New gander who thinks he's a chicken!

[SummerChick]

Hi, an update about my new goose who's name is Gretchen but I believe is a gander, who thinks he's a chicken.
Gretchen grew up with chickens and the previous owner told me he loved his chickens and she was right about that! He was so sad and missing his other home that I let him stay last night with my chickens.... Well I couldn't believe it!!, he was up in their little hut! It was a sight to see! I think he wanted to get on their roosting perch but he couldn't manage that. I made room so he could sleep on the hay next to them in the hut! My poor chickens didn't know what was going on.
Today was a beautiful day, I let "Gretchen" out with everyone. My goose Lucy kept talking to him but he just followed the chickens around. I am so very proud of Lucy, she has not shown any aggression towards him and even tried to walk towards him at the end of
the day but she noticed he was freightened of her so she backed away and went on her merry way of eating grass.
Tonight I let him in with the chickens again and he hops right in the hut with them but scares them when he tries to get in their faces and tries to Roost with them! I decided to go ahead and put him in the goose house with Lucy and see what happens. I carried him over and opened the goose house door, Lucy stepped aside and gave him room. He cried a bit and wanted to get out of there. My sweet Lucy made what sounded to be soothing sounds and I just knew it would be ok. Quietly I went out to check on them and he was not crying and was quiet. I had been worrying about this but I think it's going well. I didn't want him to get to use to sleeping with the chickens.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[sourland]

Eventually he will figure out that he is a goose - Merry Christmas.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Perhaps he will figure it out in the New Year when the threat of being a "Christmas Goose" has passed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a sweet story He'll figure it out and be in love with Lucy before long, so sweet of her to be gentle with him.

 

[SummerChick]

Well I thought this was going to be easy and go smoothly, boy was I wrong! This gander is only happy when he is near chickens. He whines if he is not near them. I made him sleep in the goose house 2 nights with Lucy but she started looking disturbed by him....he cries to be with the chickens. I finally let him be in the coop. The chickens don't really like for him to be there but I think they since he is not there to hurt them rather protect them.
I guess one day he will understand that he is a goose. should I make him sleep in the goose house? He puts up such a fuss about it. When is mating season for geese? I hope that is when he will decide that he likes Lucy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I thought this was going to be easy and go smoothly, boy was I wrong! This gander is only happy when he is near chickens. He whines if he is not near them. I made him sleep in the goose house 2 nights with Lucy but she started looking disturbed by him....he cries to be with the chickens. I finally let him be in the coop. The chickens don't really like for him to be there but I think they since he is not there to hurt them rather protect them.
I guess one day he will understand that he is a goose. should I make him sleep in the goose house? He puts up such a fuss about it. When is mating season for geese? I hope that is when he will decide that he likes Lucy.

Does he settle down once you put him in with Lucy? Sam my gander didn't want no part of Missy my goose but I did separate him for my ducks and he finally started taking an interest in Missy, but mating season clinched it. I got Missy in Aug and in Jan mating season began here, might be different since your further south. It was mid Jan when they started mating then she laid her first egg Jan 31 of this year. so shouldn't be too long before mating season begins for ya'll. What do you mean by disturbed by him?

 

[mothergooz]

Don't make Gretchen cry. Give him the freedom to move between the chicken house and the goose house. He's only seeking the chickens because he is familiar with them and is looking for security. Heck aren't we all looking for something to make us feel better in these tough times?

He just needs time to adjust. Give him that time.

 

[SummerChick]

I feel like crying, I can't seem to make everyone happy. Lucy was happy to see the new goose/gander until he cries all the time to be with the chickens. I was going to let him be with the chickens at night but he scares them and broke their light. They scatter and try to stay away from him. I feel so bad for him, the chickens and for Lucy. I think I made a big mistake, everyone is unhappy and I worry constantly.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I feel like crying, I can't seem to make everyone happy. Lucy was happy to see the new goose/gander until he cries all the time to be with the chickens. I was going to let him be with the chickens at night but he scares them and broke their light. They scatter and try to stay away from him. I feel so bad for him, the chickens and for Lucy. I think I made a big mistake, everyone is unhappy and I worry constantly.

So you don't think the new guy will ever get use to Lucy? I'd keep him with Lucy, I think given time he will bond with her. What makes you think Lucy is un happy? Geese don't like change we all know that but once he realizes he is a goose especially a gander he will be okay. When I first put Missy in with Sammy I found her the next morning outside of the stall and was so afraid she was going to break her legs jumping out of there so I used plastic chicken fencing and split their stall into then also made a top out of same fencing so she could jump out in the night [he was not nice to her and would scare her] It didn't happen over night but it did happen in about 2-3 months.

 

[flockman]

I would honestly separate Gretchen from the chickens. As long as the geese aren't fighting I would keep them together. Last year I had a pair of geese that I raised with ducklings. I had issues of a drake trying to mate with my goose and a gander trying to mate with ducks. I had to separate them. Once I did this and kept them separated till the geese had bonded. Then all birds were able to be together in the pasture. After that all birds stay back from Boris my gander. He had claimed his mate. Hopefully this will work for you. Miss Lydia had to separate her geese from other birds till they had bonded. Good luck!