Please help with goose behavior

[AbbyBlin]

We raised a goose in our house from a few days old (it was the only one at tractor supply so my SO brought it home). We had him/her in our family room, by our wood stove and treated it like royalty. We had a single adult female goose already so we slowly introduced our house goose to the other. They hit it off and hang out together.. at first the goose still loves us, it would always come to us (nicely) whenever we were outside and would follow us all around. All of a sudden… it’s turned into an attack goose, without anything specific happening. If it hears us, it will run up to us honking and wings spread wide open.. it always did this so we assumed it was a friendly gesture but I’m not so sure now. Anyway, it will run up to us and then starts with the low head, neck quiver, and then will run at us with its head low and his bitten my 4 yo daughter once, me once, and my 6& 8yo old sons. For whatever reason it’s ok with my SO and my 2yo son. Does anyone have any advice? We love having them out to roam but this goose has really started torturing us all lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

What you are experiencing is hormonal behavior. Do not let this goose get close enough to bite use a bucket, broom or long pole keep the goose at fair distance. Never let the children in with the geese unsupervised. Just about everything and everyone are a threat to them right now.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/geese-training.561849/

 

[AbbyBlin]

The geese are loose right now but we never let our kids outside around them unless we are there. We’re super cautious all the time. I’m just wondering if this will pass? We don’t know how to sex the goose, it’s a Chinese brown (I think), so I don’t know if it could be a male who’s acting this way because he’s now with our (confirmed) female? Or if maybe it’s a female “in heat” (I know that’s not the correct terminology for geese) and this will pass?? Mostly I’m just wondering if we will ever be able to live together peacefully again. We love this goose, even though it’s terrible to us, and really don’t want to have to re home it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like gander behavior to me, although I haven't had aggressive behavior from my female goose, she can be nippy to the ducks and chickens when hormonal. Now my gander he was an old softy until breeding season then he'd bite every chance he got if I got too close to his mate. Geese are very protective of their mates and goslings it's just their nature. Mine are usually done with breeding season mid-June then they molt and are back to their old selves. How old is this one your asking about?

 

[AbbyBlin]

Sounds like gander behavior to me, although I haven't had aggressive behavior from my female goose, she can be nippy to the ducks and chickens when hormonal. Now my gander he was an old softy until breeding season then he'd bite every chance he got if I got too close to his mate. Geese are very protective of their mates and goslings it's just their nature. Mine are usually done with breeding season mid-June then they molt and are back to their old selves. How old is this one your asking about?

We got him/her the end of February and it was only a few days old at that time. So 4-5 months I’m thinking? I hope it goes back to at least living amicably with us.. we really don’t go near it.. he literally seeks us out. Comes running to us honking and wings wide open!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope you'll read the link I posted about training geese. It has a lot of good info in it.

 

[Goosebaby]

We got him/her the end of February and it was only a few days old at that time. So 4-5 months I’m thinking? I hope it goes back to at least living amicably with us.. we really don’t go near it.. he literally seeks us out. Comes running to us honking and wings wide open!

5 months is a bit young for hormones so it sounds more like he/she may be trying to establish pecking order. Some geese are naturally feisty, mr.margelivinlarge on instagram has a female Chinese goose called PeeWee who’s an absolute terror.
Show your goose who’s boss, pick the little stink weed up if they charge you, that’s the best way of showing them who’s boss in my flock.