Screaming Gosling!

[rainplace]

My 1 week old gosling screams whenever I leave the room. Sometimes for a very long time. When I get home from work, I bring her and her duckling friend to the couch with me and let them climb all over me and then settle in for a nap. But I can't be there for her every minute of the day! Is there anything I can do to help her through this? And will this continue as she gets older? She's a chinese white.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Is she your only gosling?

If so, it appears that she has imprinted on you and you are now "Mom"....

Unless I wanted a severely attached Goose for the next 5-10+ years I would never raise just a single gosling.

 

[rainplace]

Husband and I talked a lot about geese before getting one. They live 30 years or is it less? You think that she won't imprint on the duckling she is with, and then hang with the other ducks once she's old enough? I thought I might need to get another gosling and will if that's what's needed, but I'm hoping I don't have to.

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
Try giving her a stuffed animal bigger then she is. This will resolve and she will become comfortable with the fact that you leave and come back, at least mine did.

 

[DulcyDoll]

I put a bear in with my 2, they hate hate hate when I leave them after some playtime. It was really bad the first week, but they have gotten much better about it.

I would talk to them for a few minutes, walk away, then come back just to show them that I am still around and am comming back to visit (often lol). Talking to them while I am across the room or in another room helps too.

 

[rainplace]

Thank you so much for your replies! I might put them in a room closer to the living room, so I can talk to her when I'm not with her. I'll also try the stuffed animal idea.

 

[Kim65]

I have a giant stuffed bald eagle that I put in with my two goslings

I didn't tell them what it WAS, of course. They liked to hide under it's wings.

Goslings know they are FOOD when the parent isn't around, so getting a big stuffed animal, with a face (eyes, especially) will comfort it.

 

[adrian]

A good suggestion would be to carry the gosling and duckling around in a small storage box. A cardboard box, or plastic bin or even a laundry basket, odd as that sounds. I do it with mine and they are much happier with it.

 

[countrybum]

Give her the stuff animal but also place a radio in the room that you can put on a talk station when you are not around. Just the sound will quiet her. I had a Canadian that did the same thing until I got it some companionship. First I gave it the ducks and then I got a few African to give it goose company.

After a week it quit crying for me.

 

[rainplace]

Oh, the radio is a good idea!

And I've been carrying it around with me in the evenings. She's so cute!