New Geese :)

[Kim65]

Since you know Archie is a girl, figuring out the other sexes can be done by behavior and their voices.

Ganders have a higher pitched honk. They hold up their heads high all the time, scanning for dangers. They tend to have bigger heads and bodies, too, once full grown. Geese have lower pitched grunting/honking sounds. They duck their heads and stand back shyly while the ganders take the lead. If I want my flock of three to go anywhere, I just pick up Petey and I have all three of them in my evil control lol.

Since Archie is female, and the "leader", I'm guessing your new geese are not quite adults yet. In the least, they are behaving like the proverbial newcomers, taking a backseat to Archie. Very impressive. But this won't last. Geese have pretty strict sex roles, and will fall into them as the flock integrates. You will probably see one of the ganders taking the "lead" very soon. There may be some fighting, but they are just rearraging the pecking order as any flock of geese will. It isn't fun to watch, but let them do their thing. Probably no one will get hurt, but best to expect there will be some tussles.

And Archie, being female, will attach herself to a "husband" and so forth and so on.

Keep us posted on the evolving new gaggle you have

They are the best, and I'm so glad for Archie, I'm sure her soul is at peace with her new friends

 

[sillysister74]

Don't those fluffy white butts make you wanna giggle?

 

[duck walk]

yep, those fluffy goose butts are darn cute...nice group you have and I am happy for Archie...a goose alone is a lonely goose...they are some of the most interesting animals I have ever had...I had eight baby geese I bought and kept in a brooder in the shed...the adults could hear them and came to the fence to try to get a look at them often...then I moved them to the next level of confinement before they got to join the main flock...but during that seocnd phase, the adults would take shifts so someone was always resting at the pen keeping an eye on the babies...quite often I would look out there and all of the adults would be parked next to the baby pen watching over them...and Barney the eldest gander would hiss at me if I got too near the babies...he would never come after me but he let me know that he was "on the job" and I better be respectful...funny...it was kind of funny and kind of touching to see the bonding and concerns the adults had for goslings that were not theirs nor related in any fasion...when the babies were big enough to turn out it was a real celebration...the adults were honking and running around with their wings out just having a ball...the "kids" were a little concerned at first but two days and they were a gaggle and a family...

I have a pair of Poms who are adult and really big...the gander loses track of the goose everyonce in a while...I think she deliberately hides behind a bush where he can not see her so she can see him freak out...he gets very tall and very loud and is just totally freaking and running around until he "finds" her...I can almost here her laughing at the old fool...they are so much fun...now that guy, Herb, has a butt!

 

[laughaha]

I would love to see Herb's fluffy white butt, lol. Pomeranians are adorable! Thanks for sharing that mated pair story, it was hilarious!! Also very sweet story about the adults and the goslings.

Kim I will definitely have to remember that trick!!!!

My problems is that while Archie is technically a girl- you would SWEAR she was a he by body language, size, posture, etc. When it was Archie and Ethel (both girls), Archie was always the first to be at your side getting treats, the first to go after DH (he butchered some of HER roosters), the one that always breaks up the roo fights and protects the hens from the rough roosters. Ethel was always the one with her head lower, much gentler in manner and sound and she was shy. The only reason why I know Archie is a girl is cuz of eggs this year after Ethel had been broody for weeks.

I would LOVE for Archie to calm down a bit and let one of the nicer ganders take the lead. Archie can be a bit of a brat, but diva's get that way sometimes, lol

Archie was born like a 1 1/2 yrs to 2 yrs ago (horrible memory) and is easily the biggest so I'm thinking that the new geese were all born this past year? If so then the youngster couldn't be related to the other three, right? These were the only 4 geese that the gentleman had (although he had some GORGEOUS peacocks). How old do ya'll think the newest members of the brat pack are?