A classic tale of ordering one thing but getting another. Two brown Chinese geese both sexed females (sexed by the company) and bought by me last spring. After months of maturing (they are about 10 months old) one is about 2 inches taller and more stout than the other, displaying all of the typical gander behavior such as hissing, snaking neck, biting toes, charging you when you turn your back, and mating with my female duck (she actually entices him to do this) - I think he might actually BE a gander. I haven't actually seen visual proof nor have I picked him up to look. I guess I could..... The other goose started laying eggs. I made her a nest and she and the female duck both lay eggs in it (it's up to three goose eggs now - I pull the duck eggs out and use them for baking) and although I've never seen the geese mate with my own two eyes, she has a muddy neck and rumpled feathers which makes me think they've been at it. The gander (that I thought was a goose) parades about and struts his stuff and puts up quite a fuss if I come in there while the other is sitting on the nest. Sounds like a gander to me....anyone agree? No problem if it is, it just means more weeder geese for the spring garden!
yeppers - at this particular hatchery, they said there is a 10% failure rate and I think that is about average everywhere else, too.
Next time he mates your duck, look under his tail as he does. You'll see him retracting his penis if he's a gander.
