Very Dominant Sebastopol

[corviidae]

Hi everyone, it’s been a while. We picked up some geese 7 months ago when they were just little hatchlings. First time goose owner, hand raised and very very loved.

Hormone seasons kicking up so obviously they’re going to act different, but I noticed our Sebastopol in particular is really starting to have a nasty attitude with me.

Percy, our Toulouse gander, is very sweet and hasn’t bit or gone for me even with his hormones acting up, but our Sebastopol (who we recently discovered is very likely a gander) has started to attack me.

Not really as extensively as other geese I read about on this website, but he leaves painful bruises on my already really sensitive skin and does not back down when I try to be firm or look bigger. I’ve resorted to grabbing the tip of his bill to keep it shut until he gives up, sometimes cupping his head (gently because I know their necks are delicate) or picking him up to tuck him under my arm. Latter stopped working, but the bill holding eventually does.

I also noticed sometimes he’ll lower his head and swipe his bill against the ground, or he’ll tap the ground with his bill and I don’t know what this means. It’s usually accompanied by the unmistakable cobra curved neck. Is this a dominance display?

And is this the right thing to keep doing? I admit I’m flinchy and extremely sensitive to input, so the bill grabbing has been the easiest way for me not to flinch when he starts testing me. If hand feeding is a huge issue contributing, that can be discontinued as well- but Percy never has an attitude with me like that.

I’m sorry if any of this is like…a classic “don’t do that”. I’m trying really hard to be a good goose mom. I just don’t want Medusa to keep doing this and thinking he’s winning if I can help it.

Edit: forgot to mention, he only attacked my girlfriend once and she’s much more firm with him. He hasn’t had an attitude with her since, and she’s always been his favorite human. Vice versa with Percy and I.

 

[fin-dachickmasta]

I have no idea if this will help. I trust cackle hatchery https://www.cacklehatchery.com/how-to-deal-with-an-aggressive-goose/

 

[corviidae]

Thanks! I ended up having to do something a little different and it worked.

before it escalated this morning, I grabbed the tip of her bill and pulled her against my side. Shut her down REALLY quick. She hasn’t given me an ounce of attitude so far since

 

[NevadaEmma]

I also have, what used to be, four geese that have come into mating season. They started showing mating behavior in December, but I did not recognize it as that. I now realize that I have three males and only one female, I thought it was the opposite.

The gander that I am sure is the dominant mate, has become very aggressive, but is not too bad as long as I am not too close to the nest or the female.

But the worst one is the smallest, Curley the Sebastopol. He was the sweetest and now he is the most aggressive. Does not matter where we are. I do not think he has even mated with the female. He is very protective and stands outside the coop and keeps guard when she is on the nest with her gander next to her.

I just hope that they go back to a least some version of themselves, otherwise I am not sure what we are going to do with them. They will not be pets at that point.

 

[corviidae]

I also have, what used to be, four geese that have come into mating season. They started showing mating behavior in December, but I did not recognize it as that. I now realize that I have three males and only one female, I thought it was the opposite.

The gander that I am sure is the dominant mate, has become very aggressive, but is not too bad as long as I am not too close to the nest or the female.

But the worst one is the smallest, Curley the Sebastopol. He was the sweetest and now he is the most aggressive. Does not matter where we are. I do not think he has even mated with the female. He is very protective and stands outside the coop and keeps guard when she is on the nest with her gander next to her.

I just hope that they go back to a least some version of themselves, otherwise I am not sure what we are going to do with them. They will not be pets at that point.

I hope you have better luck. I ended up having to rehome my sebbie gander.

We did pick up a lady Chinese goose to keep our Toulouse company, but he’s not ready for her. We’ll see.

 

[Goosey Girl]

I hope you have better luck. I ended up having to rehome my sebbie gander.

We did pick up a lady Chinese goose to keep our Toulouse company, but he’s not ready for her. We’ll see.

Oh that is sad. I guess your gander was a real terror! I have had to do a lot of separating geese from one another. My 2 eleven month old ganders are a handful, but I just catch them, scoop them up, and hold them for a few minutes,if they try to nip at me. It seems to take their ego down a few pegs and they think twice before running at me again. It is actually quite humorous. They are both so tough and mean on the ground, but in my arms they just freeze from surprise.
Hoping your Chinese goose is the right addition and your goose world is peaceful!

 

[corviidae]

Oh that is sad. I guess your gander was a real terror! I have had to do a lot of separating geese from one another. My 2 eleven month old ganders are a handful, but I just catch them, scoop them up, and hold them for a few minutes,if they try to nip at me. It seems to take their ego down a few pegs and they think twice before running at me again. It is actually quite humorous. They are both so tough and mean on the ground, but in my arms they just freeze from surprise.
Hoping your Chinese goose is the right addition and your goose world is peaceful!

We didn’t think it was fair for them to be fighting over an invisible lady. He was also causing problems with the family members and our elderly neighbor and became a danger to them.

Now our lone ganders attitude is getting worse. We assume it’s grief mixed with hormones….trying to contain him and hoping he doesn’t get worse.

So far our little Chinese goose is very sweet.

 

[Goosey Girl]

Maybe install a mirror so that he can fight with himself or give him some dog toys or empty water bottles to amuse himself.

 

[NevadaEmma]

You love these little creatures unconditionally and then hormones kick in and all that love seems to have gone down the drain. My female though is a calming force between the three males. She does not hesitate to come up to me and let me feed her treats. Her mate will not attack me when she does this and even partakes a bit of the treat, differing to her.

But otherwise he will attack if he feels I am too close to her or the nest.

The Sebastopol has become a terror, but we are learning to keep him somewhat under control with a stern NO and pointing fingers defiantly at him.

The other gander (possibly a Pilgrim) seems to be courting me, but also keeps a close eye on the female either for the possibility of mating or from me getting too close to her. He holds his head up high, which he has done sense a young one, but now hisses, never attacking me, so far. He will bath and wash himself when I am nearby, then follow me when I am doing my chores outside.

So far the female, Tilly, has laid12 eggs. I took 4 of the first ones out and am trying to incubate them inside the house. I figure they may not be fertile, but would rather find that out on my terms rather than find them broken and contaminating the nest.

I guess I am venting. I was almost in tears the other day thinking about how much fun the were and hoping they will again be loving and eager to be with me.

 

[corviidae]

Maybe install a mirror so that he can fight with himself or give him some dog toys or empty water bottles to amuse himself.

having parrots I had no idea you could give a goose a mirror and get away with it I'll talk to my wife about that but I'm not so sure about the mirror. Dog toys, definitely though. He's got 3 of his own and he's been playing with them a lot more. I also just got done fencing in the backyard so he can be a terror in peace.

-snip-

I guess I am venting. I was almost in tears the other day thinking about how much fun the were and hoping they will again be loving and eager to be with me.

Yeah...we had to rehome our Sebbie because he was just becoming too much of a terror and we could no longer keep him contained. He'd find nooks and crannies to sneak out of and he was starting to go after our neighbors (one being an elderly neighbor) and we just couldn't risk a serious injury. We also didn't think it was fair to keep the ganders together since they were fighting so much and had started fighting in their house at night.

I love him to death, so it was extremely difficult for me to do that. Now we've just got our other Toulouse gander who's of course being a dick because of the season, but I'm giving him a chance and seeing if he'll come around after Spring. I don't want to have to get rid of both of them. Thankfully he's a little more....non-observant than our Sebbie in that he won't sneak out through cracks in the fence.