Ok... now that I think I know what kind of goose it is...

[JessHall]

Thank you to all of you who helped me identify what kind of goose we have...an Embden
This is our first goose and we are treating it like part of the family. We have chickens and ducks but like I said, this is a first. It really loves being with us and follows my son everywhere.
Does anyone have any tips on raising these guys to be good and not unruly? What is this breed like in your all's experience? Pros? Cons?
Thanks again!

 

[jessica117]

I have an african named goosie and the only problem we have had with her is occasionally I have to help the kids remind her that she is below them on the pecking order. I have a 5 yr old and an almost 2 yr old. My son (the oldest) has the most problems because she has "goosed" him a few times and he remembers it but he is finally getting old enough to recognize the "I'm about to attack stance" and will charge her. The littlest has no reason to be afraid of her so she doesn't act afraid and has had no problems yet. She has never "goosed" me or my husband.

I guess my best advice would just to be sure that you keep yourself at the top of the pecking order and continue to handle it often and you shouldn't have an unruly goose

 

[JessHall]

Quote:
How do I establish that we are at the top of the pecking order?

 

[banter]

Stand up straight, look right in the eye, lean towards them extending your neck,( goose style) and slowly walk towards them-Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch.......

( 3 Stooges -lol!) You might have to extend your arms to their sides. Move them across the yard for a few minutes.
They will back down. WHEN they have quit yapping-give a treat to show you mean no harm. Learning to speak goose is an art!
When you greet them, bend over extending your neck and say "HEH HEH HEH HEH" (HEH at least 5 times fast), as that is their greeting. We expect animals to understand us-Right? Watch your geese-they will teach you how they communicate!

 

[Kim65]

If you watch geese parent their goslings, you'll see them "disciplining" them . . .like, A LOT!!

Lots of putting down the head and giving a quick nip to the back of the neck, or putting their heads down to eye level with the gosling and goosing at them with their bills.

I use my hand to give a "poke" to my eight week old goslings. I figure it looks like a bill comin at them.

My geese also understand "NO!", along with a hand coming out at them. I'll be doing the dishes and they will start nipping the backs of my knees and thighs (very painful) and I reach down and tap their heads and say NO!. They are starting to just respond to NO! without the hand, they stop whatever evil they are up to and look at me. I repeat myself and hold out my hand near their heads and they are getting the picture.

Geese socialize their goslings very diligently, and goslings expect to be corralled, they need to know their limits just like a human child does.

When I had big mean ganders, I'd come at them with my arms flung out like big wings, which is how ganders display to each other. I walked toward them with my arms up and they always scattered

Speaking a bit of "goose" helps them to understand you and be well behaved. One goose alone will think he/she is another human being and will be very in tune with you, I doubt you'll have serious problems with overly "goose" behavior.

 

[jessica117]

hahaha... I feel better now. I'm not the only one that speaks "goose"