Wayward Geese that need rescue

[glenntwo]

Is there anyone in the Austin TX area that rescues waterfowl? My SO and I were out driving around yesterday and we came across a flock with mostly white and brown chinese ganders, as well as a few mixed breeds and one solitary duck in a public park along the river not too far from here. They are obviously drop-offs, and have ended up congregating there for safety, as well as for food.

The flock is about 30 strong, and at least 20 are ganders, with most of them being whites or browns. They may not be a problem right now, but once mating season starts, they will be, due to the bad ratio of ganders to geese. I suspect that will be just about the time the city loses patience with them and gets rid of them.

I would love to be able to trap them and take them to my property about 10 miles away, but caring for a flock that big and unbalanced is way beyond my capabilities, as well as the patience of my neighbors. Likely they need someone who already has a large flock with a lot of females, or have the time and the ability to place them in foster or permanent homes. I have a pair of Chinese whites already, and would love to have more, but a whole goose farm's worth is just too much.

I really don't want to see anything bad happen to these guys so any info for the Austin area would be greatly appreciated. I am going to check up on them today and see if if I can get some pics of the flock. Yesterday they were hanging out on a sand bar about 50' from shore, probably to stay away from the people picnicking in the park, but the park should be empty today and they should be on land grazing. I don't figure on them being too aggressive, so I'll just wade in with some feed and a camera and see what I can find out.

 

[Ema]

wow people never cease to amaze me....I wish I lived closer I would so love to rescue a few. I hope you find a place soon for all of them

 

[glenntwo]

I'm trying. I have spoken to one animal rescue a couple hundred miles from here and they are working on the problem too. They don't handle waterfowl, but they are connected, and think they can find someone who can help. I have all kinds of logistical problems which preclude me from doing much more than alerting someone who can do the important stuff, but I want them to survive and prosper. so I'm going to do what I can.

I don't think they would normally be a problem, as this is a rural area with a temperate climate, but that ratio of ganders to females has me worried and I know it's going to create a lot of noise and aggressive behavior come breeding season. It's best to get them somewhere safe before they p*** off the local animal control, or end up being harassed by some yahoo who thinks animals are to be abused or taken advantage of.

I have to leave in a couple of days to go to my job back East, and I won't be back home for at least six weeks, so I'm hoping someone can come in and be the hero for these guys. Soon.

 

[bock]

 

[glenntwo]

Had to run into town on an errand, so I stopped and snapped some quick pics of the flock. As you can see, they are mostly Chinese ganders, but there is a variety of breeds, and more ducks than I originally thought. I counted 33, but that may be off by one or two. They look healthy, for the most part, and didn't seem to have much problem with me getting within ten feet of them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/glenntwo/BastropGeese?locked=true#slideshow/5495698107306622882

Hopefully that link works. If not I'll fiddle with it a little later on. I am sure that someone local to me that sees this post will also recognize them.

 

[bock]

They are all so pretty!

How could anyone drop those beauties off like that?

I hope you can save them. It is a great thing you are doing, trying to save them.

 

[Ema]

like I said people never cease to amaze me..those are just beautiful birds, I would take them in a heart beat!!!! darn it for living so far away!!!

 

[Kim65]

I almost avoided posting thinking you might just be disappointed, because I can't help. If I was in the least local I would. Looks like all sorts of geese and some young chinese cross juveniles too

. Whatever happened, they survived this breeding season and successfully raised young but next year? Oh dear, this could be bad

I see some muscovies, a Toulouse and some of those brown chinese look awfully big, maybe africans? And a little Pekin and some other cross type ducks.

A small flock of ganders, with no goose, is a very workable thing, most people don't realize. Ganders form "homosexual" bonds that make them very happy, they don't necessarily "mate" but are close and take care of one another. I had a flock of SIX ganders (Toulouse) in Idaho. There was a bit of a pecking order, but they got along very well. Until I gave them four female goslings, then Pinhead, the top gander, became very irritable and aggressive with his brothers.

There are lots of goose fanatics and people that will go to lengths to rescue them. I wish you the best of luck and God bless your goose-caring heart

 

[RAREROO]

I have had a few geese only a few weeks and aready love them and would love to have a few more and help out with this effort, but like everybody else, I am too far away. Good luck and good for you for trying to help, I think that is too many for one place but maybe leave a few of them there for the people at the park to feed and enjoy.

 

[glenntwo]

Quote:
Maybe the ducks, but those geese are domesticated, not wild, waterfowl. It's likely that most won't make the New Year, whether by attrition or extermination. They need to be moved before the county and the yahoos get annoyed with them. Or the predators.