STILL unsure about colored Sebastopol's sex

[Griffox]

I have two one-year old gray Sebastopols. In the last month they have been "mating". The same goose is always on top and they finish by doing the happy dance facing each other, so I've been hoping that this means I do indeed have a male and a female. They are both very aggressive right now. I can't even change the water in their pool. Despite all this, I still have no eggs. Is it possible that they are both males and one is just more dominant, thus always ends up breeding the other? Or is it normal to have late onset of egg production in first year females? I'm kind of kicking myself for not starting off with white sebastopols, because I just don't know enough about goose behavior to judge sex based on their behavior alone.

Any thoughts based on what I've told you? Will two males mate if there are no females present?

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

Chances are they are both males . They will still try and mount each other . If they were females you would probably have had eggs right now and females mount each other if no males are present.

 

[banter]

One year old Sebs can drive you crazy trying to sex them! The colors are very hard, because they have a great variety in their size, shape and feather length, due to the possibility of other breeds in their lineage. I have 3, year old females, which haven't laid yet, they are too busy fighting and playing to get down to business! Often the beaks and feet of the ganders are larger, and the neck is thicker. The gander will often stand more erect, and stand in front of the female.

 

[Hillside]

If you haven't a lot of experience with geese the whites probably wouldn't be any easier to sex under these circumstances. What you describe does make me think two ganders. Listen to them also. Lack of experience won't tell you what you are hearing but if they both sound very much the same, high pitched and shrill, you probably have two ganders. Ditto if they are both threatening you using the same physical posturing.

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

Have you ever had the 3 year olds vent sexed? They might be ganders. I have raised quite a few geese and have never had that happen . New one on me.

 

[CityChicker]

You can quite easily have them DNA sexed. It is only about $20 and completely accurate. It is just something that not a lot of poultry/waterfowl people do probably because they don't realize it is an option and because a lot of times it may not be worth the expense. For Sebastopols though, I think I could personally justify the minimal cost. There are several companies that do it. I have used Avian Biotech for about 15 years with great success.

 

[Griffox]

Thanks for the replies. They do both sound the same, shrill describes them well. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. It's not like I'm counting on having a breeding pair. I knew when I bought them as goslings that I could end up with two males or two females, I just didn't realize that a year later I would still be scratching my head wondering what the heck they are. I didn't realize that DNA testing was available for fowl. I'm not that desperate to know what they are, though.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I also can highly recommend Avian Biotech. I've used them for sexing my parrots for years.

Laurie

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
Really? If you change your mind and decide you want to do it, they can do it from just a couple of feathers (I should have mentioned that). You just mail them the feathers (or other type of sample, that is the easiest though) and you get the results in about a week. It is really a very simple process.