Geese becoming mean?? I'm SCARED!

[Billy-jean]

I have had my pair of embden geese for about 2 months now,I have really enjoyed them,and got them pretty young. They are about 3-4 months old now. (I rescued them)
anyways,I've allowed them free range time every day out on the lawn with us,and they are used to us now..but lately they are attacking my dogs,and went after my little 2 year old girl. ( I'm so scared they might hurt them,,is this normal behaviour? And will they become more aggressive with time? I want to be able to allow them grazing time ,but not if they plan on attacking everyone. One is even trying to snip at ME!

I heard it will be worse in the spring!!!

any advice? I sure don't want to have to re home these two cuties,,does anyone else have geese and young children?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

You will need to give the geese a fenced off area where they can forage but not have direct interaction with the child. They don't respect the little one as a flock leader and are showing it. As the breeding season approaches it will become worse. Once breeding season tappers off they should settle down again. However for your child's safety they should be behind a fence.

Our youngest is 20 months old, but has worked around the goose flocks since he was able to walk with us. He stays next to his dad or I, understands loud solid nos and how to make himself bigger to the geese. With the exception of the Africans he is good around everyone until about a month prior to breeding season. However at that time they are split up into breeding groups and in their own yards with housing so he can see them (and they him) but no interaction inside a fence. When we start hatching he will help again with the next years goslings.

All about balance and teaching your kids as well as training the geese to give respect.

 

[Narragansett]

You are finding out what happens when animals are not treated according to their nature. Learn to understand their behavior, treat them like geese, like the livestock that they are, with a sensible, no nonsense approach. When geese and other animals are treated like humans, or brought up with a pet mentality, this is what you get, unfortunately. It happens all the time, and the usual result is that the birds get shipped off to another "home". Unless they get lucky and end up with an experienced no nonsense livestock owner, they usually end up eventually at an auction. Few people with the mentality that every animal is suitable as "pet", have the ability to live peacefully with an aggressive goose, or change it's behavior. The fault unfortunately is often placed on the animal. I've seen many, many cases where children were involved, where the owner justifies his or her failure to understand the nature of the animals and claims that getting rid of it is for the protection of the children. IMO it sends the wrong message to children that animals are disposable: don't do your homework, if an animal doesn't work out, blame it, ship it off and replace it with something new.

 

[EmAbTo48]

We have 6 geese, 2 our adults, while the other 4 our between 5 months old- 7 months old. I find it best to never leave our 22 month old daughter to go running up to the geese as they are free ranging she knows she is not allowed to do this nor to go to close to them. She can look but not go near.

AS for me these geese I bought just about a month ago now. AT first when it was time to put them in to their coop which is about 500 feet from where they graze or farther if they move farther on our land is, I had to for 2 weeks have a stick with me the ganders would stand their ground none ever tried to nip at me but they gave warning signs saying "no I won't go in" I found holding a stick I NEVER swing it at them or do anything I use it more like a walking stick instilled them to learn to respect my wishes. I now can lock them up just fine without the stick. And during breeding season they will be penned in not free ranging so we shouldnt have a problem.

I find the younger ones are the problem bullies lol they seem to think they are in entitled to everything they will learn

 

[Narragansett]

You don't even need a stick. Body language, behavior and attitude is enough.

 

[zooweemama]

We were having issues like that. We threw our arms out and charged my girl goose back. We had to bump her a few times and physically push her back a little. They are ALL bluff- call it and you will see they will back right off. My 3 year old was getting attacked too. So I would physically push the female goose back away from her. But if I wasn't around - she would go after her. We figured out that if she carried a metal garbage can lid and the goose ran at her my daughter would charge back with that lid. Boy did my big ole goose back off. No more issues.

BUT I do need to say I know WHY they were reacting. My daughter is a spazz. She will run around all loo loo for no reason. She would do this around the geese. Scares them. So they saw her as some threat or at least annoying. I also had to tell her to stop running by them because she was scaring them. Because even after she stopped running- they REMEMBERED her and the female would still go after her. The 'shield' of the garbage can allowed my daughter to call my gooses bluff. No more issues after we dealt with her a few times.

