Pilgrim Geese thread

[livininbrazil]

Hopefully mine will all get along well too! Navine and Miskit (new adults) are already a pair but it'll be interesting how things go next spring! My young male definitely has a favorite of his three, but they're a pretty tight group all told. The arrival of the newbies is at least as exciting as the new barn roof was!

Most likely at this time of year in the N Hemisphere they´ll become one flock, as Pilgrims have quite a strong flocking instinct. Then, come breeding time, the ganders will stick to the favourite goose most of the time, with the odd excursion to woo one of the other available ones.
Overwintering together? Do you mean containing them in a smaller space? It´s in the winter that they start to pair off, but depending on the amount of space you have,you may not need to separate them.
It´s 'winter' here now, and they´re all busy sorting themselves out... 5 ganders and their geese. They have plenty of space, so hardly any squabbles.

 

[bekkanblue]

Is it possible to keep a bachelor flock of male geese? Birds who won't be used for breeding but can fulfill other functions like keeping grass down or, in my case, training my stock dogs? I know flocks of all male ducks will beat up on each other, wondering if geese would do the same.

 

[flockman]

Is it possible to keep a bachelor flock of male geese? Birds who won't be used for breeding but can fulfill other functions like keeping grass down or, in my case, training my stock dogs? I know flocks of all male ducks will beat up on each other, wondering if geese would do the same.

I have heard of people doing it and it being okay. I also know someone who had 8 geese 5 ganders and 3 geese. One gander claimed all the girls leaving the other 4 boys to themselves.

 

[RoboDuck]

WELL LONGSTRINGOFDIRTYWORDEXPLETIVES!!!!! One of my ganders has developed angel wing. I don't know if it has happened from an injury or genetics.

 

[livininbrazil]

WELL LONGSTRINGOFDIRTYWORDEXPLETIVES!!!!! One of my ganders has developed angel wing. I don't know if it has happened from an injury or genetics.

Well if it´s only just now that you´ve noticed, bind it. Easy to do.

 

[andreacroyle]

how exactly do you bind it without bird pulling it off? i have vet wrapped it and put a tshirt on her??? my goose is disabled and sits in a "chair" most of the day.

 

[andreacroyle]

Is it possible to keep a bachelor flock of male geese? Birds who won't be used for breeding but can fulfill other functions like keeping grass down or, in my case, training my stock dogs? I know flocks of all male ducks will beat up on each other, wondering if geese would do the same.

I have read that male ducks do just fine as long as there arent females around during breeding season. maybe its the same for geese??

 

[livininbrazil]

how exactly do you bind it without bird pulling it off? i have vet wrapped it and put a tshirt on her??? my goose is disabled and sits in a "chair" most of the day.

Well, they will nibble and maybe even pull it off, but binding´s so easy to do, so you just put it back on again. Most goslings have a whole load of other things to be poking at, so they tend to forget about it for the few days that it´s needed.
Do you hang a cabbage up for him/her to pick at there, to avoid boredom? And can your gosling not walk at all now?

 

[andreacroyle]

I am wondering if pilgrim goslings have different noises depending on gender. the videos i pull up are too noisy to tell the difference. my goose that hatched the first week of june is now starting to change her voice. she will be peeping like goslings do and then it turns to and ends in a honk. its really funny sounding and reminds me of a donkey. is this normal? FYI she is disabled so i dont really know what is normal with pilgrims since i have a special goose.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What is that you are feeding Forrest? looks like dog food. does he/she have access to grit