Should I let female(?) goose....

[NYRIR]

watch over my 3 goslings tomorrow? Here is the situation...if you saw my posts in the last couple weeks you may remember I bought 3 goslings,2 weeks old,and was given two 2 year old ,supposed to be white pilgrim geese pair,I now know they are mixed and NOT pilgrim males because one acts like a female and one acts like a male.I say this because I have been free-ranging the adults since I got them and having to catch them at dusk and put them in an enclosure for the night, so I know one (the suspected male) is a lot noisier and harder to catch

)The three goslings I have inside in a brooder but during the days I put them outside in a "playpen".Well today for the first time,one of the adult geese came over to the playpen and got in it.She(?) would not let any chickens near the goslings

The one I'm pretty sure is male just patrolled around the edges.My concern is...if the adult goose is in the playpen all day she will not be able to get a whole lot of water from the smaller waterer i have in there and the Male(?) will not leave her side to eat/drink.What I was thinking was to allow her to lead them around the yard tomorrow and babysit for me.I would then be able to give them all access to the right foods and water for the adult to bathe in.I really want her to do this because where I got her from she couldn't and is just now getting used to it.Does anyone have any suggestions? Should this work out ok?
ETA : I got these geese from the same place...for all I know...they are HER goslings!

 

[Orange Ribbon]

As long as they are getting along, I would do it. I would probably watch them for a bit when first put out to range, and if everything was going well maybe check on them every once and a while until satisfied how it was going. Just my .02 cents.

 

[NYRIR]

That's a definite on watching for abit. What I worry the most about are my roosters...they've never shown aggression to the goslings but the goslings are always in a playpen.The (male ?) goose has been side swiped by my dominant roo once...but no injuries.

 

[critterranch]

i would just watch them for a bit. i always have alot of waterers placed around yard at least 5 or more and food 3 or more places. so everyone has enough room. there is usually only fights for a few days but nothing major. it should calm down after a few days. i free range everyone together. if she wants to take care of the goslings i would let her. it may be harder to keep them apart then to just let them stay together. my geese just honk and speard their wings and the chickens run the other way. the geese like to hog one of the waterers or i have to have alot. my runners and geese dont share water they all stay seperate. same for food. some chaos can happen though if i let one of the waters or feeders get empty. the start to agrue alittle over the other ones. they are all spread out 20 -30 feet apart.

 

[NYRIR]

well,sounds good then...will give it a try...Thanks

 

[Oregon Blues]

Geese are very good parents. The ganders are serious about their fatherly duties. The goslings don't have to be theirs. They will adopt goslings and ducklings and care for them.

I suggest that you move food and water closer to the gosling enclosure to ensure that the adults eat and drink. Let them bond for a day or two more and then let them out with close supervision.

If the geese adopt the goslings, I would worry more about your rooster. If he tries to attack the goslings, your gander might kill him.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
UPDATE:
I had not seen your response and so I let them all out today...you are right...whether they are theirs or not...they adopted them

It is so cute...anyway,the roosters have always been very well behaved and I was just trying to think ahead of any problems.However everyone got along really well.The chickens leave the geese alone...the geese are ok so long as no one gets too close.But so far if a hen wanders close...the female will just do a "mock" charge thing with her head down...but as soon as they walk away she goes right back to doing her geesey things

The male so far is just noisy and protests a lot.They like to hang out right by the duck run...what's up with that?
Neither one has been really aggressive...even to us when we have to catch them every night to put them in.The female only hisses at us when we get the goslings...at night when we put her in..she runs away but does not hiss or anything.The male..lol...he ALWAYS hisses...puts his wings out...but when it gets down to it, he does nothing but try to run.So far so good....