 

[Billy-jean]

You are finding out what happens when animals are not treated according to their nature. Learn to understand their behavior, treat them like geese, like the livestock that they are, with a sensible, no nonsense approach. When geese and other animals are treated like humans, or brought up with a pet mentality, this is what you get, unfortunately. It happens all the time, and the usual result is that the birds get shipped off to another "home". Unless they get lucky and end up with an experienced no nonsense livestock owner, they usually end up eventually at an auction. Few people with the mentality that every animal is suitable as "pet", have the ability to live peacefully with an aggressive goose, or change it's behavior. The fault unfortunately is often placed on the animal. I've seen many, many cases where children were involved, where the owner justifies his or her failure to understand the nature of the animals and claims that getting rid of it is for the protection of the children. IMO it sends the wrong message to children that animals are disposable: don't do your homework, if an animal doesn't work out, blame it, ship it off and replace it with something new.

Narragansett~
I'm highly offended that you would say this about someone like me,who rescues every critter I have in my care. You don't know me,and I am very educated on each animal I acquire,,also,the reason I have them out on the lawn is because I DID my research and learned that they NEED to graze every day.I rescued them from a place that they would have been killed. and I don't treat them like 'humans' at all,but I do treat them with love and respect,like all my animals that are all very happy. My children are taught to respect them as well,no animals we have are disposed of,I DO NOT teach that to my children thank you very much, or ever have..I am involved in animal rescue and hate most humans on this planet due to their disgusting treatment toward animals. Please do not make the assumption that I am like them. IF I had to re home them,I would be doing it because I can't give them the lawn they need, and keeping them locked in an enclosure would not be healthy for them,,I have numerous rescue operations I am linked into,and know people who give forever homes and have running sanctuaries,like myself. I would never hand an animal to a monster. Please be careful with what you say about people you do not know in the future.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Beeliz, read this thread (go to post # 19 specifically) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/561849/geese-training
It definitely helped me out. Our which chinese gander started showing aggression around 3 & half or 4 & half months old. Zooweemama is right when she said geese bluff a lot. We recognized that our geese can be really bullies sometimes, especially to our dog, but training them does work.
And its not a one time thing, that is to say, after you read that thread, we have had to remind our gander that his human family are the leaders of the flock by following the suggestions posted almost every other day. ... well, now its less frequent than that. But its a process.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

I should also say that our geese free range during the day as well, and we're able to do work in the yard and go about our business with our geese around, so your situation can also have a happy ending. (One note, since they do bully our dog, and our dog has the capability of hurting them, we make sure to keep an eye on them. Our dog knows to keep his distance from them, after they pecked at him, but our geese, being bullies, sometimes go after our dog if he happens to be at a close distance. Our dog doesnt 'free range', he goes out when we go out)

 

[Miss Lydia]

I should also say that our geese free range during the day as well, and we're able to do work in the yard and go about our business with our geese around, so your situation can also have a happy ending. (One note, since they do bully our dog, and our dog has the capability of hurting them, we make sure to keep an eye on them. Our dog knows to keep his distance from them, after they pecked at him, but our geese, being bullies, sometimes go after our dog if he happens to be at a close distance. Our dog doesnt 'free range', he goes out when we go out)

Same here, our dogs have to be with us if the geese are out,. My med size bird dog did attack out gander through the dog door thank goodness so only feathers were lost, but I think she had been pushed to the breaking point by him being a bully. Even our newest goose is starting to act differently towards our dogs, it's just their nature I guess. This morning our gander started towards the dogs while we were sitting out having our morning coffee, all I have to say to him now is NO and he backs off. He has learned alot in the last couple of months about what is expected of him if he is going to be able to be around us. We enjoy our geese's company and I think it is mutual. They just need to learn to control their behavior and I have seen that they can. I am talking about my Embden gander too, My Toulouse goose seems to not be as head strong as him.