What's going on?-UPDATE

[TennesseeTruly]

This morning we heard "screaming" from the goose pen and hubby and I went running to see what the problem was. Peter, our Sebastopol had one of the females on the ground repeatedly biting her. She was way back in one of the corners. Peter saw us and went running back to the other two females.

All day long, he has been attacking Peony, chasing her to the back corner of the pen, refusing to allow her to rejoin the flock. Anytime she tries, he's back to beating her up and chasing her back to the corner. He's never done anything like this.

I went into the pen to intervene a few times and he immediately came running at me, wings outstretched, hissing. Well I'm not afraid of him and I just pushed him out of the way to see if Peony was okay. I picked her up and sat in a chair I have in the pen and she was trembling. Peter ran around the chair, hissing at me.

What's going on? What would have caused him to exhibit this behavior just overnight? They were fine yesterday.

ETA: The other two females have now joined in on the attacks on Peony. Peter also refused to allow her in the night shelter. Hubby brought her inside our parrot house for the night and put her inside an empty macaw cage. I'm at a complete loss.

Laurie

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Sometimes a flock will cast out a bird that is sick or injured so check out Peony as closely as you are able in the morning. The theory is that this is instinctive behavior, as a sick injured or weak bird can attract preditors. This is only a theory and I have not seen active attacks in my own flocks. I have seen outcasts that the rest of the flock would stay far away from, in both cases the bird had an injured leg and it was easy for the flock to just walk away from her and if she started to close the gap walk away again. One case was a old boss gander that was beat badly by a young bird that took his place at the top of the pecking order. He was exiled and had to settle for being the king of the ducks. Again this is all theory with some experience, sorry that I can't be more help...

 

[High Roost Ranch]

This is frustrating when it happens. It seems they know something we don't. It appears that you'll have to remove her from the flock, she's been labeled an outcast.

 

[Cottage Rose]

For whatever reason he has rejected her.
Is she a different breed or color from the rest of your geese?
Believe it or not birds are ver clannish and prejudice and often
will not like a bird that us a different color or breed.

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

Are you for sure that it is not another gander, if it is that might also explain him trying to keep it away from the other girls. Just a thought.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I'm 99% sure Peony is a goose and not a gander. The behavior just happened so quickly and out of the blue with no forewarning that I'm blown away. Peter has chosen his favorite, Pansy, and did so right after we got the 3 females. She's the smallest of the 3, the closest to his age.

Peony and Peter always seemed to get along well until yesterday. Then all heck broke loose. I do have another pen that I can put her in that butts up against the other goose pen. I'm going to put Peony in that one during the day but at night she'll have to go back into the parrot house until my husband can get another night shelter built in the next day or two.

This really saddens me. I just wish I knew why this happened.

ETA: Peony is a white Sebastopol like Peter, although she is smooth breasted. But so is Pansy and Petunia.

Laurie

 

[banter]

He might not feel he can handle being papa to 3 separate families. He probably knows his limitations and picked two mates. I am a firm believer the females have a say in the whole situation and put their (WEB) foot down, insisting that their mate do their will! I believe most ganders are henpecked (goose pecked!)

:l

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Well, I guess we're going to keep her separate from the flock. I'm looking for a gander so she's not alone so if anyone has a gander, please let me know. I'm going to be traveling north to NY around December 19th so I can pick up to or from.

This is just breaking my heart!

Laurie

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Well it looks like I may have good news. I found a male/female pair of Sebastopols about 4 hours from my house. I'm paying an arm and a leg for them and the barn that was supposed to be started is going to have to wait another month but I'll have this pair for Peony.

I pick them up Tuesday and should be home Tuesday night. Hopefully the introduction will go well and there will be no more problems.

Laurie

 

[Lund121671]

I would venture to say it is a goose and not a gander. They are very hard to tell. If they were hatched out this spring they would be getting sexually mature now and staking out breeders for in the spring. Ours however are laying and breeding now. We had what we thought was a pair of american buffs till the one wanted to kill the other. Low and behold I had a guy come and sex them and boom it was also a gander. he was very docile all of the time and I thought a goose, but it was just because he was being submisive because of the more dominate gander. Good Luck!