Canadian Goose - suitable match?

[Ashmeade]

I have a Canada Goose that I would like to get a friend or two for. I got "suckered" into taking her as an orphan/rejected gosling back in May and she has been raised a "single goose" (and I am pretty sure she thinks she is a person to an extent). She is horrid to my chickens and has been since a tiny gosling. Actually she is pretty non-social to all other animals except people.

My goal is to get 1 or two as goslings so I can imprint them as my current goose is and let them eventually free range with her during the day and put them in a pen at night to keep them safe. With this in mind, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with getting a single goose integrated in with other geese and how receptive the goose has been. My goose has not been around any other geese or waterfowl so I was hoping she might be more receptive to some geese but was not sure if this would be the case.

I was even considering a duck or two but I have had issues in the past with these are far as getting into the horse/dog feed and dirtying any water container around them. But I hate for her to be out by herself during the day and cannot shut her up in a pen outside by herself at night, so something needs to be done.

My vet has recommended toulouse goslings, stating that these are the only types of geese he has seen that get along with Canada geese. Any thoughts to that and can anyone advise how these geese are in temperament, etc?

 

[Big Chicken Little]

Your vet might be right but that is if she excepts them

 

[Soccer Mom]

I would say get the pair and raise them up so she has lots of supervised contact with them and can see them. I say this with the caveat that you must be prepared with a plan if she rejects them. Go into this knowing that you may have to house them seperately or rehome them if she is too aggressive with them.

ETA: Reading your other post, it sounds as if she may go broody. If she does, let her sit on something (chicken eggs would do) for a bit and then try offering her hatchlings. Maybe she will raise them up.

 

[Ashmeade]

I was thinking of letting her hatch an egg if she will sit or replace with hatchlings once I can find some. DEFINITELY have a back up plan in place in case she will not accept them. This egg did not end up well and broke but we can always try again if she is willing.

I have looked all over and emailed every hatchery I could find to check for goslings and have sadly missed the season for this year unless anyone knows of someone that might have hatchlings (need to be as young as possible so I can get them imprinted and carefully introduce them to my current goose so that she will hopefully accept them.)

So far I plan to go with my vet's recommendation of toulouse goslings since that breed is known to get along with Canada geese but if anyone knows of any other breeds that work that are good for pets, definitely let me know...

From reading some additional posts here on other topics, sounds like the Domestic Greylag Goose might be an even better match for her??
(edited to say: nevermind on the Greylag as I see they can fly like Canada geese and I want something that can't so there is better chance my current goose will not fly away. So toulouse it is unless someone has a better recommendation)

 

[Ashmeade]

Well I have come to the conclusion that I have totally missed out on season for goslings so I was looking for thoughts/advice on how to handle my current goose for this year until I can get some goslings for her as companions.

She is imprinted and seems to be doing reasonably well on her own but a tad lonely and tends to fly after my car (though not all the way to the road, just up to the pond). She stays out free range during the day (I am on 20 acres) and comes into a pen in the house at night, since she is by herself. She is imprinted and so far has not liked any of our other animals and hates the chickens, though has never been around any other water fowl.

I was playing with the idea to get a duckling to gradually introduce to her and encourage her to bond with that but was not sure if that would even work and am not overly enthralled with ducks anyway. BUT I do not want her to be alone and maybe try to fly off with wild geese on a whim, as I do not think she would manage very long out in the wild (she is a couch goose and I do not see her having the endurance to keep up with wild geese).

On the other side of things, unless it is in her pen inside, she does not do well penned so that is not an option (would not want to keep her penned anyway)__and I do not want to clip her wings as I am worried about predators as it is and do not want to take her method of defense away.

I do not want to get an adult goose or duck, as I do not think she would be open to an adult and I need something as tame as she is so I can manage it, etc. to hopefully better introduce them together.

So I was wondering if anyone had just a single goose and how they handled this and what folks would do with this situation. Get a duckling? Wait till next year and get goslings?, etc.

 

[Soccer Mom]

If you can't find goslings, I'd be inclined to try and find her a ducky friend. Maybe one of the wilder ducks like a Mallard would make a good friend for her. Then she wouldn't be quite so clingy. Good luck!

 

[Puddle Foot Farm]

Where do you live?