What to do about a biting gander?

[DryCreekFarm]

Okay, I am VERY new to this whole geese thing. I have a gander that was very sweet to the people who raised him. He is a four month old African and we've only had him a week or so. At first he was sweet, much like a lap dog. Now he bites me every chance he gets. I'm not talking the little explore with his beak kind of bites...I'm talking the bite so hard he leaves a deep purple bruises and makes my friends ask if my husband is beating me kinds of bites. I've read that you should grab his beak and hang on, but I've also read that you should smack him, then again, I've also read to put him on his back. What works for a biting gander? Will he always be such a grouch? I would really like to get along with him and make friends.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

I've heard with a rooster you are supposed to get buckets of toys (such as balls) and posistion them around your yard (or carry some with you). When they come close, you throw the toys at them, just enough to scare them, not harm them. I heard that this is your way of getting the message acroos that YOU are at the top of the pecking order, not your rooster. This helps to keep them away in the future.

I don't know if the same thing works with geese, though. Maybe let him settle in a bit, and if he doesn't calm down give it a shot. But please note, throwing the toys shouldn't hurt them, just enough to keep them away.

 

[DryCreekFarm]

Thanks for the advice. I really don't want to hurt him. He's a beautiful gander and can be a sweet little, well big, guy.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

Thanks for the advice. I really don't want to hurt him. He's a beautiful gander and can be a sweet little, well big, guy.

Maybe wear some tough leather gloves for now. I had a rooster who would bite (but was so darling). I just wore leather gloves. I couldn't feel a thing. Maybe you need to get him a muzzle

(JK)

 

[violets812]

I did that - I threw foam toys at a pet house goose biting the dog. I'd start with a pile of them by my computer (I had a job online where I could work from home.) It would stop it (for 15 seconds.) Second toy would stop it for a little longer. Our dog was a Great Pyranese and had been scolded when the geese was much younger for baring his teeth at the gosling, but finally there was a time when I had thrown all the foam balls (nerf balls) and toys & I had not gathered up "my ammunition yet." And our dog, Bear, showed his teeth and growled - well - that WORKED! Something clicked in our goose's mind. I got up and petted Bear, since he had immediately glanced at me to see if he had "been busted." I sat down by him and petted him. He did that a couple more times with the outdoor geese (who would come and sit by the screen door, watching us, watching TV...) and I did say, Good boy Bear. He never snapped at them, but they "got" it.

I was lucky that we had a guardian type dog. Some dogs probably shouldn't be encouraged like that, but the geese stayed away from him and problem was resolved!

 

[Going Bhonkers]

I found this link very helpful: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/561849/geese-training

 

[larkflying]

Don't just let him bite you! That will encourage him. He's trying to become the boss . . . . when my geese were goslings last year, they did the nibble nibble thing, which quickly progressed to biting. Treat the goose like a dog that needs trained. Say NO, BAD GOOSE, and shove him, or hold his beak shut. If he persists, you can pin him to the ground, or pick him up so he feels helpless. You just want to get the message across that he is crossing the line.

You really want to work on this, because next year, during breeding season, he'll be full grown, and if he doesn't have respect for you, he'll be much more difficult to deal with (and he might be difficult anyway . . .)

There is a great post about training your goose on here . . . do a search for it. It has a great explanation of how geese think . . .

 

[Gyburc]

Hi there,

I have a gander who is now a year and nine months old, and he is going through his second breeding season. I'd just like to second what the previous posters have been saying - don't let him get away with biting you! He is testing the group hierarchy and aiming to be top goose, and you really don't want that! It's rather like training a puppy - you need to be sure that he knows you are in charge. Remember also that geese are pretty 'hands-on' with each other; you may need to be forceful with him to get your point across, although I wouldn't recommend hitting him, since that can just heighten his aggression.

My personal tactic for putting the gander in his place (when he is being particularly bad) is to grab him by the neck with one hand, then press down between his shoulders/wings with the other until he lies flat on the ground. Once he submits, I let him up, and he usually runs away. If he is just being a bit obnoxious, I've tried hissing at him, and that worked. During the breeding season, I usually use a stick if I need to move him and the geese, it's much less stressful for everyone.

Just a word of warning - my gander was particularly aggressive last year, during his first breeding season - I suspect that it was largely because it was all very new to him. It was rather upsetting, honestly, because a couple of months before, he had been very sweet and friendly. The good news is that this year, he isn't anywhere near as bad.

Good luck and I hope all goes well!

G

 

[DryCreekFarm]

Thanks everyone! I have to admit, which I am pretty embarrassed about, that yesterday he bit he so hard, he drew a little bit of blood.

I grabbed him by the neck, and he started to try and fly around. I held his beak shut and loudly and gruffly told him EXACTLY what I think of him and his behavior. Then I picked him up, still holding his neck, and put him in the barn. Today he gave me my space and didn't even try to go for me until I put up his one month old mate to be and then he didn't want to go into his barn. So, I picked him up, holding his neck and placed him in the barn. Then I reached down to pet him, and not even a trail nibble.

 

[larkflying]

Sounds like you are making yourself understood! Good job!