Ok to seperate goose?

[Thoroughbred]

I have 5 Canadas that have imprinted on each other and on me. They are from this spring's hatch. Although I don't yet know their sexes yet, I have an idea which ones are ganders. I think I have two ganders and three females. All along, one of the ganders has been more high strung than the others, louder and more stand-offish. For example, he still wants to be close to me, but won't eat fresh greens from my hand. He waits nervously until they are on the ground before eating. He is also a bossy goose (won't let other geese in the pools if he is in it, etc). My other geese are very gentle and personable. It is funny, because this particular goose was the most standoffish is the goose that was our favorite and got the most attention as a gosling. We have handled these geese a lot since day one, and they have been treated as part of the family..... so I can't imagine that he is afraid of any of us.

Anyways, this weekend, I seperated my "uppity" gander and put him in a pen by himself. He can hear the other geese, but cannot see them. I want him to lose some of that flock mentality and have a little more dependance on us before he gets too much older and the hormones start kicking in. Well, it has now been 72 hours and he is still pacing the fence. The only time that he does not pace is if I go out there and stand with him. Then he will go into his pool and play. He is eating very little.

Will he eventually get out of his funk and quit pacing the fence trying to get to the other geese, or will he forever be pining away for them? Thanks!

 

[Willowbrook]

Just shaking my head.

 

[rainplace]

I don't think there is anything you can do now to control how his hormones will kick in during breeding season. All the behavior you are talking about seems pretty normal. Nothing you have mentioned sounds aggressive.

You're taking an animal that thrives being with its own kind and isolating it. He's pacing. He's not eating. I think this is a good indication that he is not happy.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Please put him back with his flock.

He does not sound uppity, he is the boss of the flock. He might not want to take food directly from you because he wants you to eat also. I have 4 geese, two boys and two girls. Nibs, my dominant male, will not "take food" away from me his "featherless girl" - just as he will not take food away from his "feathered girls".

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Everything you've described is normal goose behavior.

Please let him go back to his family. Geese are very bonded animals, having family mentality much like our own. He's upset because he's been seperated from his family.

He may be a little more standoffish, but as long as he's not fullblown attacking, no harm no foul.

 

[Soccer Mom]

Stand offish males make the best ganders. It's the overly familiar ones that tend to think they can boss you and attack you. He's giving you respect by not taking your food and crowding your space. They bond very intensely with their flock. Both he--and his ladies--will be much happier when you put him back.

 

[Aknor]

Good luck. I don't really see separating the goose from the rest working as they are flock birds and seem happiest ( especially when young) together. Put him back with the rest before he gets ill from stress and not eating and before one of the other ones decides to be boss and there ends up being a power struggle when he returns. There is always one that has to be boss and it sounds like he is it. Up here (Canada) they aren't kept but are in the wild and by now those that fly south are gone. I love watching them and keep a pair of Embdens and Chinese Grays.

 

[Lund121671]

Remember geese like everything wild have a pecking order and a way that everything should work. There is ALWAYS a top dog (goose in this case) and those that fall in behing. You may be making things worse. Sometimes when pulling dominate animals out of a group for a while thinking you will "change" them then putting them back in later will only end up with something getting hurt. Horses for example are very herd driven and as soon as you pull out a horse the order will change. Good Luck. I would also put him back in.