When will my geese fully integrate?

[Charlieeb]

I have 7 geese. Three of them are 8 weeks and four of them are 7 weeks but they stay in the age groups and don’t mingle. The three older geese also stop the young geese from entering the coop during the day and herd them around the garden. How do I stop this or encourage them to integrate. They currently sleep in two different separated sections of the coop because I am afraid to leave them alone unsupervised.

 

[Goosebaby]

Put them into a single larger coop together. Those will encourage them to intermingle.

Keep in mind if you have males and females together they’ll need to be separated into groups of 1 gander to 2 females at night or warfare will start between this or next winter, and when they’re stuck together unable to escape the fight doesn’t stop.
Ganders can coexist in the same night pen if they bond with each other but if not it’s better to keep them separated at night.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

I have 7 geese. Three of them are 8 weeks and four of them are 7 weeks but they stay in the age groups and don’t mingle. The three older geese also stop the young geese from entering the coop during the day and herd them around the garden. How do I stop this or encourage them to integrate. They currently sleep in two different separated sections of the coop because I am afraid to leave them alone unsupervised.

I am interested in what people have to say, I have the same issue with 2 geese and 9 ducks. Those geese masterfully herd the ducks all over the yard. Away from the THREE kiddie pools, drinking water and food sources. It drives me nuts to watch it all happen. I do keep them separated at night too for the same reasons you do.

Daily I wait and hope the ducks stand up for themselves and hold their ground. (they were all born April 6/7) Geese are a week older. All raised together.

I understand your frustration for sure!!

Renee

 

[Charlieeb]

Put them into a single larger coop together. Those will encourage them to intermingle.

Keep in mind if you have males and females together they’ll need to be separated into groups of 1 gander to 2 females at night or warfare will start between this or next winter, and when they’re stuck together unable to escape the fight doesn’t stop.
Ganders can coexist in the same night pen if they bond with each other but if not it’s better to keep them separated at night.

During the day and supervise in a larger coop? I currently don’t know what sex they are since I got them straight run. But I’m sure time will tell!

 

[Charlieeb]

I am interested in what people have to say, I have the same issue with 2 geese and 9 ducks. Those geese masterfully herd the ducks all over the yard. Away from the THREE kiddie pools, drinking water and food sources. It drives me nuts to watch it all happen. I do keep them separated at night too for the same reasons you do.

Daily I wait and hope the ducks stand up for themselves and hold their ground. (they were all born April 6/7) Geese are a week older. All raised together.

I understand your frustration for sure!!

Renee

I completely understand it’s so frustrating! They have been free ranging together for a few weeks now and they don’t attack one another but they’ll herd them out of the way.

 

[Goosebaby]

During the day and supervise in a larger coop? I currently don’t know what sex they are since I got them straight run. But I’m sure time will tell!

At night.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

I completely understand it’s so frustrating! They have been free ranging together for a few weeks now and they don’t attack one another but they’ll herd them out of the way.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can just see the looks on the ducks faces when the geese come in and ruin their moment of pool time and trying to eat. They (ducks) just get settled and here they (geese) come..."get up and move over here. wait not there, here! Wait, no, here instead" Poor ducks I think get relief at night being without them.

I think I have even heard name calling under their quacks. I don't blame them.

When you separate the geese do they want to be together? My geese boss the ducks all day when whine when they are separated.

Renee

 

[Goosebaby]

I am interested in what people have to say, I have the same issue with 2 geese and 9 ducks. Those geese masterfully herd the ducks all over the yard. Away from the THREE kiddie pools, drinking water and food sources. It drives me nuts to watch it all happen. I do keep them separated at night too for the same reasons you do.

Daily I wait and hope the ducks stand up for themselves and hold their ground. (they were all born April 6/7) Geese are a week older. All raised together.

I understand your frustration for sure!!

Renee

I don’t encourage keeping them in the same enclosure at night. Ducks are more instinctual and when they get hormonal they’re less reasonable than even geese and ducks more often in my experience bully the geese and they just don’t stop. It makes the geese anxious which encourages the ducks to bully them more.
Eventually when the geese have had enough they will turn on their bully or whichever duck is closest and it doesn’t usually end well, one of my drakes wouldn’t stop bullying some of my geese until “Friday” my female goose had enough and she beat him within an inch of his life, and that was out in the yard, I keep them in separate pens at night.

There are people on here that keep ducks and geese together without issue so my experience isn’t everyone’s but geese and ducks are all individualistic so flock dynamics vary. For their sake however it’s better to play it safe and have separate night pens/coops so no one is trapped together if things do go bad.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

I don’t encourage keeping them in the same enclosure at night. Ducks are more instinctual and when they get hormonal they’re less reasonable than even geese and ducks more often in my experience bully the geese and they just don’t stop. It makes the geese anxious which encourages the ducks to bully them more.
Eventually when the geese have had enough they will turn on their bully or whichever duck is closest and it doesn’t usually end well, one of my drakes wouldn’t stop bullying some of my geese until “Friday” my female goose had enough and she beat him within an inch of his life, and that was out in the yard, I keep them in separate pens at night.

There are people on here that keep ducks and geese together without issue so my experience isn’t everyone’s but geese and ducks are all individualistic so flock dynamics vary. For their sake however it’s better to play it safe and have separate night pens/coops so no one is trapped together if things do go bad.

I have yet to see one of my ducks go after Eddie my goose. Eddie is a pain in the a$$ being bossy. I do love him though. I wish the ducks would to hold their ground. (I don't know the sex of ANY of my 9 ducks or 2 geese-I think I am tone deaf because they ALL sound the same to me)

And if Eddie's bossy behavior is from something I am doing or have in the yard I would change it for him/her. I just want everyone happy and healthy.

We have a big storm on the way for tomorrow and panic is setting in for that. I am about ready to bring them in the house for it! Speaking of storms, do they sense that too?

Renee

 

[Charlieeb]

At night.

At what stage do you reckon it will be obvious who’s a gander and who’s a goose?