feet (which seems to make a HUGE difference to these geese) and told them that "this is MY yard and I'M the king goose around here". I'm sure I looked like I had lost my mind and I'm hoping nobody had a video camera trained on this event, but they backed away. I went on to the hen house and took care of my work in there. When I came out, the geese had come close, maybe 20-30 feet away, but kept their distance. I left the hen house and went across the yard to the feed shed...they stayed by the hen house. I went inside and came out with feed. I began throwing it around because I'm feeding goats, chickens and ducks all at the same time. The geese came over but still stayed at least 15 feet away from me...they just walked right by without paying me much attention. I went back to the chicken house and back to the feed shed again without incident. I left the back yard and breathed a sigh of relief. The rest of the evening, I was out back but they were on the other side of the fence from me. They started honking when my neighbor came to the back fence and came toward me when I was trying to talk to him...all the while honking but stopping when I stopped talking...or rather yelling cause it's about 300feet from the back to where I was. They started to act like they were going to be aggressive toward me (but still did not hiss) and I raised my arms at them and stomped my feet, they went the other way. I was out there long enough to grill dinner and they were walking back and forth along the fence, within 7-8 feet from me and not saying a word. They did honk a bit when I was talking on the phone but it wasn't an aggressive honk...more of a "friendly" honk. I am feeling MUCH better about the entire situation. The chances of having goose for dinner have become MUCH less. THANK YOU AGAIN!!! P.S. We couldn't have had goose for dinner anyway cause I would have to catch them for that and I seriously doubt that was going to happen LOL.

 

[buffbeauty]

glad that thread helped. There are some pros on there with good advice. I don't even have my geese yet but doin all I can to learn what I can. I tried unsuccessfully to hatch about 14 dewlap toulouse and toulouse eggs this spring, now just waiting on next spring to get my 2 pairs of dewlap toulouse goslings from holderreads this spring. Learning all I can while I wait. I can't wait.