O.K. to Keep 2 Different Breeds of Geese together?

[drdoolittle]

I've never had geese before, and got my first one about 3 weeks ago---a 2 or 3 month old Toulouse, because someone was just giving him away. Well, I have been keeping him with my 14 ducklings, and while he hasn't "bonded" to them, they get along o.k. My husband and I have been lookip ng for another Toulouse to get, but ended up getting a 1 1/2 year old brown Chinese goose. I was having trouble finding any geese for sale around us, let alone a female Toulouse. I decided to get an older goose, because at least I knew for sure it was a female. Anyway, I thought my gander would be really excited to see another goose, but he seems almost afraid of her. She keeps trying to get close to him and he just runs away. I don't think she's being agressive at all----not spreading her wings, lowering her head or hissing---she just tries to follow him and be close. Is it o.k. to only have 2 geese and they are of different breeds? Do they know they are different? Or is it just that my gander is so young (he's 3-4 mos. now), that he doesn't know what the Chinese goose's intentions are? Hope I don't sound dumb, I just never had geese before.

 

[sourland]

He doesn't know that he is a goose. He probably thinks that either he looks like a duck or you and your husband. As long as she is not aggressive towards him they should become comfortable with one another.

 

[drdoolittle]

I sure hope so----don't want to think I drove all that way to get her for nothing. Also, I had forgotten that the people I got him from said that his own parents didn't accept him and had tried to kill him when he hatched! He probably thinks all geese are mean!

The female is very pretty, though, so I really am glad I got her.

 

[Kim65]

If he is a boy, come next spring during breeding season, he may get over his bad self

.

Even my two geese who were hand raised together by me got a little confused. Their imprinting is so strong, I think Petey tried to mate me all spring and left Lila's eggs sterile. We'll see next spring, he has two wives now, and the new goose is an "older woman" who might be able to show him the ropes.

Geese are odd in how strongly they imprint (and then they never forget a thing). Most other creatures get a clue and the urge to mate their own kind, but geese can be pretty slow.

 

[drdoolittle]

Thanks for the input. They seem to be getting on well together-----the female seems to think my ducklings are her babies!

 

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I'm thinkin that I need a photo of all of this so that I can really understand!~!

jennifer